The Master of Science in Building Artificial Intelligence (MSc[BAI]) brings together building physics and artificial intelligence (AI) to prepare students to improve the performance, operation and maintenance of buildings. As the industry places greater emphasis on the existing building stock, the programme equips students to apply AI and data-driven analytics to building condition assessment, energy efficiency, sustainability and occupant well-being.

The curriculum is built around three academic pillars: building physics and regulation, AI fundamentals, and AI for building analytics. Students will study building science, legislation, diagnostics and sustainability alongside data analytics, machine learning and generative AI, with an emphasis on responsible AI use and ethical issues. The programme comprises 72 credits, including 54 credits of core courses, a 6-credit capstone project and 12 credits of electives, and normally extends over one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study.

Through taught courses, practical learning and an integrated project studio, students will develop knowledge and skills in:

• Understanding building performance indicators, the principles of building operation and control, and the mechanisms of building condition deterioration;

• Understanding the principles of AI and gaining hands-on experience with mainstream machine learning models for building analytics;

• Developing basic programming skills to train machine learning algorithms for building performance analytics;

• Responding creatively and effectively to unfamiliar problems and challenges in building operation and maintenance;

• Communicating effectively across disciplines with estate owners, building service engineers, data scientists and AI developers;

• Recognising personal strengths and weaknesses in professional practice and pursuing lifelong learning to advance knowledge and professional excellence.

The programme is designed for graduates and professionals with a bachelor’s degree preferably in architecture, engineering or surveying, or an accepted equivalent qualification. It prepares students for roles in building surveying, facilities management, building performance analysis and the application of AI to the built environment. In the capstone studio, students will work in teams under industry mentorship to develop a prototype AI platform or a comprehensive digital strategy addressing a real-world challenge in building intelligence.

The programme is offered by the Department of Real Estate and Construction in the Faculty of Architecture, with contributions from HKU academic staff and industry specialists. Accreditation will be sought from professional bodies such as The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in due course.