David Hertz, FAIA, LEED.AP

The work of David Hertz FAIA Architects and Syndesis can be characterized as multidisciplinary in focus and ranges from the design and construction of residential and commercial buildings, product design, furniture design and public sculpture to material development and manufacturing, i.e. Syndecrete^®, the innovative pre-cast lightweight concrete surfacing material, and environmental consulting. The generalist nature of the Syndesis practice has allowed for a comprehensive understanding of creative problem solving in general and the opportunity to view a problem from multiple perspectives simultaneously.

Syndesis Inc. has been located in Santa Monica for over the last 15 years and is a small practice dedicated to design. Syndesis employs about 10 people 5 of which are working on the architectural projects.

Each architectural project strives to present, through multiple design iterations, final built works that are unique to the specifics of its site, client needs, and budget while providing for innovative and lasting works of architecture. Syndesis has particular interest and experience in utilizing innovative and unusual materials to create harmonious compositions of texture and form. Materials of concrete, glass and wood are juxtaposed to maximize the honest expression of structure and materials. The liberation of space and the destruction of the box are often progenitors of form and result in dramatic as well as contemplative spaces that provide shelter and spirit.

Syndesis has particular experience in the practice and incorporation of sustainable and resource efficient design principles in its built work. The architecture of David Hertz and Syndesis is often recognized as incorporating natural ventilation and natural light to the maximum extent possible providing comfort of shelter while maintaining a strong connection to the exterior.

Syndesis, as a company, has become a model of the restorative enterprise and recently won the City of Santa Monica Sustainable Leadership Award as well as the Eco-Home Network’s Sustainable Living Award, both in 2004. David is also a LEED accredited professional through the US Green Building Council and is an appointed member of the Santa Monica Environmental Task Force.

The work of Syndesis has been widely published and exhibited internationally and is included in over one dozen television programs, disseminating information to the populace on its environmental work.

Architectural projects have focused primarily on custom residential projects with particular experience in climate responsive buildings in the coastal zone and hillsides of Malibu, Northern California, and the Oregon coast. Space-efficient, budget-conscious projects in the local community of Venice Beach have spawned several notable projects unique in their use of space and innovative building techniques. Commercial projects have included master planning for LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) as well as several tenant improvement spaces for entertainment, advertising and technology companies.

Email architectural inquiries to David at [email protected]

NARRATIVE BIOGRAPHY

David Hertz is founder and president of Syndesis Inc., a multi-disciplinary architecture, design and manufacturing firm specializing in creating sustainable strategies and environmental products. Syndesis is noted for its development of Syndecrete®, an innovative precast lightweight concrete architectural surfacing material which incorporates recycled aggregates extracted from society’s waste stream. David is a native Angeleno born in 1960 and resides in Venice, California, with his wife and three kids.

David Hertz became interested in architecture as an adolescent, and at an early age became interested in human habitation and the juncture between the natural and built environment. Serving as an apprentice to artists and working in construction trades gave David a tacit knowledge of construction and fabrication. With combined studies at UCLA, he enrolled at SCI-ARC (The Southern California Institute of Architecture), where there was a real interest in ecological design at the time. While there, he also obtained a strong foundation in pragmatic environmental design. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from SCI-ARC in 1983, David worked in the office of Architect, John Lautner FAIA (formerly an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright). After travel and study in Europe, David returned to serve an internship in the office of Frank O. Gehry and Associates FAIA before opening his own firm in 1984.

David Hertz and the work of Syndesis has been widely exhibited and published and has received numerous awards for the architectural and materials design work, including the 1990 Progressive Architecture Magazine’s Young Architects Competition, the Architectural League of New York’s Young Architects Competition and Forum, and the 1993 Design Leadership Award sponsored by Inc. Magazine and the Corporate Design. Recently, the architectural work was featured in several architectural tours including CABoom and the Reinvention conferences and has been published in architectural publications such as Dwell and Global Architecture. In 2001 the Los Angeles chapter of the AIA nominated David Hertz for the College of Fellowship.

Many of David Hertz’s furniture pieces are displayed in significant private and museum collections. In May 1995 the Syndecrete® product was included in an exhibition entitled “Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design,” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and was subsequently acquired as part of the Permanent Design Collection. In 1998 Syndecrete was exhibited at The Smithsonian Museum of American History in an exhibition entitled “Inventing for the Environment.” Most recently, Syndecrete and David’s architecture were featured in the exhibit “Liquid Stone” at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. In 2003, David won an award for Excellence in Concrete from the Oregon Chapter of the American Concrete Institute. Syndesis has won many additional national, state and local awards, including the AIA Service Award for Craftsmanship and the Sunset Magazine and AIA California Western Home Award.

David Hertz has been an active participant in the environmental and design communities for over a decade with participation in numerous organizations including service on numerous professional committees such as the L.A. Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment, the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Construction Specifications Institute, the Environmental Committee of Concrete Organizations, and the California Energy Commission’s High Performance Wall Systems Collaborative. In 2004, he became a LEED Accredited Professional, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

David’s personal involvement includes membership and pro-bono services for many non-profit environmental and social service organizations including Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) The Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), and Heal the Bay.

David has served on the faculty of the SCI-Arc Professional Development Program and is currently on the Academic Advisory Committee for UCLA’s Extension Program while teaching sustainable design courses.

Selected Biography

DAVID HERTZ, FAIA, LEED.AP
Born: 10.6.60
Residence: Venice, California
Married, with three children

EDUCATION
Professional Degree: Bachelor of Architecture, SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) 1983
SCI-ARC, Vico Morcote: European Study/Travel Program, Ticino, Italy 1982
Undergraduate Studies: U.C.L.A. Extension and Santa Monica College. Fine Arts
Faculty: Instructor SCI-Arc’s Professional Development Program 1992-94
Faculty: Instructor and Guidance committee member U.C.L.A. Extension Architecture and Interior Design program. 1994-Present
Guest Lecturer: UCLA Introduction to Architecture class 1995-Present
Guest Lecturer: SCI-Arc Thesis Reviews 1984-Present

WORK EXPERIENCE
Founder, Syndesis, Inc./ David Hertz AIA Architects 1984
Frank O. Gehry and Associates, FAIA, Venice, California, 1983-1984
John Lautner, FAIA, Hollywood, California, 1979-1982
Harshbargar Construction Corporation, Mammoth Lakes, California, 1978-1979
Robert Bridges, AIA Architect and General Contractor, Los Angeles, California, 1977-1978
G.M. Shaw Design, West Los Angeles, California, 1977
Michael Swimmer ASLA, Landscape Architect, Los Angeles, California, 1976

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Architect, State of California Lic. #C25190 Member, AIA (American Institute of Architects) Since 1983 Component Member, LA/AIA C.O.T.E. (Committee on the Environment) General Contractor, California Lic. # 596737 LEED.AP Accredited Professional, USGB (U.S. Green Building Council) Member, ADPSR (Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility) Member, BSR (Businesses for Social Responsibility) Member, California Energy Commission, High Performance Wall Systems Collaborative Member, CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) Member, CTI (Ceramic Tile Institute) Member, ECCO (Environmental Council of Concrete Organization) Serves on the City of Santa Monica Environmental Taskforce