Cheng Design

What Cheng Design does

Cheng Design is a privately held, founder-owned custom residential and commercial design studio founded in 1986 by FuTung Cheng and based at 2808 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, California. The studio operates as a tight-knit, hands-on practice of approximately four professionals (Cheng plus architects Ann Kim and John Chan, and architectural designer Frank Lee) that delivers full-service architecture, interior design, and project management for bespoke homes, high-end remodels, and select commercial interiors — most visibly, a portfolio of cast-concrete custom houses (House 1 through House 8) and institutional work such as the California Academy of Sciences donor wall. The firm's technical core is proprietary concrete: trademarked formulations including ShapeCrete (a sculptable consumer mix with nationwide distribution), CHENG Pro-Formula (a professional countertop mix in multiple integral colors), Geocrete (custom fabricated countertops, sinks, and architectural elements), and D-FRC glass-fiber-reinforced concrete for detailed fireplace surrounds and panels, complemented by fabric-formed concrete mold techniques.

The business operates three monetization streams. The primary stream is professional design services billed on a project-specific, quote-based model to affluent residential and select commercial clients in California, with additional engagements in Idaho (Ketchum townhouse) and Puerto Rico (House 4, Culebra); pricing is not publicly disclosed. A secondary stream is one-time product revenue from ShapeCrete and CHENG Pro-Formula sold through nationwide retail and online distribution channels. A third stream is licensing of CHENG products, mix formulas, and design techniques to manufacturers and fabricators. Distribution relies on a Berkeley-headquartered direct sales motion for design services, supported by organic social media (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram), an editorial portfolio website, and earned press coverage in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Interior Design Homes, Aspire Design and Home, California Home + Design, and Builder Magazine. The firm has no institutional funding, no parent company, and no outside investors; it has been bootstrapped through project revenue since inception.

Name

Cheng Design

Legal name

CHENG Design

Website

https://chengdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cheng Design is a Berkeley, California-based, founder-owned custom residential and commercial design studio founded in 1986, specializing in cast-concrete architecture for affluent homeowners using proprietary concrete formulations including ShapeCrete, Geocrete, Pro-Formula, and D-FRC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick (3272)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Custom residential design
• Custom commercial design
• Concrete architecture
• Sustainable home design
• Architectural design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Design Services: Full-service custom residential and commercial design including architectural design, interior design, and project management for bespoke homes and remodels.
2. CHENG Products: Sale of ShapeCrete sculptable concrete mix and CHENG Pro-Formula professional concrete mix through nationwide distribution.
3. Licensing: CHENG Design licenses its products and brand to manufacturers and distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cheng Design is a contemporary, full-service custom residential and commercial design studio specializing in cast concrete architecture and sustainable design. It produces bespoke custom homes, interior remodels, and commercial installations using proprietary concrete materials (ShapeCrete, Pro-Formula, Geocrete, D-FRC) and offers in-house custom concrete fabrication as well as licensing of its concrete products and brand.

