The Citizen Magazine: Before the Blueprint, There Was Silence

Thank you Ashton Gustafson and The Citizen for stopping by the studio for the interview!

Before the Blueprint, There Was Silence (By Ashton Gustafson)

Excerpt from the article below:

Jeff Garnett is not your typical architect. He listens before he draws. He lets the land speak before he lifts a pencil. He calls it “letting it breathe,” and it’s not just poetic—it’s his process. And in a world addicted to renderings, rush orders, and carbon copies, amid the endless repetition of design, his work feels like a rare breath of something honest.

“I never start sketching on the first visit,” he tells me. “I go with the client, walk the site, soak it in. I don’t want to pollute my imagination too early. I let the land breathe. Then I come back. That’s when I start.”

We’re sitting in his studio—a sanctuary of steel, glass, exposing and showcasing the neighbor's rock wall —with windows that seem to frame the Texas sky like paintings. It’s clear he built this place with the same intention he brings to his work: reverence for space, light, and the story a building is supposed to tell.

Read more here: The Citizen Vol 8.pdf

Living Magazine: Jeff Garnett | Modern Ranch Architect

Thank you Melissa McBride and Living Magazine for the interview!

(HOME ON THE RANGE) Jeff Garnett | Modern Ranch Architect (By Melissa McBride)

Excerpt from the article below:

For each new design, Garnett draws inspiration from the specific site and region, immersing himself in the landscape and the natural world before sketching any designs on paper.  “Experiencing the breeze, the sunset, the surrounding wildlife – all of these things must be taken into account to properly integrate a home into its site.  My designs are modern, but I almost always use local materials: stone, wood, and glass. I’m trying to create timeless architecture that seamlessly blends modern aesthetics with the natural elements of the ranch landscape.”

With native wood and stone, glass, leather, steel and concrete, Jeff Garnett speaks the language of the wide-open spaces of the west.  For those lucky to find a place in the handful of projects he takes on every year, Garnett designs ranch homes and rural compounds that perfectly match those spaces.

Read more here: Winter 2024 2025 Ellis County Living Magazine by Ellis County Living Magazine - Issuu

Western Art & Architecture Magazine: Elk Edge Retreat

Thank you Western Art & Architecture Magazine for the interview!

Elk Edge Retreat: A comfortable Texas home revels in the vastness of its surrounding landscape (By Christine Rogel)

Excerpt from the article below:

“You want your buildings to speak to their place because I think that that’s how you create longevity and their interest and artistry,” says Garnett, a sixth-generation Texan with a firm in Glen Rose. “You want them to be an extension of their location.”

For Garnett, integrating the home with its environment was an immersive process. Before sketching the layout, he spent hours on the property, observing how the sun shifted across the hillside, feeling the breeze, and watching the elk wander into view from a neighboring ranch to the south. Once these initial impressions settled, he returned with his sketchbook and large rolls of paper. “I have a Jeep pickup truck, and that’s kind of my makeshift desk while I’m out there,” Garnett says. “It’s great to be fully immersed in the site while I’m sketching, just because I can see things in real-time and make sure I’m capturing those views. … And if you really get out there and just listen, the site truly does speak to you, to anybody that’s out there. ... It’s a fun back and forth between architecture and landscape.”

Read more here: ELK EDGE RETREAT - Western Art & Architecture

Fort Worth Report: Garnett Receives Design Award for Frazier Conservatory Project

Thank you Fort Worth Report for the interview!

Excerpt from the article below:

Frazier Conservatory stands as a stunning example of Garnett’s design ethos, an example that the Frazier family hopes to share by making the Conservatory available to host retreats, special events, and overnight stays for individuals and groups, particularly community non-profit organizations. With its secluded setting, serene atmosphere, and abundant natural life — the ranch is also a nature preserve and birder’s paradise — Frazier Conservatory can serve as the ideal location for workshops, artist residencies, educational activities for nearby Tarleton State University, and environmental or conservation-focused events.

As for Garnett, his work on Frazier Conservatory demonstrates his ability to create spaces that are beautiful, functional, and profoundly connected to their environment. With the 2024 AIA Fort Worth Design Award, Garnett solidifies an already impressive reputation as a leader in Texas modern and modern ranch architecture.

Read more here: Garnett receives design award for Frazier Conservatory project | Fort Worth Report

Fort Worth Inc: Architect Jeff Garnett Honored with American Institute of Architects Recognition

Thank you Fort Worth Inc. for the interview!

