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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

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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.

Nicole Buergers

Food and Beverage

In this episode our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit Nicole Buergers. Nicole is a beekeeper and cheesemonger from Houston, Texas, a career that grew from a passion project into a full-fledged business. Kevin and Joe were introduced to Nicole through Minh Nguyen, owner of Cafe TH and former guest of this podcast. The three of them sat down with Nicole to discuss her beekeeping service and how her diverse background feeds into its success.

Pallasmaa On The Sublime

Writing

The emergence of digital and virtual technologies in the past decade has flourished exponentially giving academic environments and professional practices a newfound basis for collaboration between process and product. This essay proposes that we cannot lose sight of the underlying sources which drive a good process (whether digital, virtual, or manual) and lead to the opportunity for a great product. In his paper for the 101st Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, New Constellations New…