Lake|Flato Architects

The Galápagos Islands exhibit at the Houston Zoo has earned top honors in both the Exhibition and Media Excellence categories from the Association for Zoos & Aquariums! This recognition is a testament to the hard work and creativity that went into realizing this extraordinary project for the Houston Zoo. ? ? The Galápagos Islands exhibit offers an immersive experience into the unique biodiversity and stunning landscapes of the Galápagos archipelago. Featuring a 190,000-gallon One Ocean aquarium and a 40-foot-long underwater acrylic sea lion tunnel, visitors can enjoy close encounters with aquatic life, including Humboldt penguins which represent the Galápagos penguins, endemic to the Galápagos Islands—one of the smallest penguins in the world. This captivating exhibit showcases the wonders of the Galápagos Islands' unique species and ecosystems while emphasizing the urgent need for conservation, making it a vital educational platform.? ? We look forward to seeing how the exhibit continues to enrich the understanding of wildlife conservation and inspire future generations. Congratulations to all the other projects and teams recognized this year! ? ? Learn More: https://lnkd.in/diRFcKw ? LF Team: Tenna Florian, Sunnie Diaz, and Darby Prendergast. ? Project Team: ? Client: Houston Zoo Exhibit Designer: SH|R Studio?s General Contractor: Tellepsen MEP Engineer: Collaborative Engineering Group? Structural Engineer: Walter P Moore Lighting: Flux Studio Ltd

We are incredibly proud to share that Lake|Flato Co-Founder David Lake is the recipient of the University of Texas at Austin’s highest honor, the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Each year, the Texas Exes, UT’s alumni association, honors alumni who have distinguished themselves in their profession, community, and commitment to service. This year, David is one of just five recipients honored with this lifetime achievement. Over the course of his 50-year career, he has carved a unique path dedicated to the belief that design, development, urban advocacy, and environmentalism must merge if we are to address climate change and help heal and sustain our planet. Thank you to The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Exes for honoring David with this tremendous achievement.? ? “Throughout his career, David has consistently been ahead of the curve – such as embracing sustainability or taking community input and being sensitive to the cultural values of a place or space that he’s working in. It’s that technical excellence combined with a commitment to building community that I think is the reason he and his work have been recognized so many times.” – Julián Castro (Former U.S. Secretary of HUD and Former Mayor of San Antonio)? ? To hear testimonials about David’s legacy of leadership and contributions to the design profession: https://bit.ly/3Z4Jv9l

Hotel Magdalena in Austin, TX, has set an important?standard in sustainable hospitality by receiving a 2024?Austin Green Awards. This?recognition emphasizes the hotel’s?commitment to environmentally friendly practices and its proactive approach to addressing?social and health needs in an urban environment.?? ? Located in the heart of Austin’s South Congress neighborhood, Hotel Magdalena, in collaboration with?Bunkhouse, is the first mass timber boutique hotel in North America. The mass timber wood structure honors the history of the site including the former 1950s Austin Terrace Motel – previously constructed of exposed heavy timber beams and columns in the mid-century modern aesthetic. The design team sought to reference this history and material aesthetic by creating warm, inviting structures. ? Hotel Magdalena’s design is a direct response to contemporary environmental challenges.?The 5-building, 89-key complex was designed around the existing Live Oak heritage trees, which become the focal points for outdoor gathering spaces and private suite gardens. All rainwater on site is collected in underground cisterns and used to meet all irrigation demands for the landscape. By designing inviting outdoor spaces and selecting wood as the primary structural and finish material, guests are drawn to connect with the landscape and internal courtyards. The deeply shaded porches and outdoor terraces foster a unique guest experience that recalls the lake houses and natural artesian springs found in the Hill Country surrounding Austin.? ? Project Team:? Bunkhouse,?WGI,?StructureCraft,?Architectural Engineers Collaborative,?Integral Group?,?Mazzetti,?Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Inc.,?BAI,?Biohabitats, Seifert Murphy Dallas, #Cosper,?#EngineeringPlus,?#AustinPermitService?&?#WJE.? ?? LF Team: David Lake, Sophia Razzaque, Melina Phillips, Michael Britt, Jef Snyder, Todd Wascher, Grace Boudewyns, Dan Mowery, Sam Vonderau, Pavan Iyer, Sara Todavchick, Kevin Hyun.Edited?

