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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

Explore

HCU Moody Library Renovation

This renovation reimagines the library as a dynamic hub for learning, connection, and adaptability. As education and research shift away from traditional models, new service paradigms are emerging to meet the evolving needs of students and universities.

David Cedeño

Food and Beverage

In this episode our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with David Cedeño, a bartender from Houston, Texas. Bartender David Cedeño has seen it all during the last two decades in the service industry, from basic mixed drinks, to the wine bar craze, to craft beer and the more recent mixology trend. Listening to David talk about his profession, it's clear that to him, crafting cocktails is more of an art form than anything else. Joe and Kevin visit with David about the job of a bartender, the importance of composition, his experience as a painter, and his message for creative types with a passion.

A Place of Passing

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”.