Building a Legacy
2 Austin design stars named best in U.S. by prestigious publication
In an era where it can feel like the city is being overtaken by cookie-cutter condo buildings, take comfort in knowing Austin is also home to some of the country's finest architects.
Architecture Magazine, the prestigious journal of the American Institute of Architects, has released its 2017 Architect 50, a list chronicling the best firms in the U.S. — and two local architecture firms made the cut.
Lake Flato Architects, which has offices in both Austin and San Antonio, came in at No. 32. Lake Flato is the trendsetting firm behind such landmark Austin projects as the new Central Library, Hotel San Jose, and the Harry Ransom Center. In San Antonio, the firm is responsible for the DoSeum, Briscoe Western Art Museum, and the H-E-B Science Treehouse at the Witte Museum.
Notable Lake Flato projects outside of Austin and San Antonio include El Cosmico and Thunderbird Hotel in Marfa, and the Midtown Arts and Theatre Center in Houston.
Also making the prestigious list is Page, which came in at No. 44. Employing more than 400 people, Page is perhaps best known for their large scale projects such as the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, and the AMLI residential buildings on Second Street and in the Mueller development.
It should also be noted that Gensler, which is headquartered in San Francisco but has an office in Austin, was also lauded with a No. 19 spot on the list. Locally, the firm is responsible for such projects as YETI headquarters, SXSW headquarters, and the soon-to-open Fairmont Austin.
Architecture Magazine lauded two other Texas firms as well: Kirksey Architecture in Houston came in at No. 10, while HKS Architects in Dallas came in at No. 27.