What is Corb and what does it do for architects?

Corb is ArchAdemia's AI assistant built specifically for architectural practice, trained on RIBA Plan of Work stages, UK planning and building regulations, fee structures, and software workflows including Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, V-Ray, and Enscape. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Corb is scoped to architecture — reducing the hallucination risk that makes ChatGPT unreliable for profession-specific questions. It sits inside the ArchAdemia member dashboard and connects directly to the platform's 60+ courses and Toolkit, which includes fee calculators, project trackers, and a CV exporter.

Is Corb better than ChatGPT for architecture questions?

Corb outperforms ChatGPT on architecture-specific professional questions because its training is scoped to architectural practice rather than general knowledge. ChatGPT can state a fee percentage or planning rule with confidence and be wrong in ways that cause real professional problems; Corb's error profile is different — when it is uncertain, it flags it rather than sounding authoritative. For questions involving RIBA stages, ARB requirements, building regulations, or UK planning frameworks, an architecture-specific AI assistant produces more professionally actionable answers than a general-purpose tool.

What topics can Corb help architects with?

Corb covers RIBA Plan of Work stages, UK planning permission and building regulations, fee structures, conservation area constraints including Article 4 directions, ARB Part III requirements, and software workflows across Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, V-Ray, and Enscape. It understands the distinction between planning conditions and building regulations discharge — the kind of professional nuance that generic AI tools routinely get wrong. It can also direct members to specific lessons within ArchAdemia's course library when a software or practice question requires deeper learning.

Who is Corb designed for — students or practising architects?

Corb is designed for both architecture students and practising architects, but its value shifts depending on where you are in your career. Students benefit most from its software workflow guidance and course signposting across ArchAdemia's 60+ courses. Practising architects get the most from its knowledge of fee structures, planning frameworks, and RIBA stage deliverables — the professional territory where generic AI tools are most likely to give confidently wrong answers.

Can an AI assistant help with RIBA Plan of Work stages?

An AI assistant trained on architectural practice can provide reliable guidance on RIBA Plan of Work stages, including stage deliverables, fee apportionment, and the design liability considerations that shift between stages. Corb, ArchAdemia's architecture-specific AI assistant, covers the RIBA Plan of Work as part of its core training — including the practical implications that general AI tools miss, such as how Stage 4 contractor design portions affect your fee structure. Generic AI tools know roughly what the RIBA stages are; they do not know how to apply that knowledge to a live project decision.

Does ArchAdemia's AI assistant understand UK planning and building regulations?

Corb is trained on UK planning frameworks and building regulations, including the distinction between planning permission and building regulations approval — two separate processes that frequently confuse clients and junior architects. It covers conservation area Article 4 directions, permitted development rights, Part L compliance, and how heritage constraints interact with energy performance requirements. This makes it more reliable than general AI tools for UK-specific planning and regulatory questions, where confident but incorrect answers can cause real professional problems.

What is the best AI assistant for architects in 2026?

The best AI assistant for architects in 2026 is one trained specifically on architectural practice rather than general knowledge — Corb, built by ArchAdemia, is currently the only AI assistant scoped to RIBA Plan of Work stages, UK planning and building regulations, architectural fee structures, and software workflows across Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, V-Ray, and Enscape. General-purpose tools like ChatGPT are useful for broad tasks but produce unreliable answers on profession-specific questions, particularly around fees, planning conditions, and ARB requirements. Corb is available to ArchAdemia members alongside the platform's 60+ courses and Toolkit.

Can AI help architects with fee calculations and project management?

AI can assist architects with fee calculations when it is trained on architectural fee structures and connected to practical tools — Corb, ArchAdemia's AI assistant, integrates directly with the platform's Toolkit, which includes fee calculators, project trackers, and a CV exporter. Asking a general AI tool for a fee percentage risks receiving a number that sounds reasonable but does not account for UK-specific factors like contractor design liability splits or RIBA stage apportionment. An architecture-specific AI assistant connected to purpose-built calculators produces more reliable, professionally actionable outputs than a general chatbot.

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Corb Reviewed: What ArchAdemia's AI Assistant Actually Does for Architects

29 May 2026By Kenny McNaughton

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Corb Reviewed: What ArchAdemia's AI Assistant Actually Does for Architects

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