Ambassador José Pascual Marco highlighted the personality and work of Sir David, and his contribution to sustainable and environmentally friendly architecture.
Some of Sir David´s most emblematic projects are located in Spain, where he lives, part of the year, in his house in Corrubedo (Galicia). Among his projects stand out the residences in Vilanova i la Geltrú and Hospitalet de Llobregat, the renovation of the Paseo del Óvalo in Teruel, social housing in Villaverde, and the America's Cup Pavilion in Valencia.
The Encomienda of the Order of Isabel the Catholic, created in 1815, recognizes "extraordinary acts of a civil nature, carried out by Spaniards or foreigners, for the benefit of the Nation, or that notably promote relations of friendship and cooperation of the Spanish Nation with the rest of the International Community".