Walnut Springs Guest House

Perched on a small rock outcropping in Hill Country, the Walnut Springs Guest House offers a nature driven getaway for a city-dwelling family. Two stone masses frame two porches and a large gathering space while sheltering the bedroom and utility areas. Butterfly and hipped roofs focus views and sculpt light.
Location
Johnson City, Texas
Collaboration
Phillips & Phillips Design Build, Hill Country Structural
Design Team
Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden
Typology
Residential
Date
2019-2021
Process
Explore
Geodesic Dome Renovation
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Residential
This renovation of a geodesic dome home includes a new primary suite and bedroom with a view of the forest; a new kitchen with lines of sight and sound to the living and dining areas; as well as new finishes throughout. The home was originally designed and built at the height of the energy crisis in the early 1980s. At the time, the homeowners wanted a “cabin in the woods” close to the city as well as a forward-thinking home that clearly took a position on energy conservation.
Erick Calderon
Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Artist, & Maker
Art and Design
In this episode our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Erick Calderon, a business owner, entrepreneur, artist, and maker from Houston, Texas. Erick Calderon is the owner of La Nova Tile, a company he started over a decade ago, after graduating from UT Austin with a degree in international business. But it wasn't until a more recently that he started experimenting with artistic sculpture and color gradations. Joe and Kevin visit with Erick about the start of his tile company, the forging of his artistic identity, and how his art feeds back into the business.
Bruder Klaus Photo Essay
Kevin Barden
Drawing and Photography
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel stands in the landscape of the Eifel region of Germany. Images are not allowed inside the chapel, however, through small holes from the outside a glimpse can be caught of the atmosphere within. The chapel was designed by Peter Zumthor and completed in 2007.