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
West Texas Retreat
Alpine, Texas
Residential
Set against the rugged backdrop of West Texas, this renovation transforms a simple home into a serene retreat immersed in mountain and sky. Expansive glazing captures shifting light and distant peaks, while covered outdoor spaces invite connection to the land’s quiet rhythms.
Sunni Soper
Poet
Music and Performance
In this episode our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Sunni Soper, a spoken word artist from Austin, Texas. Since moving back to Austin, Texas less than a decade ago, Sunni Soper has become a strong voice and contributor to Austin's spoken word scene. Joe and Kevin visited with Sunni to discuss her beginning in poetry, the importance of editing and reflection, and her advice for budding artists.
Annual Holiday Cards
Rivers Barden Architects
Competitions
Every winter Rivers Barden Architects takes time to draw, sketch, and/or model a Holiday Card image to send to family, friends, clients, and colleagues. Seen here is a collection of these in one place.