Product overview

Cheng Design is a full-service custom residential and commercial design studio based in Berkeley, CA, founded by FuTung Cheng in 1986. The firm specializes in cast concrete architecture with a portfolio of 8+ custom houses and numerous interior/commercial projects. The product portfolio centers on concrete craftsmanship through CHENG Pro-Formula mix, CHENG Geocrete (custom countertops and sinks), and CHENG D-FRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete). ShapeCrete, a sculptable consumer concrete mix, extends the brand to DIY designers. Services include custom home/commercial design, in-house Geocrete fabrication shop, and licensing of CHENG products. The Education Center provides architectural content, while blog posts cover design philosophy and projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Residential Design Services Full-service custom residential design including houses and interior remodels, with signature expertise in cast concrete architecture. Projects range from 4,000–7,000+ square foot custom homes featuring sustainable materials, butterfly roofs, and integrated water management systems, serving affluent homeowners in California and beyond.
• Custom Commercial Design Services Full-service commercial design including retail spaces, restaurants, and institutional projects. Notable projects include the Teance Fine Teas tea room in Berkeley and the California Academy of Sciences donor wall, delivered for businesses seeking distinctive commercial interior design with artistic concrete elements and sustainable materials.
• ShapeCrete A sculptable, just-add-water concrete mix targeted to designers and DIYers. A specialty architectural-concrete product with nationwide distribution for smaller concrete projects, sold through retail and online channels.
• CHENG Pro-Formula Concrete countertop mix formula used in custom fabrication projects. Available in colors including Charcoal, Amber, Chianti, Sand, Stone, and Olive, and used for professional architectural concrete installations.
• CHENG Geocrete Custom concrete fabrication service and product line for countertops, sinks, vanities, and architectural concrete surfaces. Includes glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC) products and other proprietary formulations for residential and commercial installations.
• CHENG D-FRC Glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) product used for intricate architectural details including fireplace surrounds and decorative panels. Available in Brick and Stone colors for detailed multi-dimensional architectural elements.
• Geocrete Shop (Custom Fabrication Service) In-house fabrication shop for custom concrete elements including countertops, sinks, food prep surfaces, and architectural concrete installations. Produces custom concrete pieces for both residential and commercial projects using proprietary CHENG concrete products.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pentagram DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partnership for major projects including California Academy of Sciences donor wall. Pentagram is the world's largest independent design firm and brought Cheng team into the CAS project.
• Endres Studio EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering design partner for structural and technical aspects of building projects.
• Ware Associates ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture design partner for collaborative building projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio Schicketanz: Carmel, California custom residential architecture firm with a sustainability focus and similar high-end Bay Area / coastal clientele. Closely comparable geography, project type, and design philosophy to Cheng Design.
• Walker Workshop: California-based architecture studio focused on crafted, site-specific custom residential projects with an emphasis on natural materials and sustainability. Comparable in custom-home scope, sustainability differentiator, and West Coast positioning.
• Aidlin Darling Design: San Francisco Bay Area architecture and design studio specializing in custom residential and commercial projects with a strong sustainable-design orientation. Highly comparable in scale, geography, and craft-driven aesthetic to Cheng Design.
• Ken Fulk: San Francisco design studio working across residential, hospitality, commercial, and event design for high-net-worth and celebrity clients. Comparable geography and ultra-high-end clientele, with broader lifestyle-branding reach than Cheng Design.
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based architecture and interiors firm designing custom modern homes for affluent clients across California. Comparable in custom residential scope, luxury positioning, and integrated architecture/interiors offering.
• Olson Kundig: Seattle- and New York-based custom residential architecture firm known for craft, industrial materials, and material-driven design philosophy. Comparable to Cheng Design in award profile, custom residential focus, and material innovation ethos.

Emerging players

• Buddy Rhodes Concrete Products: Specialty concrete products company selling concrete mixes, countertop materials, and training to makers and contractors nationwide. Closely comparable to Cheng Design's ShapeCrete and Pro-Formula retail/training business.
• Henrybuilt: Premium kitchen and interior systems company serving high-end residential clients with proprietary product design and installation. Comparable in productized premium offerings serving the same luxury architectural-design client base.
• Concrete Collaborative: Architectural concrete products company offering decorative and architectural concrete solutions for residential and commercial projects. Comparable to Cheng Design's Geocrete/Pro-Forma/D-FRC product line in the architectural concrete products category.

Broad incumbents

• Heatherwick Studio: Internationally recognized London-based design studio working at the intersection of architecture, product, and sculptural craft. Comparable artistic, sculptural, and material-driven design philosophy, though at much larger scale and broader scope than Cheng Design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChengDesign
• Instagraminstagram.com/CHENGDesign
• Pinterestpinterest.com/chengdesign
• Xx.com/CHENGDesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheng-design-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cheng Design