Excerpt from the article below:

“It’s such an honor to be recognized by my peers at AIA Fort Worth,” Garnett said. “Frazier Conservatory has been a special project to me — a ranch retreat where people can step away from the rush of life and find connection, to each other and to the land around them. I’m so grateful to the Frazier family for trusting me with this beautiful location, which has been part of the Frazier family history for generations.”

Read more here: Architect Jeff Garnett Honored with American Institute of Architects Recognition - Fort Worth Inc.

Fort Worth Inc. Magazine: Best Draw in the West

Thank you, Fort Worth Inc. Magazine!

Excerpts from the article below:

“As early as I can remember, I wanted to be an architect,” he says. “I have very clear memories of being in the back of our family car. I was the youngest of three boys, so, I was always in the back seat. That was my happy place as a kid on road trips and even just going to the local grocery store. I just loved to look out the window. I always remember really paying attention to the buildings around me.

“Living in the suburbs back in the day, I remember criticizing some of the redundancy and repetition. I've always wondered what would have happened if I would have never left the city as a teenager. I think I would have absolutely still been an architect, but I feel like I would have probably gone a little bit different route.”

He’s influenced by West Texas, even though “I’m not intentionally trying to do that.”

“I've been told that a lot, that, ‘Hey, your designs have a West Texas vibe.”

His father is from the Marfa-Alpine region, so, the family spent a lot of time out there.

“I guess it just kind of comes out a little bit,” he says. “But a lot of it, too, is just growing up even just around Somervell County and Glen Rose. There’s so many old stone buildings and cedar clad buildings. I really appreciated that because it felt timeless to me.”

Another of his award-winning projects is his office building, which sits on a small plat on the Somervell County Courthouse square. The courthouse was erected in 1893, two years before the Tarrant County Courthouse.

Fort Worth Inc: Minimalist Architect Doing Major-League Stuff From the Town Square in Glen Rose

Thank you Fort Worth Inc. for the interview!

Excerpt from the article below:

Five times his designs have been recognized by professional peer organizations, including three by the Fort Worth division of The American Institute of Architects.

Garnett, 39, went the entrepreneurial route in his industry because it allowed him to get more interesting projects.

“My drive and ambition is just to do exciting work,” he says. "The ambition to design, that's my true passion. That really is what fuels all of this.”

A minimalist architect who focuses on creating designs that emphasize simplicity, functionality, and the elimination of unnecessary elements, Garnett always tries to incorporate natural, native materials into his designs.

“I've always wanted to have an office in the middle of nowhere,” he says. “I also wanted to have an office on a town square. I didn't know which was going to hit first, but I saw an empty lot here on the Glen Rose square. There are not many empty lots on Texas squares. There was a small, narrow lot here. I jumped on it. I bought it and about a year later started construction on it. It was a fun, fun project.”

Read more here: Minimalist Architect Doing Major-League Stuff From the Town Square in Glen Rose - Fort Worth Inc.

UTA Magazine: Award-Winning Escapes

Thank you UTA Magazine for the feature!

Award-Winning Escapes: Alumnus designs havens in surrounding landscapes

Excerpt from the article below:

Garnett’s architectural journey, rooted in a childhood fascination with old barns, stone ruins, and the Texas landscape, has evolved into a practice that spans ranch houses, lake homes, and remote retreats, as well as urban properties and other installations.

“I design places for people and strive to make each place a haven from the demands of today’s society, a sacred place for our clients to call home with a strong connection to the natural environment,” Garnett says.

Read more here: Award-Winning Escapes - News Center - The University of Texas at Arlington (uta.edu)

Texas Architect Magazine: Zen Rose

Thank you Texas Architect Magazine for the studio feature!

Zen Rose (By Lee Hill)

Excerpt from the article below:

Interior materials are simple: natural wood, exposed steel, and CMU. Stitched leather accents and polished concrete complete the palette. Toward the back is a small restroom that could have been a simple back-of-house space, and no one would have been the wiser. Instead it features a small square window high on a wall providing a framed eye-level view of the historic Glen Rose water tower nearby—a built-in piece of art in a space that needs nothing else. That’s the organizing theme of the design—compression and decompression of space, looking inward and then looking out.  

