Kendall Heaton Associates

[mcazares79]

Hi everyone...I was wondering if anyone has heard of Kendall/Heaton Architects in Houston, TX?? I have a friend who is getting licensed in California and asked me if I knew anything about that company here in town and how they are weathering this recession...also if they are hiring or looking for people?

If anyone has any information they could give that would be greatly apprecaited. He is a structural engineer and will be licensed with his S.E., P.E. and all that before he returns to Texas.

Thanks!!!

[marmer]

Kendall/Heaton Associates was the local associate on my building. I had the privilege of working with them for a couple years through the design and building process back in the late 80s/early 90s. I learned a TREMENDOUS amount about buildings and architecture through working with them and that's where my current layman's interest in the subject got started.

I don't know how they are doing now, but I hope they are doing well. I knew Bill Kendall very well, and several of the younger associates. Bill Kendall is one of the finest men you could hope to meet; the last time I saw him he was exhibiting an antique Packard at Classy Chassis. I only met the late Jim Heaton a couple of times and he seemed like a good guy too. When Jim died, Kendall/Heaton asked to hold a memorial service in our recital hall. Generally, we don't do that, being booked up with school activities, but for Kendall/Heaton, we did it.

By the way, the structural engineering firm on our project was Haynes Whaley Associates. Larry Whaley is a good guy, too.

[Highway6]

Kendall Heaton gave me a pretty lowball offer out of grad school, and to several other friends as well, so i ended up turning them down.

That being said, I've only heard good things about their work and only heard good things about their work environment from the friends I do have working there. It would be an interesting firm to work for in that they are typically the project architect on lots of projects, and not the design architect, so they have partnered and worked with some of the best and most famous architects in the world. There would be lots of exposure to some really great projects.

I've haven't heard specifically about layoffs there, but knowing the kind of projects they do, I can't imagine they have been any more immune to layoffs than any other big firm, and several big firms i know have lost 15-25%. I certainly don't know any firm that is hiring right now, so good luck to your friend.