Flato and Lake both follow in the footsteps of a Texas giant. "T…
Flato and Lake both follow in the footsteps of a Texas giant. "Ted and I were tutored by O'Neil Ford," Lake says.
Jason Fulford
O'Neil Ford "beat into us this notion that Modernism needs to be…
O'Neil Ford "beat into us this notion that Modernism needs to be tactile and responsive to content, starting with climate and place and using local crafts and materials," Lake says.
Jason Fulford
In 1984, Lake|Flato Architects moved into the second floor of a …
In 1984, Lake|Flato Architects moved into the second floor of a former car dealership, just blocks away from the Alamo.
Jason Fulford
When they started their studio, Lake and Flato handled the build…
When they started their studio, Lake and Flato handled the building's renovation in exchange for space. The studio has since expanded to encompass all three floors of the building.
Jason Fulford
"When David and I started the office 27 years ago, it was just t…
"When David and I started the office 27 years ago, it was just the two of us," Flato says.
Jason Fulford
The practice has since grown to include 55 people—many of whom…
The practice has since grown to include 55 people—many of whom come to Lake|Flato from outside the Lone Star State.
Jason Fulford
"Because of that, their whole social network is the office [when…
"Because of that, their whole social network is the office [when they start at the studio]. We're a very, very tight family. We have a lot of couples in the office who didn’t know each other before they came," Flato says.
Jason Fulford
Lake|Flato books one annual getaway for the entire firm. "Every …
Lake|Flato books one annual getaway for the entire firm. "Every year we go to my place on the headwaters of the Nueces River to camp out there. It's a lot of people in tents," Flato says.
Jason Fulford
A painting of the team at Kickapoo Ranch in West Texas.
Jason Fulford
Much of Lake|Flato's work in Central Texas marries the region's …
Much of Lake|Flato's work in Central Texas marries the region's unique culture with its newfound interest in density.
Jason Fulford
Lake and Flato share a mind on the question of the so-called "Te…
Lake and Flato share a mind on the question of the so-called "Texas Miracle"—the apparent durability of the state economy during the recession. "Texas has been attracting all these Fortune 500 companies for a while. The momentum for that has been a huge boon for the state," Lake says. "It hadn't gotten so overheated" to begin with, Flato notes, but growth has nevertheless slowed. "We were doing hotels for a while, and those have really stopped. There were some major things that really stopped. It's reasonably stable, but by no means is it overly vibrant."
Jason Fulford
The firm's work is at the forefront of downtown-revitalization e…
The firm's work is at the forefront of downtown-revitalization efforts to transform San Antonio into a more walkable, urban city—while maintaining its distinctive culture.
Jason Fulford
Naturally, a studio based in San Antonio for 27 years is going t…
Naturally, a studio based in San Antonio for 27 years is going to swear its allegiance to the San Antonio Spurs. So Lake and Flato considered it an honor to design the Carver Academy for NBA Hall of Famer and legendary Spurs center David Robinson. "He's become an architecture advocate in the world of education," Lake says
Jason Fulford
Jason Fulford
Jason Fulford
Jason Fulford
Lake|Flato Architects’ status as a relative newcomer to prefab carries significant benefits. By entering the prefab world later than many of its peers, the well-established San Antonio firm was able to learn from others’ experiences before building its first modular home. Starting in 2009, the firm researched the history of prefabricated housing and talked to many of the industry’s current practitioners. “For the most part, the people involved in doing prefab housing are a very generous, information-sharing group,” says principal Ted Flato, FAIA, who heads up Lake|Flato’s prefab initiative along with associate Bill Aylor, AIA.
In September 2011, the firm launched its Lake|Flato Porch House, which consists of factory-built modular rooms connected by site-built elements such as porches, breezeways, carports, and terraces. “We’ve always been about connecting to the landscape,” Flato says. “These are houses as we’ve always designed them—they’re just done in a more efficient manner.” By limiting material, detail, and floor plan choices, Lake|Flato has kept the average cost of the Porch House to $150 to $225 per square foot. (The project won the top prize in the 2011 Builder’s Choice Awards, run by residential architect’s sister magazine, BUILDER.)
The firm has built two Porch Houses so far, both in Texas. Several more are in the works.
!["Because of that, their whole social network is the office [when they start at the studio]. We're a very, very tight family. We have a lot of couples in the office who didn’t know each other before they came," Flato says.](https://architectmagazine.stg.zonda.onl/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/tmp2755-2etmp-tcm20-858609.jpg?w=551)