With a Stetson hat propped on his modest desk, Garnett is a quintessential native Texan, friendly and warm in person, and he cares deeply about building a residential design practice that resonates with the historic culture of Glen Rose and Texas. While Texans have a reputation for being boastful and loud about our state, when it comes to our courthouse squares, we quietly revere these unique places and shared history. Texas architects like Garnett continue to work in modest and creative ways to help preserve this legacy. 

Read more here: Zen Rose - Texas Architect Magazine (texasarchitects.org)

360 West Magazine: Piano Plan

Thank you 360 West Magazine for the feature story!

A Houston composer and architect team up to develop a family ranch retreat, conservatory and community venue (By Scott Nishimura)

Excerpt from the story below:

Frazier contacted Garnett as a potential architect for the project after staying at Glen Rose’s Rough Creek Lodge and Resort, where Garnett, 38, has done significant design work that helped catapult his career, including work on The Residences at Rough Creek Lodge.

Garnett met Frazier and his family on the property. “Todd was really a blank canvas, more than any client I’ve ever had,” Garnett said. “He wanted a retreat on or near the lake, a family space, a place to sleep and potentially a guest space. Todd is truly amazing. We have a budget we have to hit. Other than that, I really just went for it. That’s a rarity in my profession.”

Garnett’s rustic, unobtrusive, modern design blends with the landscape rather than competes with it. The buildings are all one story. “We didn’t want to go to two or three stories,” Frazier said. “We wanted it to blend.”

Frazier loves the sight lines Garnett drew into the plan. “They were so well done throughout,” Frazier said. “Everyone has a great view of the lake. But you also have connection among the structures.”

The main lodge is highlighted by a 16-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling and continuous bank of floor-to-ceiling windows that face the lake from the great room, dining room and main bedrooms. Garnett, as he typically does, kept a limited list of materials.

“I don’t like to add a long list of materials,” Garnett said. “I try to keep it as short as possible, and native. It creates harmony with the landscape. In some projects, we quarry stone from the site or from the region.”

The construction team sanded down and sealed the lodge’s concrete floors, exposing the aggregate, including fossils that can be seen in the smooth finish. Other colors in Garnett’s palette, such as in the stone, help draw out ones in the aggregate.

Book Feature: New View Texas

Incredibly honored to be featured in a new book by Beth Buckley.

New View: A Curated Visual Gallery: Twenty Magnificent Homes by Texas Architects

Part anthropological and part declarative, New View: A Curated Visual Gallery — 20 Magnificent Homes by Architects of Texas is the fourth installment of a series that is at once trending and historic. Mesmerizing photography capturing the elegance of urban or rustic life is balanced with the architects’ design philosophies, perspectives, and transformational experiences.

New View Texas reflects the immense creativity of the featured celebrity and world-renowned architects: Kevin Alter, Burton Baldridge, Christy Blumenfeld, Tim Cuppett, Steve Raike & Ted Flato, Jeff Garnett, John Grable, Mell Lawrence, Laura Juarez Baggett, Brian Korte, Steve Levy, Craig McMahon, Tobin Smith, and more.

Through steadfast curation, New View Texas reveals itself as a complete collection of unique Texas homesteads. Pictorially rich pages infused with poignant prose tell the engaging story of our civilization.

Buy on Amazon: New View: A Curated Visual Gallery: Twenty Magnificent Homes by Texas Architects: Buckley, Beth Benton: 9798987339107: Amazon.com: Books

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: AIA Fort Worth Design Award

Thank you to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for showcasing the AIA Fort Worth Design Awards!

Excerpt from the article below:

Glen Rose-based Jeff Garnett, who recently also won an AIA Texas studio award, won an honor award for his studio. Tobin and Old (design jurors) were enthusiastic about what he did with the narrow, tunnel-like limestone building in the growing town square. Garnett’s focus integrating the interior with the exterior created a building that has, as he said, is “wonderful.” That focus was “a brilliant move,” he said.

Read more at: Fort Worth firms honored by American Institute of Architects | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Red + Rio Magazine: Feature

Thank you to Red+Rio Magazine for featuring the work of Jeff Garnett Architect in its inaugural issue.

The edition spotlighted the 2023 AIA Fort Worth Design Award for the JGA studio in Glen Rose, Texas, as well as Garnett’s modern ranch style portfolio.

Excerpt from the story:

Q: Your emphasis on outdoor space is evident in your designs. Can you elaborate on the importance of outdoor spaces in your projects and how they contribute to the overall experience?

