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Stepping through the stone wall portal marks a threshold from city life to the quiet rhythms of the Texas Hill Country. The cabin’s warm wood interiors and expansive glazing open to the surrounding oaks and sky. In the mornings, the southeast-facing bath welcomes the first light; in the evenings, the southwest-facing bedroom frames sunsets and starlit skies. Elevated on a gentle slope, the design balances privacy and openness, offering a serene refuge deeply connected to its landscape.

Location

Albert, Texas

Design Team

Kevin Barden and Joe Rivers

Renderings

Alex Warr

Typology

Residential

Date

2018

Process

Explore

Luv Shak 2.0

“I like to see weather changing. The flash and crash of lighting and thunder. I like the morning light before sunrise, the day sounds of life awakening. I like strong wind gusts. I like the sound of rope running through a tackle block.” (Client Manifesto excerpt)

Brenden Macaluso

Culture and Community

Brenden Macaluso currently operates Common Motor collective, a support and resource for vintage Honda Motorcycles and a cooperatively run community workshop based in Houston, Texas. Joe and Kevin sat down with Brenden to discuss his gearhead roots, his background in industrial design, and the origins of Common Motor.

Naturally, Wood (Selbstverständlich Holz)

Writing

In 1995, the Swiss architect Gion Caminada and structural engineer Jürg Conzett wrote a short essay for the magazine Archithese about the (then) new and continued building practices using wood in a small remote village called Vrin.