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Set against the rugged backdrop of West Texas, this renovation transforms a simple home into a serene retreat immersed in mountain and sky. Expansive glazing captures shifting light and distant peaks, while covered outdoor spaces invite connection to the land’s quiet rhythms. Warm wood ceilings and natural stone finishes echo the desert palette, creating a refuge for reflection and renewal. Designed as an escape from the city, the home celebrates its setting while offering a place to slow down, breathe deeply, and watch the horizon fade into starlit night.

Location

Alpine, Texas

Design Team

Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden

Renderings

WAL Studio

Typology

Residential

Date

2017

Process

Explore

Michelle Haynes

Culture and Community

In this episode, our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Michelle Haynes, a swing dancer, fitness instructor, and entrepreneur from Houston, Texas. Michelle Haynes is a veteran of the competitive swing dancing community, both in Houston and at the national level, and about two years ago turned her enthusiasm for dance, movement, and teaching into an entrepreneurial venture, opening a group fitness gym. Joe and Kevin sat down with Michelle to discuss her beginnings in swing dancing and how her passions evolved into her new business.

Principal Spotlight: Kevin Barden

Writing

Meet one of our Principals, Kevin Barden! With the larger vision and ethos in mind, Kevin constantly pursues the evolution of each project’s identity throughout its development. Kevin and his wife enjoy traveling near and far as well as playing with their young son and daughter around the house and at the park.