Description
Bio
David Kitchens joined Cooper Carry in 1984, and was named Principal in the Mixed-Use Studio in 1998. He now leads the Cooper Carry Washington DC office. David is a member of several organizations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB). He earned both his Bachelor and Master of Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology. David is registered to practice in 21 states as well as the District of Columbia.
Show Notes
Current Role
- Old School Guy- Cooper Carry almost entire career (since 1984) (3:30)
- Opened DC office in 1987 living here (4:40)
- Hiring my “kids”- all the young people his kids age…sees himself as a coach (5:30)
- Transitioning leadership to younger people (Acting as a Senior Advisor) (5:45)
Origins and Education
- Atlanta native (6:10)
- Grandfather a dairy farmer (7:00)
- Connection in seeing a city grow in Atlanta (8:00)
- Grew up near East Lake Golf Club (8:25)
- Playing the drums and swimming (9:45)
- Traveling band as a child as a percussionist (10:05)
- Architecture is about rhythm and a vibe (11:00)
- Dad was in Navy and the youngest of three (11:20)
- Naval Medical Corps- In Seattle in WW2 (11:50)
- Emory U.- Applied his degree at Sears in Appliances (12:25)
- Sales for Williams Lumber in Atlanta (12:35)
- Became a builder in suburban Atlanta (13:00)
- His Dad and he would look at house plans and work through them (13:30)
- Decided he wanted to be an architect in 10th grade from his father’s building (15:14)
- Went to GA Tech undergrad and took Masters in Arch. (16:10)
- Pat Connell– Prof. at GA Tech was an influence (16:50)
- Importance of maintaining environment as part of architectural planning (17:14)
- Six month stint in Europe during school (18:50)
- Met Judy, his wife, in choir…she is a nurse. (19:10)
Career Arc
- TV&S Architecture- (19:50)
- Learned mixed use design aspects there (20:05)
- Atlanta had “two faces”- suburban and urban (20:50)
- Bothered by “suburbanization” of Atlanta (21:10)
- Always a “Downtown” person and wanted that core to grow (21:25)
- Atlanta- Struggling with dual identity (21:40)
- There for 3 years to get a registered architect (21:55)
- Started his own practice with the Baptist Church (Always strong in faith) (22:20)
- Community found in faith community (22:45)
- First Baptist Atlanta– Owned large swath of property near GA Tech (23:48)
- Designed religious facilities (24:05)
- Look at how to connect institution (First Baptist Church) in Downtown Atlanta into MARTA system and GA Tech in 1980 (24:30)
- Used this effort to learn how to bring together spiritual, social and business aspects into development (25:10)<...