Andy Kinslow is a principal at Kinslow, Keith & Todd, Inc. and a graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Architecture.  He was recently named Small Business Person of the Year by the Tulsa Metro Chamber.  I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kinslow last year after an acquaintance of his read one of my posts on modern architecture which featured his personal residence.  The acquaintance put us in contact, and Mr. Kinslow was gracious enough to invite me to his home for a tour.  Unfortunately my camera crashed and I lost every photo from the tour.  Below are excerpts of an email interview Mr. Kinslow granted on May 7, 2008.  Enjoy!

Anthony Clark  Kinslow Keith & Todd is a full-service architecture, design, and engineering firm.  How did you know this was the field to which you would devote your life.
 
Andy Kinslow  I decided that I wanted to be an architect when I was 10.  My parents built a new house and my father drew the plans and we did a lot of the construction ourselves. From that point on I was hooked. I would sit around and sketch houses, in fact that was one of my favorite activities to do when I would get bored at church.  I was lucky enough to go to a High School in Russellville Arkansas that offered drafting classes which gave me a head start for college.  I majored in architecture at the University of Arkansas and during that time Warren Plattner came to the school to speak.  He practiced interior architecture and I knew from that point forward that I wanted to be more involved in interior planning [than] designing buildings. 
 
AC  When working on a project, how do you balance what the client thinks is best versus what your experience and expertise tells you would work best to meet their needs.
 
AK  We always work with our clients to explain why what they want might be better accomplished another way.  Sometimes we find that clients are not aware of all of the options out there and are very open to new ideas.  If a company or and individual makes the decision to work with an architect or designer they have already decided to be open for new ideas. 
 
AC  Do you find that more and more clients are concerned about "green" design and sustainability in their projects?
 
AK  We are finding more and more that clients are asking about "green".  Many times they are not sure what that really means.  We have people in our office that are LEED accredited and can help explain the greenwashing that is going on in advertising.  We have also been adding additional items to our resource library that are green. 
 
AC  What is one of your favorite or most challenging projects you've completed.
 
AK  The Philtower Lofts in downtown [Tulsa].  It was the first renovation of a high rise office building into apartments in downtown.  
 
AC  What projects is KKT currently working on?
 
AK  Conversion of the Mayo Building at 5th and Main [in Tulsa] to Residential, Educare, Children's Theatre addition at the Hardesty Library, Head Start Facility for Sand Springs, D'Novo restaurant in the old Market space at 61st and Yale conversion of Eastland Mall to Eastgate Metroplex Business Center, Atlas Pipeline,  Lolly Garden at Utica Square, 9th floor Penthouse at Utica Place to name a few.