Kinder Baumgardner

Principal, SWA (Houston)
“Along our coasts and rivers, we are redesigning cities to both embrace and restrict the water that gave them form. This complex operation is resulting in new places that could not have been imagined just a few years ago.”

Over the span of 20 years, Kinder has actively traveled the country seeking out regional flavors to create landscapes that are culturally and ecologically resonant. His collaborative mindset and awareness of the effect of historical and contemporary culture in creating experiential places is rooted in the design work he has performed in all corners of North America. His current work often finds him in the Middle East and Africa, where he is called upon to synthesize complex systems in order to create open spaces for new cities or urban precincts. While much of his work is focused internationally, he cherishes his projects in the US and Texas, where inimitable regional American cultures and landscapes define who we are and how we live.