Timbergrove Renovation
In Houston’s Timbergrove neighborhood, this renovation transforms a traditional layout into an open, light-filled home designed for entertaining. Walls between kitchen, living, and dining areas were removed to create seamless flow, with custom millwork adding warmth, storage, and subtle definition to each space. Large windows frame garden views and invite daylight deep into the home, blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors. The result is a welcoming setting where gatherings feel both lively and connected, and the home adapts effortlessly from quiet mornings to vibrant evenings.
Location
Houston, Texas
Design Team
Kevin Barden, Joe Rivers, and Esmer Leija
Renderings
Rivers Barden Architects
Typology
Residential
Date
2021-Present
Structural Engineer
Santee Engineering
General Contractor
Frich Investments
Process
Explore
River Oaks Renovation
Houston, Texas
Residential
Originally built in the 1990s, this River Oaks home renovation seeks to take advantage of the existing spacious layout by maximizing daylighting opportunities as well as allowing for ample indoor-outdoor living. The result is a light-filled home where comfort and elegance is prioritized.
Michelle Haynes
Swing Dancer, Fitness Coach & Entrepreneur
Culture and Community
In this episode, our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Michelle Haynes, a swing dancer, fitness instructor, and entrepreneur from Houston, Texas. Michelle Haynes is a veteran of the competitive swing dancing community, both in Houston and at the national level, and about two years ago turned her enthusiasm for dance, movement, and teaching into an entrepreneurial venture, opening a group fitness gym. Joe and Kevin sat down with Michelle to discuss her beginnings in swing dancing and how her passions evolved into her new business.
A Place of Passing
Kevin Barden
Writing
In the summer of 2022, Kevin’s dad passed away. In this essay, Kevin reflects about the qualities of growing up in a geodesic dome as well as the beginnings of a deeper understanding of a “forever home”.