Spacial Recruits NYU Professor Ravid Shwartz-Ziv as Scientific Adviser

Palo Alto-based engineering startup Spacial has appointed Ravid Shwartz-Ziv, an assistant professor and faculty fellow at New York University's Center for Data Science, as a scientific adviser. Shwartz-Ziv focuses on large language model evaluation and information theory, bringing research background from Meta and a doctorate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Founded in 2024, Spacial builds artificial intelligence software designed to convert two-dimensional architectural drawings into coordinated, three-dimensional construction documents. The system automates clash detection, architectural detailing, and local building code checks to output permit-ready structural and MEP sets reviewed by licensed engineers. In 2025, the company raised $10 million in funding.

At Spacial, Shwartz-Ziv will advise engineering teams on benchmark standards to verify that automated outputs reliably adhere to physical building principles and municipal building codes before engineer sign-off. For developers and design teams, advancing reliable AI-driven plan generation offers the potential to significantly compress pre-construction engineering timelines and accelerate permit approval cycles.