West Texas Retreat
Set against the rugged backdrop of West Texas, this renovation transforms a simple home into a serene retreat immersed in mountain and sky. Expansive glazing captures shifting light and distant peaks, while covered outdoor spaces invite connection to the land’s quiet rhythms. Warm wood ceilings and natural stone finishes echo the desert palette, creating a refuge for reflection and renewal. Designed as an escape from the city, the home celebrates its setting while offering a place to slow down, breathe deeply, and watch the horizon fade into starlit night.
Location
Alpine, Texas
Design Team
Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden
Renderings
WAL Studio
Typology
Residential
Date
2017
Process
Explore
Albert Cabin
Albert, Texas
Residential
Stepping through the stone wall portal marks a threshold from city life to the quiet rhythms of the Texas Hill Country. The cabin’s warm wood interiors and expansive glazing open to the surrounding oaks and sky. In the mornings, the southeast-facing bath welcomes the first light; in the evenings, the southwest-facing bedroom frames sunsets and starlit skies.
Mike Garman
Furniture Designer
Art and Design
In this episode, our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Mike Garman, a furniture designer and maker from Houston, Texas. Mike has been designing and building furniture in the Houston area for nearly a decade. Joe and Kevin sat down with Mike to discuss his path to designing furniture, his use of tools, and his unique process to design.
Staff Travel: La Alhambra Reflection
Rafia Imran
Writing
In the Fall of 2022, Rafia visited Spain for ten days. Her travels took her to Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, and Madrid. There were many moments that left a lasting impression on her (visiting La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, taking a Paella cooking class, walking through maze-like alleys in Toledo and going on food tours in Madrid), but none left quite as strong of an impression as La Alhambra.