Primal Architects Team

Kyle’s affinity for the outdoors was evident from his earliest days, growing up amidst the lush landscapes of Missouri. Summers were spent venturing into the woods near his home, where he and whomever he could convince to join him would strike out to build makeshift structures with whatever materials could be found. Stacking cardboard boxes, nailing old plywood scraps and other leftovers into these “forts,” as they were called. The Boy Scouts offered many more opportunities to hone his outdoor skills as he grew older. He longed for nights around a campfire under the stars, and camping was always a delight.

After high school, Kyle left home to attend college in Salt Lake City, Utah, to study Biology. While there, he had many friends with whom to adventure outdoors – climbing, backpacking, and camping. The state’s Uinta Mountains became a second home for him. After a time, he grew dissatisfied with his studies. With encouragement from a friend, Kyle ventured into an introductory architecture class, where he discovered an immediate and profound connection to the discipline. He later returned to the Midwest to earn a B.S. in Architectural Studies from Southern Illinois University.

When Kyle returned to the Uinta Mountains to backpack up to King’s Peak, he stopped to rest on a boulder in a meadow just above the treeline, and a thought occurred to him: “What if architecture was right here?” All the modern comforts, in perfect rhythm with the landscape, not to be obtrusive, disguised even, and fused in a thoughtful dance with nature. Epitomizing the primal drive, we all have to throw it all away and seek solace in the wildlands. Bundled in a tent that night, he sketched “The Hiker’s Cabin.”