About

Clint Garwood, AIA

Growing up Clint dreamed of either becoming an architect or a cowboy. He enjoyed studying drawings in his uncle’s office, who is also an architect, and encouraged Clint’s natural design abilities.

Clint attended Texas Tech University, began his career in Austin in 2000, became licensed in 2008 (Texas architect registration #20499) and founded Garwood Architecture in 2010. Since then he has worked on projects throughout Texas, the West Coast, and the Caribbean. It wasn’t until after he got married that his dream of becoming a cowboy became a reality when he became an integral part of helping raise cattle at his wife’s family ranch.

When he’s not obsessing over the specifics of his work, Clint can be found wake surfing on Lake Austin, attending events for his children at Regents School of Austin, or at All Saints Presbyterian Church. Clint is living proof that dreams do come true when you work hard and marry right.

Registered Architect #20499

Rodney Birck

Designing houses has been a favorite pastime of Rodney’s since he was a boy growing up in the historic town of Fredericksburg, TX. He turned his passion into a career when he graduated at the top of his class from The College of Architecture at Texas Tech University with a Master of Architecture.

With over 20 years of experience, Rodney has honed his craft working at high end residential design firms in Austin. He enjoys collaborating with clients to bring their dreams to life.

In his free time, he enjoys fast cars, great music, traveling with his wife Mary and hanging out with their two Yorkie puppies, Maple and Clover.

Clay Cottingham, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Clay was raised in the Florida panhandle, spending much of his youth on the beaches and back bays of the Gulf Coast. These outdoor experiences were formative in establishing his interest in straightforward architecture that connects people to the native landscape, and ultimately led him to study at Mississippi State University.

Since graduating, Clay has honed his craft at architecture firms motivated by the unique cultural and physical characteristics of the place as well as local building vernacular. He has diverse experience in civic, educational, hospitality, residential, and development projects of all scales throughout Texas, the American south, and Mexico.

Clay resides in his country home east of Austin and is an active member of King’s Cross Reformed Church. He enjoys reading, woodworking, exploring Texas, as well as hunting down elk in Colorado.

Registered Architect #26568

Kurt Kimsey

Kurt was first introduced to design and construction as a child when his parents built a family home in the countryside of Northeast Pennsylvania. Growing up, he enjoyed spending time outdoors either camping, fishing, hunting, or snowboarding. 

The synergy Kurt experienced between home and nature led to his core beliefs that architecture should be site-specific, crafted with intention, and rooted in local vernacular design.

He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania which included a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, where his love for travel began.

Upon graduating, Kurt moved to Central Texas to begin his career in Architecture. He has worked on several different project types both in Texas and across the country that range from cultural/civic developments to higher education, hospitality, and single-family residential homes.

Kurt and his wife Amy enjoy traveling to new places, exploring the great outdoors, spending time with family, and prioritizing their faith in Jesus Christ.

Shaun Stein

Born and raised in the Texas Hill Country, Shaun has had an interest in residential design since he was a young boy climbing through newly framed houses. In 1985 he received a degree in Architectural Drafting and Design and eventually moved into high-end residential design.

Married for 37 years, Shaun and his wife Kimberly live on a small farm where they raised four boys. In his free time, Shaun enjoys camping, hunting, and being “Papa Sean” to his seven grandkids.

Carissa Slater

Carissa has been fascinated with construction since she was a child and much to her mother’s dismay, remembers playing in homes under construction in her childhood neighborhood.

This fascination has turned into a hands-on approach assisting with Garwood Architecture’s permitting efforts (which in Austin, is no easy task). Her efforts oftentimes begin during the pre-design phase to develop a code compliant project.

When she’s not nerding out on building codes, she enjoys attending comedy shows or testing out adventurous new recipes on her family.

Ashley Garwood

One of Ashley’s favorite books inspires its readers to “make the world a more beautiful place” which she strives to carry forward in all aspects of her life. While Ashley is not an architect, she is married to one, so she gladly share’s the firm’s work with others, thus making the world a more beautiful place. Ashley received a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2006.

Ashley and Clint married in 2009 and have two children, Audrey, and Bennett. Ashley’s priorities are her faith and family, but she’s also known for sneaking a vegetable into any dish, taking daily walks and keeping up with the many adventures of Clint, whom she affectionally calls her, “Aloha Cowboy.”