Innovative Delivery
Committed to providing the best project outcomes that benefit the health of building users, Lake Flato continually seeks out the most natural, durable, and efficient options for building assemblies, structures and finishes. Since 2008, with the development of Porch House modules, Lake Flato has worked extensively to develop a library of pre-designed modules to develop housing solutions for a broader audience of communities.
February 18, 2025
Pre-Designed Homes
Our Porch House concept was developed as a more streamlined alternative to our custom home practice and leverages a library of pre-designed modules to reach a broader audience through scalable options. These modules are selected and then arranged on site to take advantage of views, breezes, solar orientation, and outdoor spaces. The custom site-built “porch elements,” such as breezeways, porches, overhangs, and carports, are the connective tissue holding the rooms together while allowing the overall design to adapt to the unique characteristics of the site, the weather, and the client’s program.
Porch House Projects
Off-Site Construction
Off-site construction offers more than just reduced waste—it also delivers superior building envelopes, faster enclosure timelines, and enhanced quality thanks to the precision of a controlled manufacturing environment. By shifting key construction phases off-site, projects benefit from reduced weather-related delays and improved on-site efficiency. For projects requiring accelerated schedules, collaborating with one of our trusted prefab partners can further streamline delivery through the use of factory-built, panelized components. This approach not only shortens construction timelines but also helps ensure greater consistency and craftsmanship at every stage.
Material Innovation
The performative qualities of a building’s materials are as significant as its aesthetic impact. Lake Flato is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to advance building and human performance. By studying traditional materials (like timber and rammed earth) and applying these techniques modern ways through biomimetic principles, advanced parametric modeling, and new digital fabrication strategies, Lake Flato explores how form, building performance, and fabrication can be integrated into designs that elegantly respond to sites and programs.
Inventing Architecture: The 3D-Printed House Zero
A collaboration between ICON and Lake Flato, House Zero showcases the performance capabilities of 3D printing. Named to TIME’s Best Innovations of 2022, the design of House Zero pushes the boundaries of traditional home building methods – revealing innovative ways to provide shelter in the waste-prone home building industry. Built for permanence and resilience, the house’s flexible plan and climate-responsive design supports ever-evolving patterns of living and aging-in-place that a family experiences over the course of a lifetime.