A: Outdoor spaces are integral to all my designs. Whether it's a remote ranch, lake house, or an urban infill project, I start by thinking about the outdoor space — often the back porch. The back porch is the heart of the home in my opinion. From there, I’ll work in both directions: from the outside, integrating the architecture into the landscape, and from the inside, focusing on the views beyond and the feeling they give to the interior space. 

For me, the goal with each project is to create a retreat where clients can unwind and connect with nature. Even in compact settings like 110 Walnut Street, the outside space plays a pivotal role in enhancing that overall experience.

Click the images to read the article in its entirety. 

For more information about Texas Modern architecture, ranch home architecture services in Texas and beyond, and more, please request a consultation.

Fort Worth Inc: Architect Wins AIA Fort Worth Design Award With Structure on Historic Glen Rose Square

Thank you, Fort Worth Inc. for covering the 110 Walnut Street studio project (2023 AIA Fort Worth Design Award Winner).

Excerpt from the story below:

Texas modern architect Jeff Garnett has been recognized with the 2023 AIA Fort Worth Design Award for the studio project at 110 Walnut Street in Glen Rose, the charming outpost and county seat of Somervell County, 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

The 110 Walnut Street studio serves as Garnett’s own artistic retreat and home base and features a creative design choice. He uses it as a working studio and meeting space. Before construction, the property was a 25-foot empty lot overgrown with weeds, which sits on the historic town square between a locally-owned restaurant — originally a Coca-Cola bottling plant — and a semi-vacant two-story historic building.

“The way I approached this project is the same way I approach a project on an empty field on a ranch. You have to pay respect to your surroundings, both inside and outside. If the view is there, I’ll take advantage of the view, even if it's 10 feet away. If it’s not there, I'm still going to create a space where you have that open feeling, that sacred space to unwind and slow down.”

Read more here: Architect Wins AIA Fort Worth Design Award With Structure on Historic Glen Rose Square - Fort Worth Inc.

Bold Journey Magazine: Meet Jeff Garnett

Thank you Bold Journey Magazine for the interview!

Excerpt from interview below:

With each new project, I spend an extensive amount of time at the future build site prior to generating any preliminary sketches. I intentionally hold on sketching any initial ideas on paper until I have fully immersed myself into the site and existing landscape. Experiencing the breeze, sunset, observing the surrounding context… all of these things must be taken into account to properly integrate the building into the site.

Read more of the interview here: Meet Jeff Garnett - Bold Journey Magazine

Preservation Magazine: (Petrified Wood) Sycamore Grove

Thank you for the interview, Preservation Magazine! And thank you to Preservation Texas and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. These groups work extremely hard to raise awareness and celebrate the places that have shaped America.

Interview excerpt here:

The Sycamore Grove filling station, also known as Outlaw Station, is a striking roadside remnant of the petrified wood–infused architecture that defined Glen Rose, Texas, during the first half of the 20th century. Built around 1929, the ruin once served as a gas station and, later, a speakeasy. According to local legend, various outlaws such as John Dillinger passed through the building, says Ann Carver, the chair of Glen Rose’s Historic Preservation Commission.

But Carver and Jeff Garnett, a Glen Rose–based architect, say it’s the station’s architecture that stands out—because of its beauty and the fact that only a few buildings constructed of petrified wood remain in the city. Sycamore Grove is not in immediate danger, but a letter from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sent to the property owners in May sparked concern.

TxDOT has proposed a state highway realignment that could entail construction alongside the site. The department tells Preservation that the preliminary design will not affect the station directly, and that it will keep studying any potential impact as the project’s environmental review continues.

Additionally, the department says plans to protect the building during construction will be finalized later. Garnett says he believes TxDOT will do what it can to safeguard the station, but he notes that even if it’s untouched by the construction, increased traffic and vibrations from noise could threaten its long-term stability. “We feel like it’s still in jeopardy,” Carver says.

Read full article here: Places Restored, Threatened, Saved, and Lost in Preservation Magazine's Fall 2023 Issue | National Trust for Historic Preservation (savingplaces.org)

Luxe Magazine: A Fine Line

Check out the latest issue of Luxe Magazine for an interesting feature regarding artificial intelligence in design.

Excerpt from interview:

Today’s top talents weigh in on the pros and cons of AI for residential architecture.

