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Perched on a rocky rise in the Texas Hill Country, the Walnut Springs Guest House offers a nature-immersed retreat for a city family. Two hand-crafted stone volumes anchor the home, framing shaded porches and a generous central gathering space while sheltering private rooms. The butterfly and hipped roofs channel breezes, capture shifting sunlight, and direct views to the surrounding oaks and hills. Blending rugged materials with refined detailing, the design creates a warm, inviting getaway that celebrates the rhythms of the land.

Location

Johnson City, Texas

Design Team

Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden

Typology

Residential

Date

2019-2021

Structural Engineer

Hill Country Structural

General Contractor

Phillips & Phillips Design Build

Process

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The Tree Farm Clubhouse

Located on an ideal site featuring sandy soils and rolling topography near Aiken, South Carolina, The Tree Farm Clubhouse seeks to bring to life a transcendent modern golf experience that respects, amplifies, and blends in with the natural landscape. In line with this vision, there will be no flashy buildings driven by a desire for luxurious experiences. Instead, the master plan and buildings for the project all work toward creating simple, thoughtful spaces that are rooted in and responsive to the place, climate, culture, and rich history of the game of golf.

Brenden Macaluso

Culture and Community

Brenden Macaluso currently operates Common Motor collective, a support and resource for vintage Honda Motorcycles and a cooperatively run community workshop based in Houston, Texas. Joe and Kevin sat down with Brenden to discuss his gearhead roots, his background in industrial design, and the origins of Common Motor.

Site Dwelling Competition

Competitions

“The Site Dwelling, located on the cliff of the bay, in the village of Salir do Porto, aims to create a secluded destination, a place of retreat to engage with the landscape while providing shelter from the natural elements.  This is a place to stay and inhabit for a few days, offering visitors a unique experience in a very special setting; visitors must leave the space as they found it, empty.”  Rivers Barden Architects was…