What’s Happening: One of the highest honors bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) goes to the climate-conscious Texas firm whose vision interweaves responsible design with the wisdom of vernacular approaches to create spaces with minimal burden on the planet.

The Download: Texas—a car-centric state grappling with unprecedented growth and the deleterious effects of climate change—may seem like an unlikely place for an architecture firm focused on championing sustainability to thrive, but Lake|Flato Architects continues to defy the odds. Since David Lake and Ted Flato founded their award-winning firm in San Antonio four decades ago, the duo has distinguished themselves not only as gifted architects upholding the rich legacy of Texas modernism, but as steadfast advocates of responsible design who refuse to shy away from the environmental and sociopolitical issues inextricably linked with the practice. The firm is best known for its dreamy ranch houses, but its earth-friendly approach also extends to schools, parks, and breweries that put community and accessibility first.

That may explain why Lake|Flato has received the AIA’s coveted Gold Medal. The association’s most prestigious accolade recognizes those whose “body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.” While the firm checks that box, the jurors cited the Dixon Water Foundation’s Josey Pavilion—Texas’s first Living Building Challenge–certified project—and Mississippi’s Marine Education Center, built on a site ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, as examples of the firm’s positive impact echoing in Texas and beyond. Besides repurposing three million square feet of existing space into housing, hotels, and offices, the firm has also preserved public access to 50,000 acres of land in Texas and restored 35,000 acres of ecological habitat across the East Coast.

The way Lake|Flato interweaves nature, beauty, and resilience throughout its portfolio has earned more than 300 awards, but the founders are most pleased with their 15 nods from the AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Award, which recognizes sustainable design excellence. That’s the most in the industry—a record befitting a certified B Corp headquartered in the same building where Lake and Flato founded the office in 1984. “Design in all its facets should be woven into our daily lives,” the pair said. “We all must seek to build healthy communities and welcoming places intrinsically rooted and responsive to local culture, climate, and context with a vision for respecting diverse perspectives. We’ve always believed that architecture can make us more connected to nature.”

In Their Own Words: “David Lake and Ted Flato have done more to change the outcome of the human story through their inclusive design process than any other architect or practice,” wrote Bob Berkebile, FAIA, in a letter nominating the duo. “Across the country, their buildings are wonderful, but ultimately it’s their ability to craft sustainable, high-performance buildings and inclusive places welcoming for both the public and our fellow design professionals that’s their true legacy, a legacy deserving of the Gold Medal.”

Surface Says: Pritzker jury, take note.

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In Tuscany’s medieval village of Radda, on a sinewy wine-country road known as Chiantigiana connecting Florence and Siena, a 12th-century complex that once welcomed the Bishops of Siena during Italian summers has been lovingly restored into the 22-key Pieve Aldina. French hotel group Domaine de Fontenille turned to Florence’s Pierattelli Architetture to breathe new life into the property, including the church Pieve di Santa Maria Novella, known to be one of the region’s most important examples of Romanesque architecture.

Part of the Relais & Châteaux collection, the pace slows down at Pieve Aldina, from leisurely lunches spent sipping on Vermentino to the pool ensconced in olive groves and cypress-lined paths to candle-lit farmhouse dinners at Le Rondini. There, Italian chef Flavio Faed turns out authentic preparations of hand-rolled gnocchi and Florentine beef.

The design partnership between Alex Holloway and Na Li was perhaps born from being in the right place at the right time. The London-based duo met while studying at the Bartlett School of Architecture, first worked together at Michaelis Boyd, and started individual firms that frequently collaborated before deciding to join forces. Now several years into their practice, the enterprising duo has hit their stride with memorable projects worldwide—from sensorial residences to playful faucet showrooms—that seem to forge their own universe thanks to their inventive use of materials and inquisitive spirit.

Château La Coste has seen many notable artists pass through its storied grounds—Jennifer Guidi and Tia-Thuy Nguyen among them—but no artist has staged a full takeover of the Provençal gem’s 500-acre estate. That changes in March, when Damien Hirst will stage a landmark show across the property’s five pavilions, masterfully designed by the likes of Oscar Niemeyer and Richard Rogers.

“The Light That Shines” will span never-before-seen pieces to career highlights like the formaldehyde work The Ascension and The Empress Paintings, which use red and black butterfly wings arranged into kaleidoscopic patterns. “Amid laughs and giggles, chats and cups of tea, great ideas evolved as they do when Damien is his playful self,” says Paddy McKillen, who founded Château La Coste in 2011. “He has planned out the show to perfection.”

During Miami Art Week, the San Francisco–based designer teamed up with local design agency Studio Santos on the Art House. Hosted at a private residence on Miami’s Venetian islands, Frey launched her new Brick collection with a cocktail party and installation of resin works from the past decade. The evening also featured live illustrations by graphic designer and artist C.K. Reed, a shoppable fashion popup by Le Closet, and cocktails by Tepozán tequila.

When was it? Dec. 6

Where was it? Private Residence, Miami

Who was there? Greg Santos, Timo Weiland, Alex Wall, Brett Fraser, Calista Olson, Carolyn Håkansson, and more.

When: Until Feb. 11

Where: Blunk Space, Port Reyes Station, CA

What: Perched in the hills between Northern California’s scenic Point Reyes national seashore and the nearby Tomales Bay, Blunk Space and the JB Blunk Estate host exhibitions in honor of the late wood and clay sculptor. The latest, curated by his daughter Mariah Neilson, continues the legacy of Blunk’s 1981 show “100 Plates Plus.” This one, by contrast, will show as many fastenings of the metal, wood, and multimedia variety by the likes of Commune, Erica Toogood, and Minjae Kim.

Studio Plow is a San Francisco–based architecture and design studio known for an aesthetic that’s restrained, yet warm and soulful. Each project is seen as a new opportunity for discovery, resulting in completely bespoke design. Working in collaboration with clients, the studio crafts a narrative that uncovers the soul of each space, mapping its full potential.

Surface Says: Studio Plow excels at creating expressive interiors with a strong sense of place. The soul of each space shines through every commission and is contextualized by Plow’s dedication to creating interiors that balance contemporary design and warmth.

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