Architect Kyle Cook Says Jonesboro Region’s Growth Keeps Him Close to Home

Kyle Cook

Kyle Cook, 38, graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a degree in architecture. He worked at Miller Boskus Architects in Fayetteville before returning to his hometown, Jonesboro, in 2007 to work at Brackett Krennerich & Associates, where he is now the president.

Cook served as a director of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 2015.

How does the Jonesboro of your youth compare to Jonesboro now? What does the future look like?

Well, the economy is still stable and diverse, but this “small town” now boasts a university with a developing campus in Mexico and maintains a retail environment that draws individuals from nearby Memphis, rather than the other way around. Jonesboro currently stands at an important threshold in terms of long-term development.

The future for Jonesboro will depend a lot on how we react to the inevitable growth. Not all growth is positive growth. However, we are blessed to have many wonderful leaders in this community who care. From our chamber to our health care providers, we all remain deeply invested in a better quality of life.

Brackett Krennerich has a wide variety of projects on its resume. Why is it an advantage to not have a specialty?

Currently, we serve a regional area; we must remain diverse in order to meet the needs of our clients and communities. My experience is that specialized design requires a need to serve a much larger area and therefore reduce the time that we can spend overseeing our clients’ needs and our projects.

Brackett Krennerich’s market is mainly Jonesboro and northeast Arkansas, and you call it a “community-oriented” firm. Why is it important to stay local?

Serving Arkansas and southeast Missouri allows our firm to better gain the trust of our clients and walk alongside them in their efforts. It is not uncommon for me to see a client around town when I am out with my family. It brings a level of accountability to the work that we do. Their success becomes our success because it makes for a better community.

What is your favorite thing to design? What design are you personally most proud of?

I am always looking to the future. Therefore, my next project could be my favorite. I like to maintain the idea that the next project will be my best effort and the most successful. I think maintaining that thought process allows me to grow professionally and offer that much more to our clients. A couple of projects that stand out to me include an addition and renovation to the First United Methodist Church in downtown Jonesboro and the Delta Center for Economic Development at Arkansas State University. Both projects were challenging in completely different ways.

Is it difficult managing an architectural firm and being a working architect? Who tells the boss his idea isn’t good?

There are definite challenges in wearing different hats in an architectural firm, but the goal remains the same: to give our clients the best service possible. Whether that is looking for more efficient ways of working or mulling over a detail that has to work, it is all part of the bigger picture. I am blessed to be surrounded by a very talented group of people who share the same vision. I also have two partners who are more than willing to tell me that my ideas stink. The key is that collaboration; that’s what makes us better!