Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1405904
S an Antonio- and A u s t i n - b a s e d L a k e | F l a t o embodies a vision of architecture that not only has stood the test of time but remains more intensely relevant than when it opened its then-unorthodox practice four decades ago. In the intro to this fall's Rizzoli book, Lake | Flato Houses: Respecting the Land, the firm states its guiding principle: "When we decided to create our own architecture firm in 1984, we had a number of strong ideas about the kind of buildings we wanted to design. We believed first and foremost that architecture should be rooted in its particular place, responding in a meaningful way to the natural or built environment. Using local materials and partnering with the best local craftsmen, we sought to create buildings that were tactile and modern, environmentally responsible and authentic, artful, and crafted." The 16 homes detailed in Lake | Flato Houses — recent commissions dating from 2014 to 2020 — live up to that "Respecting the Land" mantra. They range in geographical location, function, and stance, encompassing a dramatic, cantilevered lakeside retreat in Marble Falls, Texas; the shed-roofed Aegean Pool House in Mineola, Texas; and, in West Texas, the horizon-hugging Prow in Fort Davis, and Marfa Ranch, built out of rammed earth. While most identified with Texas, the firm occasionally strays afield with impactful results: A barn-inspired home in Clinton, New York, makes it into Respecting the Land, as does the modernist- leaning Horizon House in Las Vegas. What unites all the above is exemplified by Lake | Flato's statement: "By designing in harmony with the land we make buildings that, by their massing, orientation, and materials, are inherently sustainable." Ted Flato appears at Texas Design Week Dallas for a talk, reception, and book signing Wednesday, September 22, 10 am to noon, at Elegant Additions showroom. TXDW is a ticketed event; for tickets and complete schedule go to texasdesignweek.com. TEXAS DESIGN WEEK DALLAS OF LAND AND ARCHITECTURE Lake | Flato is considered one of the most innovative architecture firms in the world. A Rizzoli book arrives this fall, and co-founder Ted Flato comes to Texas Design Week Dallas. By Catherine D. Anspon A retreat in Marble Falls Ted Flato Horizon House in the Mojave Desert ANDREW POGUE & RYANN FORD CASEY DUNN JOSH HUSKIN 116