Event Description
Breathing new life into old buildings is one of the most sustainable strategies available. By enhancing design character and supporting a triple bottom line of environmental, financial and social wellbeing, renovations and adaptive reuse offer benefits beyond carbon reduction that improve the health and wellbeing of communities.
2024 AIA Gold Medalists David Lake and Ted Flato have repurposed over three million square feet of existing structures that reinvigorate our urban cores while preserving the historic fabric of our cities.
Based on 40 years of design excellence, they will share strategies for enhancing the character and performance of buildings, districts, and campuses through renovations that reduce operational and embodied carbon while creating authentic spaces imbued with a sense of place and purpose.
Speakers
David Lake, FAIA & Ted Flato, FAIA, Founders, Lake | Flato, 2024 AIA Gold Medal recipients
Moderator: Steven Miller, FAIA, RIBA, College of Fellows Representative, AIA International, AIA Intl Spring Conference Co-Chair
Speaker Bios
David Lake is an architect, developer, urban advocate and environmentalist. With partner Ted Flato, he was named 2024's Gold Medal recipient, the highest honor from the American Institute of Architects.
David is a Maverick. In his fifty-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 our future challenges in the built environment with minimal impact upon our natural realm; and to ultimately help heal and sustain our earth.
With a passion for sustainable urban development, David leads Lake|Flato's urban studio. David’s work is notable for drawing on cultural and architectural traditions, adapting to the effects of climate and fitting gently into the landscape.
His notable projects include the Pearl Brewery Redevelopment in San Antonio, TX; the LEED Platinum Georgia Tech Engineering Biosystems Building; the LEED Platinum Austin Central Library; and The Holdsworth Center in Austin, TX, a sustainable campus dedicated to the training and leadership development of Texas’ public educators. He recently completed San Antonio’s U.S. Federal Courthouse and is currently working on designs for the expansion of San Antonio’s airport.
His work with Lake|Flato is internationally recognized and has been featured in more than 80 books and 300 international and national publications.
Ted Flato, FAIA has received critical acclaim for his straight-forward regional designs which incorporate indigenous building forms and materials and respond to the context of their unique landscapes. With partner David Lake, he was named 2024's Gold Medal recipient, the highest honor from the American Institute of Architects.
By applying sustainable strategies to a wide variety of building types and scales, Ted seeks to conserve energy and natural resources while creating healthy built environments. His interest in a myriad of building systems has resulted in projects ranging from mass timber, prefabrication and 3D printing, among other building systems.
In addition to his notable residential projects for Lake|Flato, Ted’s commercial work includes the transformation of a former Air Force base into a 550,000 SF regenerative campus for Arizona Polytechnic University, the LEED Platinum Shangri La Gardens in Orange, TX and a new mass timber academic building for Trinity University that pays homage to its mid-century campus, designed by mentor and Texas modernist, O’Neil Ford.
Ted’s commitment to sustainable environments does not end with his designs. His notoriety has earned him invitations to lecture across the nation on subjects such as healthy buildings and sustainable strategies, healthy office culture, among many other topics.
Moderator: Steven Miller had his international planning and architectural firm since 1987 in Prague, London, Dubai, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From 2005 he has worked with Kohn Pedersen Fox, Perkins Eastman, and FXCollaborative as their Middle East and North African Manager as well as Business Development Sr. Vice President for Shapooji Pallonji International a billion dollar design-build Indian company.
He is a member of the International division of (NAAB) National Architectural Accreditation Board for International University Certification, present and past 2016-2018, 2022-2024 Representative to the College of Fellows for AIA International, Past Regional Representative for AIA International to the Strategic Council of the AIA, Past Chairman of the Honorary Fellows jury, past President and member of the Continental Europe Chapter of the AIA, Founder and past Board member of the Middle East Chapter of the AIA, a Founder and past Board member of the International Region of the AIA, and past Chairman of the International Professional Committee Advisory Group to the AIA.
His educational activities include Adjunct Professor at University of Miami’s School of Architecture’s Graduate Real Estate Development + Urbanism, lecturer on World Hotel Design and Development, University of Rome (historical and sustainable adaptive re-use of structures and urbanism as well as Hospitality planning), Charles University, Prague (contemporary design in a historical context), Cornell University (hotel and resort development, planning and design), and the Colorado University (leisure design using existing unique land opportunities).
