Education

Master of Architecture, Rice University

Bachelor of Environmental Design, Texas A&M University

David Davis, AIA, IIDA

Founding Principal, Retired

David Davis retired after nearly four decades as a designer, project manager, and respected leader in the field of interior architecture and design. Over the course of his remarkable career, David built an extensive and influential portfolio spanning corporate, hospitality, and residential projects, leaving a lasting impression on the profession and the many team members he led to deliver some of the most influential developments around the world.

Mr. Davis began his professional career in 1985 with the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill where he developed a strong foundation in design excellence. He later relocated to Los Angeles to work with Richard Meier & Partners on the Getty Center, a formative experience that helped shape his thoughtful and rigorous design approach. He went on to lead Skidmore’s interior design department in New York, further establishing his reputation as both a creative force and an effective manager. In 2008, Mr. Davis joined Lauren Rottet and Richard Riveire to co-found Rottet Studio, playing a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s vision and successful growth for over a decade.

As Managing Principal, Mr. Davis guided the interior architecture and design practice with unparalleled charisma across Rottet Studio’s Houston, Los Angeles, and New York offices. His leadership balanced design integrity with operational excellence, ensuring the successful delivery of intimate interiors to complex, high-profile developments in the United States and abroad. Over the course of his career, David amassed a portfolio inclusive of the most respected organizations, Fortune 500 Companies and leading hotels of the world, including Belmond Cap Juluca, Conrad Washington DC, Deloitte, Four Seasons Mexico City, Goldman Sachs, Hilton Mangaf Resort in Kuwait, Hyatt Regency Global Headquarters, Lehman Brothers, MetLife, Morgan Stanley, the St. Regis Resort in Aspen Resort, multiple W Hotel and condominium projects, and perhaps most notable, The Surrey Hotel in New York’s Upper East Side, which remained the #1 Hotel in arguably the world’s most competitive hotel market for 10 straight years according the readers of both Condé Nast and Travel + Leisure.

David brought Rottet Studio an exceptional level of expertise for over 14 years with a unique humor and light heartedness that will be dearly missed. We extend our deepest gratitude to David for his vision, leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to excellence. His legacy lives on in the projects he helped realize, the firm he helped build, and the many colleagues whose careers he shaped along the way. We thank him sincerely for his contributions and wish him continued fulfillment in the many years ahead.