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Located in a two-story office space in Deep Ellum lies Dallas’ most exciting design firm, M Gooden Design. The firm has three projects to look forward to in 2018: a 14,000 square-foot project in Preston Hollow called Taula House (meaning “balance house”), which should wrap up in late summer; another was just completed in Little Forest Hills; while the third is breaking ground in Denton. Past projects include the Perch Haus with its vanishing point entry stairs in East Dallas and the PV14 House—an award-winning icon for Dallas residential real estate—which sits on one of the highest elevations in the city, overseeing the sunset behind the skyline amidst the glassy waters of White Rock Lake.
The creative behind M Gooden Design is Michael Gooden, a welcoming and soft-spoken Longview native. Before he became the founding principal of his own firm, he grew up interested in playing music as a guitarist. Gooden moved to Denton where he attended high school. That was where he fell in love with architecture after signing up for a drafting class.
“Denton opened my eyes to possibilities, culture, and art. My high school had a great architecture program. Honestly, I credit that to where I am today."
He soon found himself competing in and winning state competitions for architecture. While he was advancing as a young designer, Gooden was still creating music and going on tour during the weekends and summers, thinking he would be a full-time musician. He describes the time with his band as “playing music at theaters and bars for peanuts and the cheapest of beer.” Once he graduated, Gooden decided architecture was where he belonged and how he could build a life for himself (no pun intended). Gooden developed his architecture résumé at a small firm located in the Denton Downtown Square. The company focused on houses, which is where he learned to document and draft homes while finding his niche in residential architecture.
“I was much more interested in creating spaces where people could come home after work to relax and enjoy themselves," he said.
Gooden went on to...
You will find Gooden enjoying tacos at Pepe’s & Mito’s or sipping an Old Fashioned at Dot’s Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard in Deep Ellum.
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