Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

Hafsa Burt recently gave Haute Design an insider's look at her Terra Glen project in San Jose, CA.

Haute Design: How did the Terra Glen renovation project come about?

Hafsa Burt: This multi-family asset was being repositioned and I knew one of the new owners. He expressed interest in allowing me to take a look to see what can be done to modernize the building. We got together with their marketing team to make sure goals were aligned with their vision and worked closely with them, every step of the way.

HD: What is the biggest challenge when approaching a project of this scale?

HB: Projects such as these are usually occupied, therefore design and construction need to be flexible to work around the occupants. Such assets are also dated for building code requirements and need to be carefully analyzed for upgrades relevant to current codes and regulations. And then of course, aesthetics are addressed.

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

HD: What are some of the ecologically-friendly practices utilized throughout the project?

HB: We used materials throughout that have a low carbon footprint and don't off-gas, creating a healthier indoor air quality. Fresh air, natural light and ventilation were also key factors in design. We specified bamboo cladding, which is a carbon-capturing material and has shown great resilience compared to tile and looks fantastic on the exterior.

HD: What were the main goals throughout the renovation? What needed the most improvement?

HB: As briefly mentioned before, assets like these, which have been around for decades, require significant building code upgrades to make sure the building is safe for occupants. There are complex layers that start with a detailed analysis of existing conditions while maintaining contingencies for unexpected surprises during construction when walls are demolished, etc.  After the initial analysis, a plan is laid out to address code issues and solutions are discussed with the clients while keeping in line with their vision and making the space aesthetically appealing and contemporary.

The post hb+a Architects’ Terra Glen Project Renovates and Keeps Design Contemporary appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Haute Design: What made you fall in love with design?

Hafsa Burt (hb+a Architects): I’d say the ability to imagine the impossible and be able to plan it out so it becomes real. As designers/architects, we have the ability to solve technical and conceptual problems, which is the reason why I fell in love with design. The potential of realizing a concept by taking it to paper and eventually making it a product is quite an addictive process. I have always loved walking through spaces and landscapes and imagining what they could become. It’s a bit of a theater in your head that you organize and churn out functional spaces or objects.

MarketPlace

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

Rita Chraibi (International Designers by Rita Chraibi): What made me fall in love with design was the ability as an to project myself into a space as an interior designer before it's even been realized. It is an absolutely fascinating and marvelous process which is to imagine and create what comes to me as an inspiration and to be able to express it. It's exactly the same process a painter would go through in front of their white canvas.

I fell madly in love with the design process and the power to make things imagined and inspired come true and become concrete. It is absolutely a unique discovery!

Rita Chraibi

Photo Credit: Barry Grossman

Guimar Urbina (Guimar Urbina Interiors): The connection with fashion. You don't have to like it, you have to love it. That's what I feel every time I make a design that I present to my clients. I must fall in love with the concept to be able to present or sell it. The place where you live or work must have a connection with your personality, your lifestyle, and what you want to reflect of yourself onto others. Many people think they know what they want but many make mistakes. Love is like choosing a good or bad partner. You must get the connection.

Guimar Urbina

Photo Credit: Oscar Huespe

Leslie Saul (Leslie Saul & Associates): The Dalai Lama said, "Happiness is when you lose track of time." I have always felt happiness and joy when I get involved in an art or design project. I think my love of design came in part from my mother, who was very much into design. My mother also had a perfect color memory, so that if we were out shopping, she knew how to choose something new to go with something old, and when we got home, the colors would match perfectly. Perhaps my love of design and my love for my mother are intertwined.

Photo Credit: Matt Delphinich 

The post Haute Design Experts Share what Made Them Fall in Love with Design appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

Hafsa Burt shared what happens when her ecologically-conscious design firm works on a food and beverages space.

Haute Design: How did the occasion arise for you to work on a space for wine and cheese? Have you done other projects for companies within the food industry?

Hafsa Burt: The client for this retail space is a sommelier and he wanted to open a store to pursue his lifelong passion and introduce imported wine and cheese to the local community. We have done at least a dozen bars/restaurants or coffee shops all over the bay area, including several pavilions for America’s Cup in San Francisco.

HD: As a designer, what are the main differences involved with working on an eating establishment versus a private residence, for example?