In an industry that values the trained eye and a studied approach, it’s perhaps no surprise that many architects are wary of artificial intelligence programs that whip up new renderings at the push of a button. “It’s fascinating software, but it is frightening,” says Fort Worth-based architect Jeff Garnett, who does not use AI in his work but has tested the software after hours. “Design is a human creation, and we have to hold onto that as long as we can.”

Read full article here: Weighing The Pros And Cons Of AI For Residential Architecture (luxesource.com)

Texas Architect Magazine: Palo Pinto Cemetery

The award-winning Palo Pinto Cemetery project is featured in the latest issue of Texas Architect Magazine.

Excerpt from magazine below:

The Palo Pinto Cemetery is theoretically located in a remote, rural area on what used to be an abandoned hay field that was prone to flooding. The 12,000-sf series of structures functions as a cemetery and memorial park, focusing on the remembrance of loved ones and the well-being of visitors in need of healing. The cemetery consists of a circular sanctuary for memorial services; a series of columbarium structures with inbuilt niche spaces for cremation urns; storage; a restroom facility for visitors; and a memorial tree garden. Seating is scattered throughout the site, surrounded by native plantings and shade trees. The overall facility is constructed primarily of mass timber and native stone. Sustainable building components are a driving factor in the overall design, with emphasis on natural lighting, rainwater collection, solar energy, and green roof construction.

Jury Commentary:
“How challenging it is to make architecture that is a sacred space about loss and be able to produce an environment of respect and silence and meditative qualities. … It also feels like a tabula rasa project in the attempt to produce forms of ambiguous space as opposed to more defined spaces inside and outside and with the use of local vernacular materials. It’s an aspirational project, and I think the architecture itself has a kind of economy to it that says quite a lot at the same time about the possibility of that as a sublime sacred space.”

2023 AIA Fort Worth Design Award

The 110 Walnut Street project (studio headquarters of Jeff Garnett Architect) received the 2023 AIA Fort Worth Design Award.

The 110 Walnut Street building is located on the historic town square in rural Glen Rose, Texas.  The building is sited between a local restaurant (originally a Coca-Cola Bottling plant building) and a semi-vacant two-story historic building. 

110 Walnut primarily functions as a working studio and meeting space for a local architect.  Prior to construction (and prior to new ownership), the empty lot sat vacant and often full of overgrown weeds and debris.  

The studio building carefully slips between the existing adjacent buildings and is intentionally minimal in both size and proportions out of respect for the surrounding historical context.  The front façade is slightly recessed in relation to the adjacent historic buildings, allowing the historic masonry of each neighboring structure to turn their respective inside corners 1 full brick course, providing a subtle distinction between old and new.

The front facade facing the street consists of native limestone, board formed concrete elements, and custom steel windows and doors.  The building signage is intentionally secondary, allowing the materials to be the primary focus.

An approximately 35-foot-tall existing rubble stone wall sits directly adjacent to the studio.  This historic side wall was the driving force behind the entire design scheme – natural lighting, historic appreciation, and strategic design restraint.

2023 Texas Society of Architects Studio Award

The Palo Pinto Cemetery project received the 2023 Texas Society of Architects Studio Award.

Thank you to jurors Neil Denari, FAIA, of NMDA, Los Angeles; Anand Devarajan of Anand Devarajan Architecture, Los Angeles; Friedrich Ludewig of ACME, London; and Mónica Ponce de León, AIA, of MPdL Studio, Princeton.

The Palo Pinto Cemetery is a place for peace, healing, and remembrance. 

Conceptually located on 25 acres at the outer edge of Mineral Wells in Palo Pinto County, Texas, the Palo Pinto Cemetery is a 12,000 square foot series of structures which primarily functions as a cemetery and memorial park, focusing on the remembrance of loved ones and the well-being of visitors in need of healing.

The cemetery consists of a welcoming circular sanctuary for memorial services, a series of pavilion (columbarium) structures with inbuilt niche spaces housing cremation urns, storage and restroom facility for visitors, and an anchoring memorial tree garden. Various seating components are strategically scattered throughout the site, surrounded by native plantings and shade trees. 

Sustainable building components are a driving factor in the overall design, with emphasis on natural lighting, rainwater collection, solar energy, and green roof construction. The overall facility primarily consists of mass timber construction and native stone.

The Palo Pinto Cemetery is not just a final resting place, but also a setting where a deeper level of peace and healing can take place.