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A peculiar but welcome phenomenon exists at Lake|Flato: We are home to the highest concentration of architectural interns named "Josh" in the City of San Antonio. I sat down with Josh Nieves, Josh Leger, and Josh Lamden (also known around here as J1, J2, and J3, respectively) to talk about their experiences as interns at Lake|Flato. Read on to find out what other similarities (and differences) exist between this trio. What is your full name, your hometown, and how many years have you been at Lake|Flato? Josh Nieves : Hopewell Junction, NY; a little over 2 years. Josh Lamden : Mill Valley, CA...
What does a year at Lake|Flato do to you? Many, many things. What inspired you to intern at Lake|Flato? I did a couple case studies while I was in school on Lake|Flato projects, Government Canyon Nature Center and Livestrong Foundation. Both projects beautiful in their own setting. I was struck by the simplicity and restraint in the projects, as well as the intuitive sustainable design. It influenced much of my design values. So I decided to apply after graduating and make the journey from Phoenix to San Antonio. What market sectors / studios did you work in during your internship? I worked...
Interning at Lake|Flato has been fantastic and went by all too quickly. For those who are curious about the LF intern life, I thought I would reflect on the experience. What inspired you to intern at Lake|Flato? Before I knew I wanted to pursue architecture, I had been going with my family for years to the Dallas Arboretum. Though at the time I could not really understand why, I remember how passing under that vine trellis at the entry felt like entering a new kind of world. When I began studying architecture, I learned about Lake|Flato and really loved the work and what seemed like a...
Wednesday evening, August 5th, Lake Flato held a showing of William Whyte's "The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces," a somewhat quirky documentary that observes people and their interactions in urban spaces, primarily in New York City. It attempts to quantify what makes urban space habitable. Although the video and accompanying research are from 1980, the lessons learned are still relevant to design discourse. What better way to end a day of work than grabbing a bowl of popcorn, a good beer, and catching a great flick. We're currently scheduling our next L|F Theater showing. Stay tuned...
Clay Cottingham, a former intern at our office, recently returned to LF as a full-time LFer! In case you have forgotten, Clay is from Panama City, Florida. He left LF to finish completing coursework for a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University. Rivercamps at Crooked Creek is his favorite LF project, with Air Barn s as a close second. Clay is currently working on the Alabama Gulf State Park Lodge project in the office, when he is not fishing, camping, hunting, or golfing in his spare time. If you ask him what he missed most about San Antonio while he was gone, Clay will...
One of the things I have always appreciated about the work of Lake|Flato is their deep respect for vernacular buildings. Sure there are plenty of lessons offered by the monuments of great architecture from around the world, but there is also lots to learn form the more modest buildings in our own backyard of Texas. Of course, not all Texas buildings are humble. County courthouses, for example, were designed as architectural celebrations of their communities. The values expressed by these buildings align closely with those of Lake|Flato - they use a palette of regional materials to create...
A few weeks ago Sarah and I decided to visit the Northwest to meet up with some graduated Lake|Flato’ers and explore the landscapes and architecture of Seattle and Portland. Along the way a few buildings joined the highly coveted Lick List! First stop was Seattle where we met up with Sierra who is now working at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and getting ready to release their latest houses book! We got a tour around the office and got to see some beautiful models, drawings and amazing views from their studio space of the city and waters below. Ballard Public Library The Ballard Public Library by...
Sunday, May 31st, the historically appreciative "Nerd Train" took an impromptu trip south down the river. LFer's Ben Hartigan, Ty Reece and myself eventually biked all the way down Mission Reach, stopping at Mission San Juan and finally Mission Espada. The weather had cooled and droves of people were all along the river enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Mission San Juan is the 4th mission along the river (starting from the Alamo and going south) and was founded in the early 1700's. It is smaller in scale than Mission San Jose (visited by the Nerd Train last summer http://www.lakeflatodogrun...
As an architect, I have an appreciation for the role that climate, culture, and landscape play in the making of cities, and, through this lens, I enjoy discovering what makes places special. David Heymann , an architect and professor at the University of Texas, in his short but well written My Beautiful City Austin , leverages this unique architectural perspective to deliver a nice portrait of the city. In his contemporary fictional narrative, told through the eyes of a thoughtful young residential architect who is trying desperately to “do the right thing” in the rapidly sprawling and...
While Supermétal may sound like an arena rock band they are actually a Quebec based specialty structural steel contractor working on the Austin Central Library. Earlier this month I took a trip to visit Supermétal’s Rock Hill South Carolina Plant to review one of the steel bridges for the library being constructed in the shop. I enjoy seeing how items we design are expertly crafted, and Supermétal’s shop did not disappoint. Steel destined for the Austin Central Library. The nearly complete 40 foot long architecturally exposed structural steel bridge. In a few short months it will be craned...
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