Geodesic Dome Renovation
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
Gulf Coast Beach House
Rockport, Texas
Residential
Set along the Gulf Coast shoreline, this beach house embraces coastal living with expansive decks, open interiors, and uninterrupted ocean views. Light-filled rooms flow seamlessly to generous outdoor spaces, inviting breezes and sunlight into daily life. A soft, natural palette and durable coastal materials create a relaxed yet refined retreat, perfect for both quiet mornings and lively gatherings by the water.
Lulu Lin
Art Duo & Owners of Honey Art Cafe
Culture and Community
In this episode, our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Lulu Lin, an art duo from Houston, Texas. Lulu Fang and Amy Lin of the art duo Lulu Lin took their years long partnership to a new level when they opened Honey Art Cafe in late 2016. Joe and Kevin sat down with Lulu Lin to discuss their beginnings in art and art lessons, and their experience building a business completely on their own.
Talking About Wood (Reden Über Holz)
Translation: Kevin Barden
Writing
In 1985, Swiss architects Michael Alder, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, and Peter Zumthor sat down with Archithese to discuss building with wood; the continued traditions of its use as well as the possibility of developing new traditions. All four architects articulate a specific interest of the material and offer a critical eye to the others’ work. While Alder is concerned with the aesthetics of wood, Zumthor is attentive to the material from a cabinetmaker’s…