Gavri Slasky, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Associate
SBJ Group
At ArkDesign.AI, we’re committed to showcasing how AI is transforming architectural practice. In a recent webinar, we had the privilege of hosting Gavri from SBJ Group, winner of the SARA National AI Design Awards, who shared valuable insights on integrating AI tools into architectural workflows.
Gavri is an associate at SBJ Group, where he has been working for 12 years. The firm has a 58-year history in New York and the surrounding areas, specializing in multi-family and hospitality projects while maintaining a diverse portfolio. With over half a century of building experience, SBJ Group’s work has become an integral part of New York City’s architectural fabric.
AI in Architecture: The ‘One Hundred’ Project
Gavri’s award-winning theoretical project, called “One Hundred,” demonstrates the capabilities of architectural AI tools in urban design contexts. The project envisions a tower on a standard 100 × 100 New York City corner lot—a concept that could be applied to numerous urban intersections.
What makes this project particularly interesting is how Gavri approached the design process:
• Using ArkDesign.AI’s platform, Gavri chose a corner lot defined by New York City zoning regulations (100 feet from an intersecting street).
• Building Typology: The design features a mixed-use multi-family residential building with retail at street level—a common urban typology.
• Design Philosophy: The building maintains the street wall at its base and tapers back at the corner from each street, allowing light and air to reach the streets below, echoing the spirit of the original 1916 New York City Zoning Ordinance.
• Scale: Embracing the “One Hundred” theme, Gavri designed a 100-story building, pushing beyond conventional height and FAR restrictions.
AI as a Design Partner
What stands out in Gavri’s presentation is the speed and efficiency enabled by AI tools. Within a short time of working with the ARK platform, he designed 10 unique floor plates. As he made decisions about the core and setbacks, these plans adjusted automatically within minutes.
Gavri describes the software as “painting with broad strokes, not the fine lines of architecture,” emphasizing that these AI-generated plans are not final layouts but placeholders for quick assessment tools toward more deliberate design, one eventually completed by human architects.
“I like to think of ARK as painting with broad strokes, not the fine lines of architecture. It actually helps free up the designer to quickly develop the big picture.”
The software also automatically generates and updates area schedules and calculates Zoning Deductions, saving significant time in the design process.
Real-World Applications
Gavri showcased two real-world projects using ArkDesign.AI:
• Astor Senior Housing
This relatively modest seven-story building in the Bronx presented an interesting challenge with its angled street frontage. While the AI platform doesn’t yet support diagonal building lines, this limitation led to a stepped design that ultimately proved more effective:
- The stepped facade created a rhythm better suited to the urban context
- Studios were aligned along the main street, establishing a consistent rhythm to the front facade. for visual consistency
- The stepped rear facade complemented the smaller scale of neighboring row houses on the residential street.
• Harlem Community Facility and Residential Building
This larger 10-story, 200,000+ square foot project required phased construction to maintain operations of an existing community facility. The AI tools helped Gavri’s team develop a complex program, including:
- Double-height gym space built behind the existing building
- Phased construction allowing continuous community facility operation
- Mixed market-rate and affordable residential units above
- Compliance with “City of Yes” zoning requirements for rear yard setbacks
What’s remarkable is that the initial analysis for this complex project was completed in just a few hours, impressing the client with both speed and thoroughness.
AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
Gavri concluded with an important perspective that resonated with other presenters:
“While sometimes AI manifests itself as this autonomous creator that just develops things by itself, that’s not the scenario here. ARK AI is a tool for architects. It’s one more tool in the process. It’s better at some things, it’s incomplete at others, and it should be used together with all other traditional methods and always be viewed and read with a critical eye.”
Conclusion
The integration of AI tools like those from ArkDesign.AI into architectural workflows represents an evolution rather than a revolution in practice. These tools excel at rapid iteration, quick analysis, and coordination between modeling, plans, and data tables—creating a unified picture of a project in a fraction of the traditional time.
This efficiency allows architects to explore more design options, provide faster client feedback, and maintain momentum on projects while still applying their critical expertise to every aspect of the design process.
As we continue to develop our AI platform at ArkDesign.AI, we’re excited to see how these tools will further enhance architectural practice while keeping human creativity and judgment at the center of the design process.
This article was developed from a webinar presentation by Gavri Slasky AIA, NCARB, LEED AP of SBJ Group, winner of the SARA National AI Design Award.
