You HAD to ask Grok for this…
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do u just spend your day talking to ai
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Not being alarmist. AI is working well in the AEC space. This is the challenge now in the AEC industry. I spend a fair amount of time learning what I can about Ai: particularly with “Claude Co-work” as it is now the best AI format learn for those who are interested in the future of AI the AEC industry.
My prediction is that a lot of new AEC firms will start using AI soon. Especially,
Post PE (Private Equity) acquisition.
To learn more on AEC and IT; here is a good link.
With over 2000 views on this thread I try to provide some interesting news to the broader (non-posting) YIMBY audience
Thanks for asking.
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I agree with you that most people are grossly underestimating the transformative nature of these tools.
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You had to ask -
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Particularly in the AEC (architecture, Engineering, Construction) space: that is changing rapidly.
Regarding this condo building at 540 West 21st under construction. I actually have no idea if “solar scaping” was the design method by which the form factor of this building was created. That was simply my ‘hot take’ on why the facades are oriented toward the sun rise on the east elevation, and toward the sunset on the west elevation.
I posted my GROK AI snippet to share a ‘fun fact’ about solar scaping. Hope you found that bit at least somewhat informative and/or FUN. 
BTW: Agentic AI is the big game changer in the AEC space - Claude Cowork in particular.
Now that we’re firmly off topic, it’s probably a matter of time until whole areas of architecture and engineering are taken over by machine learning. Rosario Candela was a cryptographer during WWI, and his genius translated into creating floorplans. There are countless examples of hideous neoclassicism, which are hideous because they don’t follow certain ratios and rules. Biophilic design is just now gaining traction, but it’s mainly aesthetic–an architect or engineer can’t recreate a superior design that simulates the structural advantages of a design refined by millennia of evolution. AI is superior to any human capability in any of those areas.
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The faces aren’t intentionally oriented towards the sun as you are saying, that is just a coincidence of a byproduct of the shape of the lot…
By that understanding then everything on this stretch of the Hudson River Greenway is “oriented” towards the sun, but they arent, the lots are just shaped like that and the grid of Manhattan is angled such. Nothing is angling or oriented to anything, there’s no hidden meaning or design methodology, the lots are just the shape they are at the angle they are.
Faceting the facade creates more typical and efficient spaces and floor plates than having trapezoidal or triangular spaces.
Moving the crane was a major operation today. The sky was blue, wind was gentle, and the sun was shining: great weather for setting up the crane.
They are moving the crane away from the original position behind the construction fence. I presume they needed more clearance for the crane arm to reach the upper-most floors now that this building is rising high into the sky.
The construction process of this new residential condo building is now reaching the top most sections of the super structure. The cladding (curtain wall) assembly will be starting soon; and this crane will be doing the lifting there too.
PS. Looks like It is safety week over at US CRANE - note the bright yellow work shirts.
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Oh wild, I didn’t know Candela was a cryptographer. Taking 3 dimensional volumes of space and compressing them into flattened keys makes total sense.
Fun fact, when they laid out the grid for Village, they oriented the streets to the river so they could make square building lots. This is before the master plan of the rest of the Manhattan grid as we know it today.
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Those enormous bunkers on top of BIG’s towers will never not look ridiculous to me.
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That orthogonal layout is only really true more so for Tribeca and Hudson Square, most of the layout in The Village was still skewed pre the Commissioners Plan at the Hudson River.
And ofcourse the borders of everything above that were not necessarily skewed by the Commissioners Plan but just the geographic shape of the island, though the Plan somewhat contributed to that end result from 14th to 30th St.
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BOOM. 
There was a major operation the other day (see my photos posted above) moving that crane. The crane is now in a new position; which seems only about 20 yards from the previous spot.
Working in the narrow confined spaces of NYC streets, it is obvious that staging this heavy equipment is a real logistical challenge.
I think the crane was moved so the extending arm (Boom) can reach up to the top of the building; is was too close to the building in the previous position. That is my guess anyway. I would have asked one of the construction workers; but they were a bit busy and did now want to be a distraction. 
These jobs need to be done well, and done safe: not done fast. IMHO.
This is a an interesting project for watching the construction process. It will be nice to see the cladding go up too - hope they are using quality materials on the facade. 
PS. I have 25 previous posts on this topic. Click on my infoshare tag above to see my other photos/comments/links in this thread.
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BOOM.
A new phase of the construction process has begun here on the condo project at 540 West 21st street; the facade is now being assembled in addition to the completion of the reinforced concrete superstructure. The trade contractors are all moving at a strong and steady pace. Build well, build safe is the way to go in construction.
This project - and this forum - is giving the world a great opportunity to see how buildings are BUILT.
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