There's currently no way to influence them like that.
When you start a new isolated floor area, you can name it, which the NPCs can see when inside it, but it won't become part of the world lore database the game retrieves information from.
Actually, I kind of did this with Gareth back in 1.0.6 or 1.0.7 when I first got the shed key on my first play. He "followed" me to the shed. By that I mean, he said he'd follow me, but he never actually used the 'follow' mechanic. Instead he decided to cut a tree two spaces away from the of the shed door and I just happen to be going in the same direction while we walked together.
In RP I was suppose to be fixing the shed for Gareth because I needed money and asked him for a job and he offered to let me fix his shed. At the time I didn't know if the shed was actually damaged or not, so I asked if I could look at the damage first before deciding, He gave me the key and said he'll follow me over to hear my decision.
I'm not sure why he decided to cut a tree in front of the shed instead of following me to it, but it seemed like I made him go there through dialogue alone. Unless this is a niche mechanic for Gareth?
Also, an NPC cutting a tree? What?! I forgot about this, but now I should try asking an NPC if they can construct a wall.
Okay. This is less planning than the AI going wild, but here's something that happened just now:
Mirel and mine PC were flirting in the woods and getting... eager. We were adjacent to a tree. The very next passage of text is accompanied by the same very tree getting knocked over like it was just felled by an axe.
Visually. Sounds, effects, the works. Left a log to be sawed in its wake.
I was laughing for like, five minutes. Well played, AI. Well played indeed.
I know she's surprisingly strong for her size, but dang, Mirel.
Yeah, it seems like the NPCs can still do things, like cutting trees down, but good luck making them do it with any degree of planning and intention.
Still... I want to try making a wood wall, filling it with the materials, and seeing if I can ask them to help me finish it instantly or at least get them to start hammering away at it. Or better yet, leaving it unfilled and asking them to get the materials for the wood wall. Save about 50-80 gold depending on what kind of wood wall I'm making.