Luv Shak 2.0
This new residence is designed to foster a deep, daily connection to the surrounding landscape. Porches and decks wrap all sides of the home, creating a variety of outdoor spaces that offer comfort, shade, and views throughout the day. A strong east–west organizational axis optimizes solar exposure for rooftop solar panels while shaping the home’s relationship to light and time.
Conceived as a forever home for a retired couple, the design thoughtfully integrates aging-in-place strategies, including gentle ramps and generous circulation widths that support ease of movement over time. A large deck extends from the primary bedroom toward the east-facing pond, offering a quiet place to greet the sunrise and stargaze at night. Inside, the living room’s vaulted ceiling and exposed steel cross-ties minimize structure while maximizing openness and airiness. Set within the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, the home is both grounded in its setting and attuned to the rhythms of daily life.
Location
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Design Team
Kevin Barden and Joe Rivers
Typology
Residential
Date
2017-2020
Structural Engineer
Fractal Structural Engineering
General Contractor
Dykes Construction
Process
Explore
Memorial Townhome Renovation
Houston, Texas
Residential
Just steps from Memorial Park, this complete townhome renovation transforms a compartmentalized layout into an airy, light-filled sanctuary. Walls and columns were removed to create open sightlines and fluid movement, reflecting the client’s identity and lifestyle. Multiple skylights wash the double-height living space in daylight, shifting like an internal sundial and connecting inhabitants to the rhythms of time and season.
Joe Rivers
Architect
Art and Design
In this episode, our resident architect Kevin Barden visits with our other resident architect Joe Rivers from Houston, Texas. Joe Rivers is principal architect at Rivers Barden Architects. Kevin sat down with Joe to discuss his influences in architecture, his interests outside of architecture, and the life lessons he’s learned along the way.
Staff Travel: Mexico City
Esmer Leija
Writing
Over the past few years, Esmer has made multiple trips to Mexico City. She had the opportunity to visit The Pyramids of Teotihuacan, La Casa Azul de Frida Kahlo and the first Latin-American Architecture Exhibition of Zaha Hadid’s work. The following is a reflective essay of her travels.