David Ashen

David’s training in both Architecture and Human Factors Engineering, brings a unique perspective and added value to the projects in which he engages. The combination of these two disciplines helps David successfully balance both design and function, and gives David a unique insight to the behavior of how people interact in the spaces he creates.

David Ashen is the principal of his own design firm, d-ash design. With professional degrees in both Architecture and Human Factors Engineering, David has created environments for the hospitality and retail industry, as well as many private residences. David’s interest is in creating unique experiences for the people who interact in the spaces he designs. He accomplishes this through unusually close collaboration with his clients and other design professionals.

Until the end of 2002, David was a principal at Desgrippes Gobe in New York, where he directed the Retail Architecture division. It was at Desgrippes Gobe that David developed retail concepts for clients, which include Godiva Chocolatier, The Wedding List, Reebok, Solstice, Johnny Walker, and Unilever. David began his foray into hospitality design with his project for XL, an innovative bar and lounge in New York City. XL broke new ground in bar design, and has been published in numerous magazines as well as being used as a location for Sex and the City and Absolutely Fabulous. XL was most recently voted as having one of the 10 best bathrooms on the planet by the Travel Channel.

More recently, David has completed the new design for Mercat a la Planxa, in Chicago., Urban Farmer in Portland, and is currently creating new restaurants and retail stores for the Mandarin Oriental in Shanghai.

David has received numerous awards for his work, including being listed by New York Magazine as one of the top young designers in New York and awarded the best young interior designer of 2007 by Fashion Group International. David has written and lectured on global retail trends and his work has been published in many international magazines.