KENT MENDENHALL
ASLA
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Principal / Partner

Kent Mendenhall explores the intersection of nature, composition, and culture, helping transform early ideas into landscapes that feel clear, intentional, and alive.

A self-described design combobulator, Kent thrives at the earliest moments of design when a client arrives with instinct and ambition but only the beginnings of a vision.

With more than 25 years of practice, largely based in Dallas, he has built a career around bringing clarity to creative uncertainty. Dallas serves as a launch point for work across the United States and internationally, particularly throughout North and Central America.

Early in his career, Kent spent formative time practicing in Los Angeles, immersed in a culture of exploratory and forward-thinking design that continues to influence his approach today. That experience, combined with decades of practice in Dallas, shaped a perspective that balances bold ideas with thoughtful composition and long-term placemaking.

Kent’s work often acts as connective tissue between architecture, urban life, and landscape. His approach weaves together ecological awareness, spatial composition, and cultural context to create environments that support both everyday experience and lasting identity.

With a focus on hospitality and urban environments, Kent has led award-winning projects across North and Central America, as well as select work abroad. He believes landscapes are not simply designed objects, but evolving frameworks for human experience.

Kent serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Architecture, Planning & Design (APDesign) at Kansas State University.

He lives in East Dallas with his wife and their two teenage sons, drawn to the neighborhood’s laid-back, progressive, and youthful spirit. Outside the studio, Kent gravitates toward live music and maintains a long-running pursuit of experiencing the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, having documented more than 240 Wright buildings, roughly 57 percent of the architect’s surviving work.

Education

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
Kansas State University, 1995

Minor in Fine Arts
Pittsburgh State University, 1991

Professional Groups

American Institute of Architects (AIA)

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Regional & Community Planning Advisory Council at Kansas State University

Member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation