Dillon Kyle Architects of Houston TX

Dillon founded Dillon Kyle Architects in 1995, after earning a BA from Princeton and a MArch from Harvard. A native Houstonian, he practiced in San Francisco and New York before moving back to his hometown to open the firm.

“I love the landscape of Texas. I’m drawn to it. I don’t love the beach or the ocean. I don’t love the mountains. There’s something about this middle landscape, this normal, average, Texas landscape, that I find particularly beautiful.”

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After receiving a BS in mathematics from the University of Texas and a MArch from Rice University, Peter came to the practice in 2004.

“Architecture can be all-consuming to a fault. To step back and get refreshed, I have a few favorite activities: rescuing stray animals, discovering new music, and enjoying food and drink with friends.”

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Parrish joined the firm in 2010. He graduated from Rice University with degrees in architecture and art history.

“Architecture is one of the best professions in the world! Where else can you be part of a creative process and literally watch your efforts come to life? We get to work with people who want to contribute to something very special. Thinking about my time with the firm, I’m reminded of a quote that my grandfather had framed and kept on his desk: ‘If you chose a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.’ Outside the office, I cherish time spent with my family—at home, on the road, and all the places in between.”

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Fani has been with the firm since 2013. He received a BA from Oberlin College and a MArch from Rice University.

“My hobbies—I like to read, travel, draw, and make furniture—all inform my work. They allow me to experience architecture from two different perspectives: the intellectual side of the process and the physical, hands-on approach to design.”

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With an architecture degree from the University of Houston, Rudy started with the practice in 2013.

“The encounters and interactions that come from traveling, enjoying music, and spending time with family and friends most influence my work as an architect when I ‘connect the dots’ of these seemingly different experiences during the design process.”

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Scott joined the office in 2012. He has a BArch degree from the University of Houston.

“I am passionate about music: I play it, write it, record it. I also make vacuum tube guitar amplifiers for working musicians. Like music, architecture is about making, bringing something into reality that previously didn’t exist. It is much the same process (with the addition of neon and whisky) to make a building that is unique and beautiful—in a musical sense—in the best manner one can.”

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A graduate of Rice University, Heather joined the team in 2012.

“On a daily basis, I think it’s too easy to get caught up in the business and practice of architecture. Taking time away from my desk and the daily grind reminds me of why I pursued architecture in the first place. Travel, reading, and a good glass of wine—all things that transport me in one way or another—allow me to step back, appreciate, and experience my environment.”

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A graduate of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston, Mike has been with the firm since 2003.

“I have recently developed a passion for building scale models of my design work out of Lego pieces. Lego essentially provides a prefabricated ‘kit of parts’ that can be used to build almost anything. Building in this format forces me to balance aesthetics with constructability, which is an important underlying concept in architecture. I have found that by rethinking a certain connection, or by cleverly repurposing a certain piece, one can discover a better solution to a design problem.

I think this helps my understanding of architecture because it sharpens my ability to think of multiple ways in which something can be built, and also increases my ability to quickly analyze different combinations of materials in order to produce the most beautiful and yet efficient solution to a design problem.”

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With a degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Adam came to the firm in 2010.

“Architecture, like every other creative process/profession, is a collection and evolution of one’s interests and experiences. They should all influence each other, especially when at first they seem unrelated. Spending time with my family and running are my outlets.”

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After studying at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Sam joined the firm in 2011.

“Away from the drawing board, I like to play blackjack; read actual, physical, paper books; and drink red wine. Any and all of the aforementioned off-the-clock activities gives me a chance to appreciate my surroundings. And some of those surroundings are architectural.”

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Carlos came to the practice in 2011, after graduating from the University of Houston.

“Everything I’ve learned by working in architecture fuels my interest in printmaking and music-making. Working in architecture informs my leisure pursuits more than the other way around; leisure pursuits are just that—leisure.”

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Josh holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from Texas A&M University, and master’s degrees in architecture and construction management from Washington University. He came to the office in 2014.

“I enjoy spaces that can be considered both exterior and interior. Spending time outside—I enjoy camping, kayaking, and fishing—continually helps me to understand relationships between these controlled and uncontrolled environments.”

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Bradly received a BA from Grand Valley State University and a MArch from the University of Houston before coming to work at the studio in 2014.

“Architecture is informed by the experiences of the people who create it.”

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Zach started at the office in 2016 after receiving a BA from Southwestern University and a MArch from the University of Houston.

“I have a passion for travel; getting to experience other places and other cultures is important to me. Architecture is not meant to be practiced solely from a desk. We have to get out in the world to see what is already there, and what is not, and what could be. Architecture is not meant to be looked at as an object. Buildings are creations made and used by people. The closer we are to understanding ourselves and how we move and think, the better architects we will be.”

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Joining the office in 2015, Amy has a BFA in interior design from the Art Institute of Houston and a MArch from the University of Houston.

“Travel allows me to experience different cultures and see how their architecture affects their cultural fabric, giving me a new perspective every time I go somewhere. Also, being a new parent makes me more aware of my environment—the dangers and also the beauty of it. Children interact with their environment much differently than adults do.”

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Brian started with the team in 2015. Texas Tech University is his alma mater.

“Spending time outdoors and studying the history of architecture are things I like to do in my time away from the office. I find the latter really rewarding: It’s important to understand how certain things were constructed, and why. The past can provide us with knowledge on improving how the future is built.”

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Helen has a BA in art history from The Colorado College and a MArch from Tulane University. She came to the studio in 2015.

“Running allows me to see more of the world; it’s a fun way to explore old and new places, and watch things change—or stay the same. Reading and traveling stir my imagination, and playing with dogs keeps me from taking myself too seriously.”

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Juliet joined the firm in 2016. She is an alumna of University of Maryland and the Rhode Island School of Design.

“Architecture makes my life more meaningful and continues to define my earthly existence. My leisure pursuits and passions—which include apparel design, baking, sketching, and travel—have heightened my awareness and appreciation for architectural context, both natural and man-made. I find this important because I believe that a building needs to not only fulfill its prescribed functions, but also reflect the spirit of a place and its inhabitants.”

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Charles, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, has been with the firm since 2016.

“I have always loved movies. In the past, I’ve spent entire days in the theater, hopping between the different screens in the multiplex and taking in five, six, or seven films in one day. Immersion in this way becomes a sort of meditation, taking in the details of an imagined world. There’s an obsessive quality to the way I watch a movie that comes through in the manner that I am able to absorb a design project—projecting the world that’s stored in my mind’s eye onto the physical world.”

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Elizabeth began working at the office in 1999. She is a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston.

“I’m a devout ailurophile, and my husband is a chef. Away from work, I love to follow SEC football, as well as pro football and basketball.”

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An alumna of Lane Community College, Catherine joined the firm in 2015.

“I appreciate living in an age where so much content—good movies, good music, good television—is at my fingertips. I recently re-read all of the Hercule Poirot books by Agatha Christie; then I began watching the television series on Netflix. I’ve always been a fan of Art Deco design and the films of the 1930s. I love the building that’s used as Poirot’s apartment, the Florin Court in London. I like the way the curved façade allows for the great space of windows. It has a great way of looking interesting and modern—even though it’s 80 years old.”

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A graduate of the University of Houston, Lauren started at the office in 2016.

“I’ve always wanted to visit the Santorini islands in Greece. The white and blue buildings and multi-colored walkways make it a vibrant and beautiful subject for photography; it appeals to both my design sense and interest in journalism.”

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