Intelligent Design.

Can design have “integrity”?

We think so. It might not be eas­ily defined, but it’s clear to us that the work of Texas-based firm Lake | Flato has some­thing that many firms lack. A gen­uine sense of respon­si­bil­ity towards the envi­ron­ment per­haps. Or a refresh­ing respect for the tra­di­tions of art and craft akin to those embod­ied in the cel­e­brated work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Maybe it’s their trans­par­ent use of mate­ri­als in their designs that allow us to observe and under­stand the sys­tem and the spaces as a whole, that makes us believe that they are cre­at­ing some­thing more mean­ing­ful than archi­tec­ture alone. Whatever it is, Lake | Flato has it.

Evidence that we are not their only admir­ers, the firm has a long list of major awards under their belt, includ­ing three national awards received in 2011 alone. “Their work is a trans­par­ent and pow­er­ful affir­ma­tion of the propo­si­tion that archi­tec­ture is more than a gravity-defying plan,” com­ments for­mer AIA President Eugene Hopkins, “more even than the genius of inspi­ra­tion.” Still, genius seems like an appro­pri­ate way to describe the firm’s approach to green design. Founded in 1984 by David Lake and Ted Flato, the com­pany was built upon core prin­ci­ples of craft, con­nec­tion to site, and envi­ron­men­tal con­scious­ness that have clearly remained a part of the firm’s vision over the years. We love the stun­ning sim­plic­ity of this per­gola con­structed from over­hang, pipe and wire that takes advan­tage of the empty space between two buildings.

It’s hard to say what first caught our eye– HighStreet has been a long-time fan of Lake | Flato’s work. We were recently intrigued by El Cosmico, a col­lab­o­ra­tive project between Lake | Flato and Liz Lambert, along with Jack Sanders of Design Build Adventure and a cre­ative team of artists, builders and stu­dents. Lambert, the cre­ative force behind this one-of-a-kind com­mu­nal project, describes it as ” part vin­tage trailer, yurt and teepee hotel and camp­ground, part cre­ative lab, green­house and amphithe­ater.” Renovated trail­ers, eco shacks, and tra­di­tional teepees offer a vari­ety of lodg­ing options that col­lec­tively fos­ter a sense of com­mu­nity and encour­age a unique oppor­tu­nity for cre­ative exchange.

Similar to Pacific Northwest firms like Miller Hull and Olson Kundig Architects, Lake | Flato’s enlight­ened sense of design trans­lates into an equally enlight­ened work envi­ron­ment. “People are down-to-earth and enjoy what they do because they are design­ing build­ings that give back to soci­ety, in a respect­ful and encour­ag­ing envi­ron­ment,” offers Kendall Claus, one of the firm’s newest interns. “Their inten­tions are gen­uine– they make liv­ing green a pri­or­ity, in the office and out.” Cool peo­ple, great design, and good prac­tice — what’s not to love?

Sarah Pytlik.HighStreet.Cincinnati