A Dream Built from Scratch
When software engineer Kenton Varda and entrepreneur Jade Wang envisioned their dream home, it wasn’t a typical family residence. Instead, they sought to create something that fused their professional ingenuity with their passion for gaming. What emerged was a LAN party house—built entirely from scratch on an empty lot in Austin, Texas.
Unlike earlier reports suggesting it was a renovation project, Varda clarified in a recent email that the house, including the “seven-digit” cost, was a completely new construction. This monumental endeavor was a collaboration with Varda’s father, Richard Varda, an accomplished architect known for designing iconic landmarks like The Kingdom Centre in Riyadh.
The result? A sprawling family home designed to host the ultimate gaming experiences, optimized with cutting-edge technology and thoughtful details that cater to both gaming and family life.
A LAN Party Haven
The heart of this home lies in its dedication to gaming. Featuring 22 custom gaming rigs powered by Gigabyte Windforce RTX 4070 GPUs, 32 GB of Corsair DDR5 RAM, and Intel Core i5 13600KF CPUs, the machines are built to deliver top-tier performance without veering into overpriced components. The PCs are connected to a central network drive, enabling seamless updates and streamlined game installations. Each system allows users to personalize their setups, with changes stored locally thanks to copy-on-write overlays.
To complement the powerful hardware, the house is wired with miles of managed cabling. A hidden Dance Dance Revolution platform and multiple gaming areas transform this home into a gamer’s paradise. Popular cooperative games like Deep Rock Galactic, Left 4 Dead 2, and Overwatch (in its prime) have graced the screens, with the focus on fostering fun and camaraderie rather than hardcore competition.
Tech Meets Comfort
Despite its gaming-centric design, the LAN party house is also a fully functional family home. The couple incorporated clever touches such as custom cabinetry to house the gaming systems, some of which can fold away neatly to maintain a clean, modern aesthetic. This cabinetry alone cost as much as the hardware—around $75,000—underscoring the premium placed on thoughtful design.
For the family’s feline companions, the house includes two “cat restrooms,” equipped with ventilation systems and cat doors. These quirky additions reflect the Varda-Wang duo’s attention to both utility and comfort.
A Legacy of Innovation
This isn’t Varda’s first foray into creating a gamer’s dream space. Back in 2011, he collaborated with his father on a smaller, 1,400-square-foot LAN party house in Palo Alto, California. While functional, it lacked the scale to double as a family home. With lessons learned, the Austin property became the perfect synthesis of form and function.
A Pricey Passion Project
Building such a unique residence wasn’t cheap. Beyond the seven-figure construction cost, the couple invested heavily in gaming hardware and custom furniture. Though they haven’t disclosed the full financial details, estimates suggest the total cost could easily surpass a million dollars.
Yet for Varda and Wang, the expense is secondary to the joy their home brings. From gaming marathons to family time, this house embodies their shared vision of blending nostalgia, innovation, and practicality.
A New Era for LAN Gaming
In an age dominated by online gaming, the Varda-Wang LAN party house stands as a tribute to a bygone era of in-person gaming camaraderie. With their pioneering design, the couple has turned their dream into a reality, offering a glimpse of what’s possible when technology meets imagination.
Whether you’re a gaming enthusiast or simply inspired by bold creativity, this house is proof that sometimes, dreams are worth the price tag.
