by Joe Bollig
joe.bollig@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — There is a very simple reason why Kurt Heinen wanted to become the new archdiocesan architect and real estate consultant.
“I wanted this job because it fulfills two main things,” he said. “I can do something with my faith and my talents.”
On June 17, Heinen succeeded the retiring Dan Himmelberg, who held the position since July 22, 2019. Himmelberg is currently assisting Heinen during a brief transitional period.
Heinen and his wife Katie have two young children, Millie and Alex. They’re members of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa.
He’s a native of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, growing up with his four siblings on the family farm about five miles north of Kelly. Heinen knows about early rising and hard work because his family had about 125 dairy cows to milk and grew soybeans and corn. His ancestors settled there in the early 1900s.
“We’d get up at 5 a.m. and tried to get done by 7 p.m.,” he said.
Like many boys, he became an altar server at the family’s parish, St. Bede. He also was a lector and an extraordinary minister of Communion.
After graduating from high school in 2007, he attended Johnson County Community College for a year. In 2008, he transferred to Kansas State University in Manhattan to study architecture. He graduated with a master’s degree in architecture in 2013.
He worked for LK Architecture in Wichita as an architect designer; at TK Architects International in Kansas City, Missouri, as an intern architect; for BWI in Kansas City, Missouri, as a senior building consultant manager; for Paul Werner Architects in Lawrence as an associate architect; and most recently, for HJM Architects Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, as a project architect.
Over the years, Heinen has worked in a wide variety of settings and on different kinds of buildings, ranging from homes and movie theaters to the recently reconstructed Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. He has even worked with hurricane-damaged structures.
“[That company] was a kind of ‘run to where the danger was’ kind of company,” said Heinen.
He’s worked projects big and small — but the common denominator was always relationships.
“Through my experience I’ve found that good relationships with people and efficient problem-solving are some of the more important keys to success at anything you do,” he said.
One of the interesting — and challenging — aspects of his new job is the variety of structures he will be dealing with: schools, churches, shrines, chapels, rectories, care facilities and more. Also, these structures were built in a variety of styles, materials and methods according to the times they were created.
He will have to draw upon all his knowledge and experience to deal with this diversity.
But he appreciates the variety — especially in the styles of archdiocesan churches.
“I enjoy the different kinds of art — painting, stained-glass and the different kinds of architecture,” he said. “Those things are very interesting to me.”
In his free time, Heinen likes sketching and painting, fishing, hiking and smoking meats. His biggest, latest project? Remodeling the family’s 1987 Colonial-style house in Lenexa.
Working for the church as an architect is different from working in for-profit, secular settings. In his current position, he said, there’s a lot more interaction with people, because they need to be kept “in the loop,” and all play their roles.
Being a consensus builder comes before building structures.
“I like to think of this as a giant puzzle and I’m just one piece,” said Heinen. “To get things done, we need all the puzzle pieces in the right places.”
Already, he’s had the opportunity to get out of the office to see what’s going on construction-wise in the archdiocese, and what’s to come. He’s eager to meet people and to let them know who he is.
“I’m here to serve others, and I want to help them to do what needs to be done,” said Heinen.
