Today’s guest is Kevin Gossen, President of Gossen Architects in Lafayette LA. Kevin specializes in traditional and historic design for custom residential dwellings. He’s followed his dream of being a residential architect that began when he was a young boy of five years old and began sketching home designs.

Kevin's work has been published many times, highlighting the attention to historic vernacular design. His designs can be found throughout the south, spanning from Texas to Florida. People who contract with Kevin Gossen or buy his custom homes know that they are receiving quality designs that will stand the test of time. A "Kevin Gossen" design is a mark of excellence.

A graduate of USL in 1981 with a Bachelor of Architecture, Kevin comes from a large family raised by Alberta and Jerry Gossen, both of whom were much admired in our community. One of seven siblings, all of his brothers and sisters live in Lafayette and remain close by making plans at least once a week to gather for lunch.

Growing up on Ronald Blvd. in the heart of Lafayette, Kevin’s love of architecture was nurtured by his dad, Jerry Gossen, who was a commercial architect and engineer who made his living in commercial and governmental work. His grandfather was a contractor. Design and build are concepts he grew up with.

“As early as I can remember, when I was a young boy, five or six years old, I was sketching houses on a large pad. In fact, I wish I still had the pads depicting those sketches. I’ve known I wanted to do this my entire life. His dad, Jerry, focused on the commercial architectural sector; he would look at Kevin’s sketches and tell him: “You need to get those houses out of your mind. You’ll never be able to make a living doing houses.” His dad meant well, with his message coming from the experience gained at his firm, O’Rourke and Gossen, with fourteen architects who exclusively designed commercial structures. Jerry was well-known for his work on Chase Tower downtown (formerly the FNB building) and Women's and Childrens Hospital, among others.

However, his mother’s creative influence on him gave him the direction to follow his dreams. “There was nothing she couldn’t do. Her influence probably had a greater influence on me than my father.” He was also greatly influenced by the beautiful work of A. Hayes Town, whose late-career was focused on traditional residential structures, after a lucrative career as a commercial architect.

“He’s been a great influence on the type of work I try to do. In the beginning, I tried to emulate Mr. Town and as I got more comfortable with my abilities I brought them to the table. I used his work as a strong influence.  However, I threw my own spin into the architecture. As an example, Mr. Town’s work focused on “living space” and downplayed the kitchen space, closets, and bathrooms. In his day, people wanted kitchens out of site and bathrooms were not the luxurious spacious ones we see today. However, Town's love of salvaged bricks and wood, and earthy textiles, is one Kevin shares and which you will see in many of his designs.

“My first love is beauty in a home and I have learned functionality along the way from clients and living life. Our homes are both functional and beautiful. We design how people live, with an eye for resale. Don’t design for the two events in your life….design for the everyday. That’s what makes a home happy. People’s habits don’t change when they move."

When a client hires Kevin, they get not only an architect but also a professional who guides them in design choices inside and outside the house. He helps clients select paint, flooring, textiles, as well as the look of the gardens, patios….all of these elements need to be integral in the design.