The Dogrun
a place to share ideas
There is no way to prepare for South By Southwest. Each year the world famous music, film and interactive festival utterly transforms the city of Austin. For two weeks, the city is truly the cultural epicenter of the (western) world. Being so close, many a Lake Flatonian endured the traffic on I-35 to migrate North in the hope of perhaps catching a glimpse of the next breakthrough act, or at least enjoying some free tacos. The atmosphere on 6 th street was comparable to a political revolution or black Friday in Walmart, not that I have experienced either. The music blared from every possible...
In 2010 Lake | Flato completed work on the renovation of the Visual Arts Center at the University of Texas. Since its opening the new facility has been getting a lot of use from its clever inhabitants who are continually exploring their building's capacity for exhibiting and generating art, both in ways it was designed for and also in ways that the design team never could have predicted. A recent use of the building's architecture for artistic purposes came when Travis Weller of Austin's New Music Co-op was commissioned to compose and perform a piece of experimental music using the Visual...
This weekend retreat for a San Antonio family is located in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. With 2850 sf conditioned and 1150 sf unconditioned porches/outdoor areas, the house maintains a low profile from the street while opening up to the vistas of Lake LBJ. A central entry hall and staircase bisect public zones from private and allow direct access down through the house to the lake. While the conditioned portions of the house are humbly grounded to the sloping terrain, porch elements are cantilevered for a lighter, floating treehouse effect. Primary components of construction include structural...
A commentary by a former Lake Flatonian and a response by a native San Antonioan in the Rivard Report made me think of my own feelings towards my adopted city of San Antonio. As a newcomer to the city, I have my "challenges' with the lack of density, the suburban sprawl, big truck culture, food/grocery options and a certain levels of convenience I was accustomed to in Portland. However, on the flip side, this city has (at least) three advantages: 1. Amaziing life! It has a vibrancy, creativity and "folksy" friendliness that is so much at the core of this place. From the store clerks to the...
Natural ventilation is a great strategy for thermal comfort and saving energy in a lot of the climates we work in. We have compiled some tips for how to design for optimum natural ventilation.
The Project: Cross Timbers Ranch Location : Lipan, Texas Project Team: Bill Aylor , Ted Flato , Nate Campbell, Ryan Jones, Trey Rabke ANSWERS BY BILL AYLOR Job Origin: From reputation - books and magazines. Completion Date: 2007 Program: Retreat for both family and corporate gatherings for a great client. LF Scope: Full Services - Concept, Construction Documents and Construction Administration The Crux of the Design: Create a compound of structures that function well individually and as a whole. Favorite Detail: The shot put counterweights on the wine cellar door. Design Team Challenge: The...
For those of you that missed their presentations at PechaKucha San Antonio back in November, Jennifer Young presented her exquisite jewelry designs and Jonathan Smith teamed up with Express News reporter Colin McDonald to relive their 150-mile trek through the Chihuahuan Desert. Watch below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YkHZOnljEU0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjXLl4DL8Eo&feature=player_embedded Watch other PechaKucha San Antonio videos here .
Pretty fun feature in the March issue of Texas Monthly on David Lake and Ted Flato's personal office space. Could you pack anything more on this desk!!? If you dont' want to squint, read the transcript here .
The Urban Ecology Center is a visitor center and event facility for Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio. In collaboration with landscape architects Stephen Stimson & Associates and Rialto Studio, the buildings' architecture and its surrounding landscape perform in concert to teach strategies for sustainable water usage and collection as well as demonstrate alternatives to surface water drainage. This strategy includes collecting rain water from roof areas for plant irrigation, harvesting air conditioning condensate, and allowing surface water runoff to filter into the ground. The program...
This past Saturday, I attended the annual TEDxAustin 2012 conference, and while I was initially put off by the application process (it's pretty rare in my book to curate an audience), I was BLOWN AWAY by the bold ideas and positive energy that surrounded me. TED is the exclusive organization that celebrates "Ideas Worth Spreading", whose viral videos understandably set my expectations high for this regional event. Adding to the mystery, TEDxAustin chooses not to reveal its speakers until the day of, so I literally had no idea what to expect. Since I filled out the application and moved on, I...
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