DOI: 10.3390/buildings16193906 ISSN: 2075-5309

Constructing Embodied Intelligent Spaces from an Architectural Perspective: Technical Frameworks, Integration Mechanisms, and Implementation Pathways

Xin Zhou, Yuping Feng, Xiaokai Yan, Jiarui Sun, Yian Lu, Ji Lu

To address the bottleneck of technologically advanced but cognitively limited smart buildings, this paper introduces embodied intelligence to reconstruct the intelligent paradigm of architectural space. It defines embodied intelligent space and develops a Human–Intelligence–Context framework. In this framework, space is regarded as a collaborative spatial agent with a degree of autonomy. Based on a systematic review of 293 studies published from 2017 to 2026, the paper proposes a technical adaptation loop of embodied perception, cognitive decision-making, and embodied actuation. This loop explains how space gains computability, interpretability, and actionability. The paper further develops a scenario–pathway–implementation framework from an architectural perspective. This framework clarifies how intelligent technologies can be structurally embedded into architectural systems. The findings show that embodied intelligent space supports the shift from a passive container to an autonomous spatial agent. This shift is enabled by multimodal perception, spatial large-model reasoning, and edge–cloud collaborative actuation. The study provides theoretical support and implementation pathways for sustainable and human-centered settlement environments.