Attending Greenbuild International Conference & Expo this week? Join Lake|Flato Partner Andrew Herdeg and colleagues from KSS Architects, Buro Happold and Penn Engineering for an in-depth tour of Amy Gutmann Hall, the first mass timber mid-rise in Philadelphia. Housing Penn Engineering’s data science research and academic programs, Amy Gutmann Hall is a welcoming hub for cross-disciplinary collaborations focused on harnessing the power of data and AI. The tour will include insights on the?building’s mass timber procurement, design and carbon analysis process. More info: https://lnkd.in/gANQ3QfE

#LF40: 1998: This year, MTV Total Request Live was born, and after nine years, NBC sadly aired the Seinfeld finale. Literary enthusiasts were captivated by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a series that began to enchant readers of all ages.?? ? In the realm of architecture, the Air Barns project in San Saba, Texas exemplified innovative design tailored to its environment and purpose. Designed to house a client's string of polo ponies, the Air Barns prioritize the animals' comfort and well-being while considering energy efficiency and sustainability. Nestled next to open polo fields to take advantage of natural light and breezes, these structures feature a fully open-air design that enhances air quality and ventilation.? ? The project consists of only four durable and maintenance-free materials: weathered drill stem pipe, galvanized corrugated metal, pine, and fly ash concrete. Air Barns was one of the first projects that Lake|Flato built out of recycled drill stem pipe, which subsequently inspired later projects like Government Canyon and Cutting Horse Ranch.?? ? Air Barns offers an example of the sensitivity Lake|Flato displays toward form and materials. The project gave the firm broad exposure to many state and national publications. It continues to be used as a precedent inspiring many current projects and detailing within the office.?

This week’s Mass Timber Plus Conference in Philadelphia brings together industry leaders to explore innovative technologies aimed at advancing mass timber design and construction. Kerry Phillips, AIA from Lake|Flato (Executive/Design Architect) will be joining representatives from KSS Architects (Local Architect), Buro Happold (MEP, Structural & Lighting Engineer) and Penn Engineering for a panel discussion on Wednesday, November 13 about Amy Gutmann Hall, Penn Engineering’s New Home for Data Science & AI. Amy Gutmann Hall is the tallest new mass timber building in the Philadelphia area and one of the largest on the East Coast. https://lnkd.in/eQucRpsh

“For the new Business and Humanities District (BHD) within the existing campus, Lake|Flato needed to renovate two of Ford’s 1960s buildings—both housing mostly classrooms and faculty offices—and add a new structure, the three-story, 35,000-square-foot Dicke Hall, to complete the trio. But the team wasn’t interested in literally copying Ford’s style. ‘Our goal was never to replicate what O’Neil Ford had done decades ago with Halsell Center and Chapman Center, the two buildings we renovated,’ says Lake|Flato partner Ryan Jones. ‘Instead, we tried to tap into the underlying ethos and ask ourselves, how would O’Neil have tackled this project were he alive today?’” ? Thank you to Architectural Record and writer Sarah Amelar for this thoughtful feature of Trinity University’s Business & Humanities District Renovation and new Dicke Hall. The goal of this project was to create a cohesive district that connected the two existing structures with the new, while referencing the historic qualities of the architecture and site. The high-performance design and selection of mass timber for the new Dicke Hall, paired with new efficient systems for the renovated buildings, allowed the university to add 42% more square footage while increasing energy use by less than 1%. ? We were honored to continue the legacy of O’Neil Ford on Trinity’s historic campus with this new District that transforms the student experience and creates new active, vibrant learning environments. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4fyyLHD ? Client: TrinityU Project team: Turner Construction Company, Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation is now Mercer Mass Timber, Timberlyne Group, Integral Group USA, Intelligent Engineering Services, LLP, Rialto Studio, Inc., Datacom. ? LF Team: Ted Flato, Andrew Herdeg, Ryan Jones, Kerry Phillips, Homero Montemayor III, Jeffrey Olivares, Daniel Garcia, Sara Givens &?Kurt Kimsey. ? ??: Robert Benson

