Get to know Brent Kendle of Kendle Design Collaborative (@kendledesign) and his inspiration, favorite projects and thoughts on today’s most popular design trend.
How did you get started in the design/build industry? Was inspired at an early age, around 10, by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Was raised in a creative household designed and built by my parents. My mother was a designer and artist and my father an engineer who built much of what my mother designed, be it structures, furnishings and even large-scale public sculptures. As a child, I visited Wright’s work in the Chicago area as well as Wisconsin often. After graduating from ASU with a degree in architecture, I worked for and became a partner with a large multi-discipline design firm for 20 years before founding Kendle Design Collaborative in 2002.
What is your favorite project in Arizona? It might be a tie between the David and Gladys Wright home in Arcadia and the Price House in Paradise Valley, both by Frank Lloyd Wright. Both homes are a design response to nature, the attributes of their specific sites and the unique lifestyles of their inhabitants.
What inspires you and your work? Nature, art, innovative materials and structures, and the unique lifestyles of the clients we serve.
What is something timeless every home should have? Great daylighting and a connection to nature.
What is considered trendy in homes at this time? Assuming the term “trendy” isn’t necessarily a good thing I’d say “modern farmhouse” is the flavor of the day, which will soon go the same way as “Tuscan” as soon as the public gets bored with it.
What do you consider your biggest professional accomplishment? Assembling a collaborative team of professionals who are as smart, honest and passionate as they are talented.
