LOCAL Houston | The City Guide July 2017 | Page 64
FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
DESIGN FOR LIVING
A FEW WORDS WITH ARCHITECT DILLON KYLE
Q & A | Photography by Dillon Kyle Architects
What inspired you to become an architect? Can you give
us an idea of your background? I have always been
interested in well-proportioned space. Architecture allows
me to craft experiences for people and evoke emotional
responses, even in unexpected places.
Why Houston? What makes Houston special for archi-
tecture?
I was born in Houston and grew up in Houston, but I’m
also drawn to Houston – which is something different
entirely. I went away for college and grad school and
then lived in New York City for a few years, but eventually
I came back here.
I don’t love the beach or the ocean. I don’t love the
mountains. Houston is not a place of inherent natural won-
der and beauty, but there’s something about this middle
landscape – this normal, average Texas landscape – that
I find particularly beautiful. Trees are the things that make
Houston exquisite. They are kind of like porches: They
create places along the street where people stop and get
together. The language of trees feels accessible to me.
Most of the beautiful oak trees we see here were planted;
there isn’t a beautiful forest that we’re destroying. It’s a
place where an architect can improve the landscape.
Do you have anything that you would really like to
design that you haven’t had the opportunity to do yet?
I worked on schools, but I have never designed a school
from the ground up. Schools are extremely fascinating.
When we’re young and impressionable, the spaces that
surround us really do have a lasting impact on our psyches.
Favorite style or architecture or favorite architect, why?
As our practice has developed, all sorts of different types
of projects have just naturally come into our office. Some
people want more traditional architecture, some want to
remodel what they have, and some people want very
modern buildings. We don’t always have control of the
opportunities we get. On the other hand, I’ve made a
deliberate decision to grow a practice in the midst of cli-
ents who seek us out because they want to work with us,
even though the styles of their projects may vary greatly.
I don’t feel like there needs to be a certain look or a pre-
scribed style for the work that we do. I like many different
approaches to architecture. It’s far more impo rtant to me to
make well-formed spaces with a strong sense of purpose.
What do you think is architecture’s next big style shift?
Do you think there should be one? I don’t think that
styles need to be contained or restricted. For example,
we don’t focus on particular styles or imagery. Rather,
our clients’ projects tend to grow out of creating spaces
and balancing the history of their sites, spatial proportions
and the quality of light. There are parts of our work that
reflect certain stylistic directions. But I’m more interested in
blending concepts. For example, I like to take seemingly
polarized ideas like free plans and traditional plans, and
melding them. It’s liberating when you consider that you
don’t have to just accept one or the other. When you allow
room for hybrids, you can create different kinds of space
where everyone can find a bit of ownership, understanding
and, ultimately, joy.
6.19.2017
9:39am
1500 West Alabama DKA office rendering
Dillon Kyle
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