Known as the dean of Texas architecture, Frank Welch was a prolific and imminently talented architect who spent a half century designing schools, churches, commercial buildings, and homes in Dallas, Midland, and Odessa.
Welch died last June at the age of 90 and the Dallas Architecture Forum has established the Frank Welch Memorial Lecture to be presented each season as a part of its lecture series. The inaugural lecture will be given Jan. 30 by Ted Flato, FAIA, Co-Founder of Lake Flato Architects, one of the most honored and respected architecture firms in the country.
“The architectural philosophy and outstanding award-winning work of Ted Flato make him the perfect choice to present the [lecture],” said Forum Executive Director Nate Eudaly. “Like Frank Welch, Ted Flato designs projects that are shaped by the opportunities and challenges presented by their environments, and he seeks to create a seamless connection between interior spaces and the surrounding outdoors.”
Corpus Christi native Flato received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Stanford University. With David Lake, he co-founded the Lake Flato firm in 1984 and Flato has earned a reputation for straight-forward, regional designs that leverage each unique site to connect people to the natural environment.
Flato is also known for employing sustainable strategies in a wide variety of building types and scales, seeking to conserve energy and natural resources while creating a healthy built environment. Additionally, he developed Lake Flato Porch House, a system of modules and connecting porch elements that link to the outdoors and simplify the design and construction process in a way that is less wasteful.
Inaugural Frank Welch Memorial Lecture
Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018
Horchow Auditorium, Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St.
Reception and check-in from 6:15 to 6:55 p.m. and lecture at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for a DMA member, $5 for students (with ID), and free for DAF members. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance here.