HB: In an establishment that caters to the public, we have to make sure the space is accessible to everybody and is safe for patrons to come in and circulate through. There’s a whole gamut of regulations that we need to look at and abide by so an establishment can open their doors to the public and members of the general public can safely and freely roam in a space. We also have to cater to branding and make sure that design addresses the brand’s individuality and the space becomes their signature.

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

HD: What were some of the challenges involved in this project?

HB: We had a very tight deadline for this project. It was delivered and approved in under 3 weeks. We had to get several agencies to approve the work, including the Healthy Department of course.

HD: What was your favorite aspect of this project?

HB: I love it when a client's goals and visions come true and we become a facilitator of that. I would say that is my favorite part of this project, among others.

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Photo Credit: Doug Birnbaum

Hafsa Burt recently took the time to discuss matters of well-being and health with Haute Design.

Haute Design: Being successful in any line of business takes plenty of sacrifice and even more time. In the field of design and architecture, "work hours" are not necessarily uniform or standard. How do you find ways to make time for yourself?

Hafsa Burt: It isn't easy. I certainly can't work out every day, but I try to schedule it on my calendar. I realized early on that if you're not taking care of yourself, the demands of your business and life will take a toll on your health and well-being and you may become a nuisance to be around. I worked for larger firms before starting my own business and noticed many unhealthy lifestyle patterns in my senior colleagues, which resulted in a tense work environment. I try to use holistic therapies such as sauna, cryotherapy and acupuncture as needed. I also take care of what I eat to stay in optimum health in order to meet daily demands. A three-minute cryo session or a 30-minute sauna are easy to squeeze into my schedule.

HD: The topic of self-care has become ubiquitous in the past two years, in large part due to the pandemic and its consequences. What was the biggest lesson in self-care you came away with after lockdown?

HB: One of the biggest lessons from the pandemic is that life is fragile and given the consequences of globalization and climate change, our lives can transform drastically overnight, and with that, certain industries and businesses can become obsolete, leaving a lot of families economically vulnerable. Therefore, measures for resilience and flexibility in both the personal and business world need to be at the forefront of everybody's mind. The age-old notion of filling your cup so that you can be there for others has never been more relevant. Also, in the age of information, carefully editing what enters your mind can do wonders for your well-being.

Photo Credit: Doug Birnbaum

HD: In fields like design and architecture, which require so much creativity and perspective from the designer/architect, is the work partially an extension of yourself? If so, how much do you value your rest or solitude? Do you have any practices you recommend in order to rest and recover at the end of the day?

HB: I would love to be that parson who can fall asleep on a tour bus or in an opera performance! At the end of the day, I read fiction or historical biographies. It's a great way to give my mind a break from business activities and to enter someone else's imagination. I am just as careful about what I let into my mind as I am with what I eat. I also paint and sculpt to give the left side of my brain a break, which I wish I could do more often. In the middle of the day, a 30-minute spinning session can also be a good break to allow oxygen into the bloodstream and come back more focused and refreshed. I tend to use these techniques more than caffeine.

HD: Does health and wellness go hand in hand with design consciousness and ecological practices? If so, how?

HB: Yes, of course! Everything starts with the individual. I strongly believe that our spaces can contribute to our physical and mental health. Besides products specified in a project, access to daylight and positive air flow can all contribute to our well-being. Deliberate design choices that include green belts/corridors in our developments to allow access to nature, filter the air, are conducive to walking and biking, all create healthier micro-climates. Since the outdoor/indoor environment can be very polluted, we need to be careful about what we put into our bodies to cope with external stressors in order to remain in optimum health and focus on all the great socio-environmental work.

The post How Hafsa Burt Translates Awareness In Design To Health And Wellness appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Zero Energy Commercial Office Building for Green World Hub - Rancho Cordova, CA

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

Hafsa Burt, founder of hb+a Architects, is actively involved with the American Institute of Architects and is a member of the AIA California Council’s Committee on the Environment that also looks at legislative decisions as they relate to the building environment. Hafsa recently spoke to Haute Design about the future of architecture and design and how connected it is to our environment.

Haute Design: If there has been any at all, what has the environmentally-conscious progress in design and architecture looked like over the past decade? Is it enough?

Hafsa Burt: After the oil embargo of the 1970s, California Energy Code was developed, which is updated for more stringent requirements for high performance buildings in each code cycle.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Living Building Institute made environmentally sustainable architecture a household term, and then CalGreen, which is a State Code, further laid out requirements with similar parameters so it was easy for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)- Accredited professionals to implement them in their projects. And to answer your question, no, it is not enough. In my experience, unless something is mandated, it is not followed. Reach codes are being widely adopted since 2020, and these have more stringent requirements than Title 24 in California.

