Winner of the 2004 AIA Firm of the Year Award, Lake/Flato has been designing practical buildings since 1984. These are buildings whose ingenuity and craftsmanship merge tradition with new technologies. Their work seeks a modern vernacular yet builds upon the traditions of regional architecture by adapting local materials and craft to build well-sited structures that recognize the need for comfort and a strong connection to nature.As William Turnbull wrote in his foreword for Lake/Flato s 1996 monograph, nothing sensual or exotic, no visual fireworks of fashion, just architecture that intrigues the mind, delights the soul, and refreshes the eye with its elegant detail and simplicity.