09/05/2026
In 1983, at just 23 years old and right after graduating from SCI-Arc, David developed Syndecrete, a material that grew out of his early experiments with concrete, furniture and fabrication. He was looking for a way to make concrete lighter, stronger and more versatile, while questioning what materials we consider waste.
Before Syndecrete became an architectural material, David was experimenting at the scale of furniture and objects. Working with conventional concrete revealed its limitations: it was extremely heavy, difficult to transport, and edges could easily crumble. Those problems became the starting point for developing a different kind of concrete.
The result was Syndecrete: a lightweight, precast cement-based composite approximately half the weight of conventional concrete, while achieving roughly twice its strength.
The result was Syndecrete: a lightweight, precast cement-based composite approximately half the weight of conventional concrete, while achieving roughly twice its strength.
Recycled materials, including post-consumer carpet fiber and fly ash from coal-fired power plants could become part of the mix.
Over time, hundreds of colors and thousands of custom mixes were developed.
Syndecrete became much more than a substitute for concrete.
David used it from furniture and objects to countertops, sinks, bathtubs, flooring, wall panels and architectural elements for residential and commercial projects.
David used it from furniture and objects to countertops, sinks, bathtubs, flooring, wall panels and architectural elements for residential and commercial projects.
David used it from furniture and objects to countertops, sinks, bathtubs, flooring, wall panels and architectural elements for residential and commercial projects.
He began experimenting with something beyond simply adding recycled content: what if discarded materials could become part of the architecture?
Materials like broken glass, wood, and metal could be incorporated into Syndecrete and revealed when the finished surface was ground and polished. The waste wasn’t hidden, and it became part of the design.
For Rhino Records’ Century City offices, discarded music became the
