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This renovation transforms a 1980s geodesic dome, originally conceived during the height of the energy crisis, into a bright, connected, and contemporary home. A new primary suite frames views of the surrounding forest, while an open kitchen maintains visual and acoustic connection to the living and dining areas. Fresh finishes throughout renew the interior without erasing its character. Designed decades ago as a “cabin in the woods” close to the city, the original home reflected its owners’ commitment to energy conservation and forward-thinking design. In updating it, the challenge was clear: How can something new honor and love what’s old? How can the essence of a place be carried forward without losing what makes it special?

Location

Minnetonka, Minnesota

Design Team

Kevin Barden and Joe Rivers

Typology

Residential

Date

2022-2024

Interior Design

I/O Design Office

Structural Engineering

Larsen Engineering

General Contractor

Sexton and Associates

Photography

Leonid Furmansky

Process

Explore

HCU Moody Library Renovation

This renovation reimagines the library as a dynamic hub for learning, connection, and adaptability. As education and research shift away from traditional models, new service paradigms are emerging to meet the evolving needs of students and universities.

Seth Daulton

Art and Design

In this episode our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Seth Daulton, a printmaker from Georgetown, Texas. Seth Daulton is an artist who has worked in printmaking for nearly a decade. He has spent much of that time learning and developing his craft in academic settings, now as an instructor himself. Joe and Kevin sat down with Seth to discuss his process of creating, his approach to teaching, and how place, history, and structure, inhabit his work.

Principal Spotlight: Joe Rivers

Writing

Meet one of our Principals, Joe Rivers! Joe approaches architecture from the bottom up, and is an expert negotiator between details, constructibility and the larger vision of each project. He enjoys cooking and canoeing in his spare time.