2024 AIA UK/RIBA Keynote Lecture - David Lake FAIA & Ted Flato, FAIA

The 2024 AIA UK/RIBA Keynote lecture featured San Antonio-based architects David Lake, FAIA and Ted Flato, FAIA, winners of the 2024 AIA Gold Medal. The lecture was held on the 22nd of October at the RIBA headquarters at Portland Place.

RIBA CEO Valerie Vaughn-Dick and President Muyiwa Oki opened the evening both sharing thoughts on how events such as these serve to strengthen the commitment of both RIBA and AIA’s goals on education and stewardship of the profession.  AIA UK President Taylor Rogers also welcomed the audience and moderated the subsequent Q&A. 

David and Ted began their presentation by noting the great inspiration they draw from cities like London but also commenting on the comradery and zeal of the architectural community in the city. In their humble and disarming manner the two quickly settled into the story of how their practice developed and the inspiration they drew from their own mentors and in and around Texas. They traced through early projects setting the tone for the future of the practice that is now known around the world.

The pair took the audience from the early days of their practice with projects such as the Air Barns or the Hill Country Jacal ranch to larger and more well known projects such as the AT&T Center. Of particular focus was the re-development of the Pearl Brewery Center in San Antonio, a mixed use development which repurposed and revitalized a twentysix acre parcel of underused land in a bustling hub of shops, restaurants, arts and entertainment. 

They also dwelled on some of the quieter and refined nature of their work such as Confluence Park which provides visitors an opportunity to engage with the landscape and architecture in a personal manner. With Confluence Park the concrete petals sit lightly on the land, elegantly directing rainwater into the concealed cisterns acting as an emblem for the larger San Antonio ecosystem.

David and Ted spoke in an honest and relatable manner, it was clear to those in attendance that these two care deeply about not only the built work but the impact that it has on the occupants and the impact their work has on the environment. Their kind words for each other, practice of architecture, clients and projects created a comfortable atmosphere for the audience to appreciate the simplicity and elegance of their work and approach to design.

There was a short Q&A after the presentation with the focus of a few questions on how the pair approach the idea of craft and development of detail across the wide range of projects the practice may have on at any one time. Additional questions focused on the sustainable aspects of their projects and how they’re able to successfully realize such progressive ideas or technologies with programs or budgets that don’t otherwise seem to support such aspirations.

After the lecture there was a short drinks and networking event where attendees could gather and socialize. Following this the AIA UK hosted a dinner for David, Ted, their wives and members of the AIA UK and RIBA staff who organized the event. It was a lovely evening reflecting on the great work of the practice and their willingness to share their story with our community. 

For those that were not able to attend the lecture, it can be viewed on the AIA UK website HERE.

AIA members can obtain CES credit by watching the recording at the link above and completing the associated quiz when it becomes available.

Please also see HERE for the RIBA Journal’s article about the keynote lecture.

Written by Taylor Rogers, AIA

AIA RIBA Keynote Lecture

On November 1 st the annual Keynote Lecture was given by New York-based Thomas Phifer, FAIA. The lecture was co-hosted with the RIBA and was held at the RIBA’s headquarters in Portland Place, London. 

Thomas Phifer is known for his highly refined modernist designs and he is probably best known for several courthouses he has designed in the US including Salt Lake City and Long Island. His lecture however focused on 4 museum projects – the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Glenstone Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. Using this combination of completed and in-progress projects Phifer explained his design philosophy which has a particular emphasis on light, volume, and form

AIA UK sponsor Schüco generously funded the evening. Please remember them for your next project. For more images of the evening, please visit our Facebook Page.

Lester Korzilius, FAIA RIBA

The Spirit in Architecture: John Lautner

"The Spirit in Architecture: John Lautner," a production of CZ Productions, was screened January 4th at the Royal Institute of British Architects. PLP Architecture hosted the event as an office gathering and extended the invitation to the UK Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The documentary film is rich with stunning photography of Lautner's private work, well paced interviews with his contemporary critics, and footage of the Architect recounting his experiences  as a young man and then in Los Angeles, from his arrival in 1938 until his death in 1994. Lautner idealised the verdant and unpopulated Michigan landscapes of his childhood and described bucolic years in Wisconsin and Arizona working with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin, where design and living with nature were inseparable. He spoke critically of the Los Angeles urban environment, and in his work he carefully choreographed the occupants' movements and crafted framed views to achieve a near garden of Eden. Lautner was also interested in the use of new materials and their technological potential, putting to use in some cases for achieving an uncompromising design standard at a reasonable budget. His design embodied the spirit of mid century American optimism, belief in the future and in personal satisfaction.

Honoured by the personal attendance of the director, Bette Jane Cohen, who edited the documentary, and her husband and executive-producer, Steven Zeitzew, the evening's screening included a dialogue with with audience. The occasion for the international tour, including MAD Architects in Beijing, SHL in Copenhagen, and the ESAG in Paris, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the film's original production, for which a new addendum to the film was made exploring how some of Lautner's work has endured with time. Bette Cohen has digitally remastered the film, originally shot for 16mm and VHS format.

Bette Cohen described a visit to Lautner's Garcia residence which inspired her to make the film, and a subsequent meeting to propose the idea of a documentary to Lautner himself, who remarked she was "tall enough to take on the responsibility," and agreed to fully collaborate.

The film will soon be released on dvd, and another screening in London is being planned.
 
Recently the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) made a big announcement: that Goldstein – who purchased Lautner's Sheats house in 1972 – has bequeathed his home, its contents and surrounding estate, which includes a night club and an infinity tennis court, to the museum. The historic gesture marks the first gift of architecture to the LACMA, and includes an endowment for maintenance and preservation of the historic house, gardens and contents, as well as programming.

Goldstein said that the decision to give his home to the museum was a simple one. ‘I wanted to have the house as an inspiration for architects in the future, as an inspiration for people in general in Los Angeles; to try and continue to make Los Angeles more beautiful, and to open it up to the public for many years to come, so that they can see the great work of John Lautner, and see the possibilities in contemporary architecture,’ he explained to an audience of journalists and trustees at the property.

Read more HERE

Author: Karen Cook, PLP Architecture