Office
About
Rivers Barden Architects was founded in 2016 by principals Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden. With offices in Houston, Texas and Excelsior, Minnesota, the firm designs environments that shape how people experience place, time, and gathering.
Joe and Kevin met as apprentices at The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, where time spent at Taliesin in Wisconsin and Taliesin West in Arizona instilled a shared belief: architecture is not an object, but a lived experience; one that unfolds through movement, light, material, and memory.
Across landscapes both urban and remote, our work begins with a close reading of place; its rhythms, its history, and the ways people come together within it. From there, we shape spaces that support rituals of daily life: arrival and departure, solitude and gathering, reflection and celebration.
Our process is collaborative and grounded in listening. We work closely with clients, builders, and creative partners to translate intention into built form; creating environments that feel inevitable, purposeful, and deeply connected to the lives they serve.
Company Core Values
- Listening. We begin by paying attention to people, to place, and to what is often left unsaid. Careful listening reveals the deeper patterns that shape meaningful design.
- Learning. Each project is an opportunity to discover something new. We approach our work with curiosity by continually refining our understanding of materials, environments, and human experience.
- Collaboration. Architecture is a shared act. We work closely with clients, consultants, and builders to align vision and execution; creating better outcomes through collective effort.
- Transparency. Clarity builds trust. We communicate openly throughout the process, ensuring decisions are understood and the path forward is shared.
- Passion. We care deeply about what we make. That commitment carries through every scale of the work, from concept to detail, resulting in spaces that are both thoughtful and enduring.
People
Joe Rivers, AIA, LEED AP bd+c
Joe Rivers brings a grounded, hands-on perspective to the practice; bridging design vision with the realities of construction. His work is rooted in an understanding that architecture is not only imagined, but made.
As principal leading the firm’s Houston office, Joe guides projects from concept through execution, ensuring that ideas are carried through with clarity and precision. His early experience as a laborer and carpenter continues to inform his approach, giving him an instinctive understanding of materials, sequencing, and craft.
Joe holds a Master of Architecture from North Carolina State University, a Master of Construction Management from Western Carolina University, and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University. His studies have taken him from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture to the Prague Institute. He currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Houston and is a licensed architect in Texas and Kansas.
He and his wife have renovated the house he grew up in, where they now live with their son and two dogs. Outside the studio, he enjoys cooking and canoeing; pursuits that, like architecture, are grounded in process, patience, and care.
Kevin Barden, AIA
Kevin Barden approaches architecture as a synthesis of idea, material, and experience; guiding each project from early concept through its physical realization.
As principal leading the firm’s Minnesota office, he brings a thoughtful and collaborative approach to shaping environments that are both rigorous and deeply felt. His work is informed by a belief that architecture unfolds over time, through movement, light, and human interaction.
Kevin’s experience includes work with Atelier Peter Zumthor in Switzerland, Olson Kundig in Seattle, and Feldman Architecture in San Francisco, as well as firms in Minnesota and Houston. He has taught at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, the University of Houston, Prairie View A&M University, the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Minnesota.
He holds a Master of Architecture from the Chur Institute of Architecture (in association with Anhalt University in Dessau, Germany) and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Minnesota. He is a licensed architect in California, Texas, South Carolina, and Minnesota.
Kevin lives in Minnetonka with his wife and their two children. Outside of practice and teaching, he is drawn to travel and time outdoors; continually seeking experiences that deepen his understanding of place.
Awards and Publications
September, 2025
AIA Minnesota, Homes By Architects Tour
May, 2024
PaperCity Magazine
May, 2023
Modern Luxury Interiors Texas
June, 2022
2022 Architizer A+ Awards
Unbuilt Sports and Recreation: Special Mention
October, 2018
2018 Design Communication Association Biennial Juried Exhibition
Martha Van Rensselaer Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2018 Design Communication Conference
March, 2017
ArkxSite – Site Dwelling Competition
Honorable Mention
December, 2016
ArchDaily – 2016 Architecture Holiday Card Challenge
Favorite
Community + Nonprofit Organizations
Rivers Barden Architects works with and supports the following community and nonprofit organizations:
American Institute of Architects (AIA)
US Green Building Council (USGBC)
Kinetic Ensemble
Taliesin Fellows
Lake Minnetonka Excelsior Rotary Club
1% Giving
Each year Rivers Barden Architects donates 1% of our revenue to non-profit organizations. This is something we believe in strongly to strengthen the community around us. Below is a list of organizations we have given to:
Kinetic Ensemble
HomeAid Houston: Mission of Yahweh
The School of Architecture (formerly Taliesin School of Architecture)
ICA Food Shelf
Contact
718 Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX 77006
202 Water St., Suite 205
Excelsior, MN 55331
(281) 845-9801
info@riversbarden.com
