A joint South Korean-U.S. research team led by Professor Ko Taewoo of the Department of Architecture at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) and Professor Lee Ji-hee of the Department of Architecture at Chung-Ang University (President Park Se-hyun) has won the 2026 Best Paper Award. Conducted in collaboration with Professor David Jeong of Texas A&M University, this research was published in the *Journal of Management in Engineering* (JME, a Q1 SCIE journal with an Impact Factor of 6), a world-renowned academic journal published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The award ceremony was held on Monday, September 28, at Rice University in the United States.
  
Each year, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) selects one paper published in this journal that demonstrates the highest level of academic and practical contribution, innovation, and impact to receive the Best Paper Award. The award-winning paper addressed a technology that uses AI to automatically assign roles and responsibilities to each department by analyzing the requirements contained in contracts and specifications for large-scale construction projects involving multiple departments and partner organizations, such as architecture, roads, and transportation infrastructure.
 
The research team developed an algorithm that uses AI language models to automatically classify requirements contained in complex contract documents according to departmental roles. They also built an “interactive mapping system” that links the analysis results to location data from construction sites, displaying each department’s tasks in different colors on a digital map.
 
By using this system, departments and contractors at a road construction site can identify their work locations and areas of responsibility and share relevant information via the digital map without having to manually review the voluminous specifications one by one. In a pilot study, the AI model demonstrated high classification accuracy, proving its potential for application in real-world construction sites.
 
Professor Ko Taewoo of Kookmin University stated, “It is a great honor to have our paper selected as the best paper in a world-renowned academic journal,” adding, “This award is a valuable achievement accomplished jointly by a global research team that has collaborated closely over a long period.”

He continued, “I hope this research, which integrates AI technology into the field of construction management, will serve as a practical guideline for smart construction by accelerating on-site decision-making and reducing the risk of construction delays and workplace disputes.”
 
Meanwhile, Kookmin University established the Graduate School of Architecture last August to respond to the rapidly changing architectural environment centered on artificial intelligence and to cultivate professionals who will lead the future of architecture. The Graduate School of Architecture presents “AI Craft” as a new direction in architectural design and operates specialized curricula covering design, theory, technology, and practical skills, centered on the Architectural Design and Architecture majors. In particular, through professional degree programs that meet international architectural education standards, the school plans to cultivate architects and researchers who possess both creative design capabilities and practical field skills.

(From left to right: Ko Taewoo of Kookmin University, Lee Ji-hee of Chung-Ang University, and Professor David Jeong of Texas A&M University)