Levi Swinney
Meet Levi Swinney, one of our Senior Project Architects. Levi was born in Springfield, Missouri and grew up in the Ozarks but has now spent the majority of his life in Texas. Levi and his wife Connie have two daughters, Mia and Jules and are soon to be empty nesters. Mia is already at the University of Arkansas and Jules will graduate from Arlington High School in the spring of 2023. When Levi is not practicing architecture, you can typically find him searching for the best BBQ in the state of Texas (which is essentially the best on the planet) or spending time with friends and family.
"The least you can do is make it look like you did it on purpose."
Levi moved to North Texas in the summer of 1995 and has yet to adapt to the brutal Texas summer heat. He has however adapted to living in a vibrant metropolitan area and enjoys watching live music, finding new local restaurants and taking in the occasional Rangers or Mavericks game.
Over Levi’s career he has had the good fortune of working on several education projects and finds the work extremely rewarding. Watching a project go from an idea in one’s mind to a built physical work is an extremely addictive experience, especially when you get to see the impact it has on students and the teachers who learn and teach in the space and know that that space will assist in shaping minds for generations. During Levi’s time at Glenn|Partners, Levi has been working with Fort Worth ISD leading the construction administration effort on Westpark Replacement Elementary School.
To learn even more about Levi, check out the following fun facts!
Favorite Food
BBQ
Favorite Movie
Tombstone (its hard to choose just one, but he can nearly quote that entire movie)
Favorite Music
Foo Fighters, Nathaniel Rateliff & OCMS
Most Exotic Place Visited
44°15'37.7"N 64°17'16.5"W
Happy Place
On a twisty mountain road, behind the wheel…
Favorite Hobby
Experiencing great pieces of Architecture and adding to my architectural library
Favorite Architects
Glenn Murcutt, Shim|Sutcliffe, Louis Kahn, Tom Kundig, SHoP, Snohetta…
Favorite Building
The Kimball
What Inspires You
Craftsmanship
Fun Fact
He hasn’t paid for a haircut in over 20 years (but he has purchased a lot of sunscreen).
First Moment when you realized you wanted to be an Architect
Likely touring UTA’s architecture building and seeing firsthand what the students were creating there. I had always had an interest in design (and took some drafting courses in high school along with advanced art) but seeing what they were doing there sealed it.
Favorite Quote or Saying
"Being different isn’t always good. Often being good is different enough." - Unknown