“Anyone who visits this stunning new building will see just how much our residents treasure knowledge, cherish their neighbors of all ages, and celebrate the natural beauty of this place we call home.” -Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin. The new Cedar Park Public Library is officially open! We are honored to have been a part of the team tasked to bring the city’s vision to life for this meaningful civic project, and we can’t wait to see the community enjoy their new Library. Designed as a premier civic destination in the heart of Cedar Park, the new 47,000 sf library was envisioned as a place that celebrates and encourages civic engagement and an appreciation for reading and learning. It reflects the idea of a “community porch,” with the use of a hybrid steel and mass timber roof structure, and it tells the unique story of the site and community through thoughtful integration of materials, including repurposed wood from trees that were unable to be salvaged from the site. Thoughtful spaces were designed for all to enjoy, with high-tech and messy makerspaces for hands-on creative play, quiet reading and work areas, collaborative study and multi-purpose rooms, a large kids’ area with a story time room, and indoor and outdoor play areas. Exposed timber and custom biophilic light fixtures evoke the feeling of walking under native Texas tree canopies, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that encourages visitors to linger. Congratulations to the City of Cedar Park and all of our collaborators on this special milestone! Project team: JE Dunn Construction, Dunaway, Coleman & Associates, Datum Engineers, Jose Guerra Inc., Studio Lumina, Datacom Design Group, fd2s, EEA Consulting Engineers, Acton Partners Consulting LF team: David Lake, Sophia Razzaque, Ashley Grzywa, Marguax Palmer, Michael Salinas, Allison Bermel, Anisha Kamat, Cole Bennette, Michelle Kishinevsky, Heather Holdridge, Miguel Elizardo, Savanna Scherschel, Abheek Sarkar, Clay Cottingham, Ayesha Erkin, Jonathan Smith, Warren Weaver.

#LF40: In 1997, The Hill Country Jacal began with our client's desire for a simple family retreat on a creek just 45 minutes outside of San Antonio. Our clients were enamored with the idea of creating a place that would disappear someday without a trace. ? ? The site was perfect, with a gentle south slope overlooking a shady sycamore-covered limestone creek. We started with a thick curving stone wall that would house all of the elements of the house. The wall would ground the house to the sloping site and shelter the living area from the cold north winds. Floating above the stone wall and sloping down with the land is a generous shed roof that encloses the living area, allowing for seasonal adjustments. All of the materials - limestone, cedar posts, and corrugated metal - came from a “few miles away.” ? ? The budget was modest and the process was collaborative. The house was completely off the grid: the water came from the roof, solar collectors with batteries were used for minimal energy, propane appliances were selected and an anaerobic digester was used for the toilet. Lake|Flato’s first "living building." ?The project earned an?The American Institute of Architects (AIA) national?Honor Award in 2000.?

“The clients came to us wanting a place where they could gather with family and friends amid this beautiful, wooded landscape overlooking Peconic. The desire was to arrive, shed suburbia and embrace a slower pace. They envisioned a place that felt like ‘camp’: humble, small-scale and connected to nature,” says Ted Flato, co-founder and partner of Lake|Flato. ? ? Thank you The Local Project for opening the “barn doors“ into the serene abode of North Fork Residence, a place of simple structures intimately tied to the water. To read the full story: https://bit.ly/3Ypibm8 ? LF Team: Ted Flato, David Ericsson, Kelly Weckman, and Meo Zhang? Project team: Bensonwood, Greystone Custom, Margie Ruddick Landscape, byrdwaters DESIGN?. ? ??: Dean Kaufman & Joe Fletcher