Carbon Reduction & Resource Efficiency
Lake Flato is committed to the efficient and thoughtful use of our world’s resources. We design high performing buildings that use less energy, reduce the embodied carbon impacts of building materials and conserve water. The ultimate goal is for all our projects to be regenerative, going beyond doing ‘less harm,’ leaving a project and its site in a healthier, more sustainable place than we found it.
February 17, 2025Adaptive Reuse
Lake Flato advocates for adaptive reuse wherever possible. This inherently sustainable act reduces operational and embodied carbon while creating authentic spaces imbued with a sense of place and purpose. Lake Flato has repurposed over three million square feet of existing structures into mixed-use offices, multifamily housing, hotels and more. Breathing new life into old, vacant buildings reinvigorates our urban core while preserving the historic fabric of our cities. Through a collaborative process, we work with clients to leverage challenging conditions and new programs to transform existing structures in a cost-effective manner.
Adaptive Reuse Projects
Net Zero
Our goal is to achieve 100% net-zero ready energy use, water use and embodied carbon emissions by 2030 and 100% regenerative energy, regenerative water and regenerative embodied carbon emissions by 2050. We leverage passive design strategies including proper orientation, shading and natural ventilation to reduce the building’s energy, carbon and water use as strategically as possible. Subsequent energy needs are derived from renewable energy systems such as solar photovoltaics and solar thermal. Firmwide, we are committed to measuring, tracking and reporting this data through the 2030 Challenge and AIA 2030 Commitment programs.
Net Zero Projects
Embodied Carbon & Mass Timber
Embodied carbon represents the millions of tons of carbon emissions released during the lifecycle of building materials. More than half of a building’s carbon footprint is associated with its structural system. By providing life cycle assessments, we can quantify the carbon of our buildings and make informed material choices that reduce and even sequester carbon in our buildings.
One of the most effective strategies we have found for reducing embodied carbon in buildings is the structural use of wood, also known as mass timber. An efficient and regenerative material, mass timber can reduce a building’s footprint by 50% in comparison to steel or concrete. With 15 mass timber projects completed or under construction, including the first mass timber boutique hotel in North America, Lake Flato’s commitment to mass timber is a carbon-fighting strategy that also celebrates the timeless qualities of beauty, nature and craft.
Mass Timber Projects
Reducing Water Impact
In the face of increased drought, flood and population growth, exacerbated by the effects of climate change and the demands of new economies particularly in the technology sector, water scarcity is one of the most pressing environmental challenges we face. Our designs provide water analysis that is deeply integrated into the regional watershed, unique climate, landscape and ecology of each place where we work. Our projects use water wisely and manage rainfall responsibly. Our approach is to first focus on water reduction through water-saving systems. We then consider water collection opportunities through the careful design of roof slopes and rain chains to direct water to cisterns. To achieve net zero water, water reuse is then implemented to address grey- and blackwater, completing the cycle and preventing waste of precious water resources.
Their work demonstrates that beauty and sustainability are not mutually exclusive and that our future depends upon our rediscovering how we once built and what we once valued: humility and honesty, respect and restraint.Thomas Fisher
Educator and Author, University of Minnesota