HD: As an environmentally conscious designer the issues at the heart of your work are inherently political. Has this ever affected any relationships with clients?

HB: I don't think the issues are political, as much as they are being made political, because of a few spokespeople, which is terribly sad. Clients in general are concerned about the economics of a measure(s), unless their vision is aligned with reduction of emissions or decarbonization. Most people, unless they are focused on these issues, simply do not feel they are priorities. I have also seen a rise in maximalist tendencies in design, which scares me in the long term. Design heroes need to be folks who are coming up with carbon neutral solutions, and have been actively implementing them for decades.

HD: How much can new technologies available to us today, as opposed to 10 or 20 years ago, help progress design while minimizing damage caused to its surrounding ecological system?

HB: I have met some young startups who have fascinating explorations for off-shore wind farms, theoretically, we can meet all of our energy demands if this technology was funded and usefully deployed, but the bureaucratic climate isn't set up for these technologies to be launched fast enough. We have an impending goal to reduce emissions by 65% by 2030, and our current clean energy sources aren't enough to meet present or projected future demands. Solar energy for homes and businesses has been around since the 1970s and their efficiency has improved, and their cost has reduced over the years, but there are limits for its widespread use, intermittent supply and on-site storage.

HD: Considering that you are based in the West Coast, what are the most common environmental concerns or questions you get from clients?

HB: Most everything still comes down to economics. We start with educating our client. I have been working at the State level with like-minded industry peers for over 15 years to make sure legislation is taking into account measures which address emissions' reduction and decarbonization. General consumers however, need to be educated through the process. That is one of the reasons why I created Box Lab, to build carbon neutral prototypes and showcase solutions. California has always been at the forefront and can only set an example for best practices elsewhere.

HD: Are there other collaborators or designers whom you feel are doing impactful work such as yourself?

HB: I am currently working on a zero-energy commercial project in Rancho Cordova with Green World Hub, a general construction team. The project will produce all of its own energy with battery backup so the business remains resilient when power fails.

The post Hafsa Burt Is Ready To Design The Future appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The Haute Design Network by Haute Residence brought together four designers from across the country to sit down and discuss the collaborative effort that goes into to each and every design project.

"It Takes a Village" webinar was hosted by Haute Living Media Group Senior VP, April Donelson and included the following designers: Julia Wong of Julia Wong Designs, Michele Salazar of Cozy Salazar Interiors, Hafsa Burt of hb+a Architects and Michael Miller of Centaur Interiors. Principals and Designers may get all the limelight, but they will also be the first to admit that there is a massive team behind them throughout every step of a design project. Haute Design Experts revealed just how collaborative of a process this truly is.

Here are some of the highlights of the conversation:

April Donelson: Before becoming a designer, did you enjoy working in teams or group projects?

Hafsa Burt: I would say it's just part of the culture, to work in teams. But in college, we would have to work in teams for projects. In most cases, I would lead those design teams. I was able to inspire those design teams. I did not lead by force but certainly by inspiration. So, over time, you just learnt that you have to work in teams. Anybody who is a professional in this environment just knows you cannot exist merely on your single discipline or single focus. And, of course, the more you work in teams, the larger the project becomes and the more production happens and collaboration leads to successful outcomes.

AD: If ____ were not by your side, you would not be able to finish the project. Fill in the blank.

Michael Miller: I have a site superintendent that has been working for me since about 1999. So, we've got about 22 years if history, his name is Pepe. We have pretty much worked on everything together so he's probably done close to 100 projects of ours.  At this point, we're on the same wavelength where we need minimum conversation to understand each other. I can tell just by his face and he knows what to do and he's got it.

He's a working superintendent so he's like a master craftsman but he can do everything: finished carpentry, drywall, painting, taping, electrical work, plumbing work, you name it.

And just to note, I have some clients who we have worked with for a long time, some of which we have done maybe three times for, and we all know that we can even leave Pepe with our kids if we have to go to a meeting or something last minute. So, it's good that the clients have trust in my team where they almost treat us like family.

AD: While collaboration within the execution of a project is critical, do you ever prefer to work in solitude while conceiving a layout design or do you prefer to collaborate then as well?

Julia Wong: I tend to start the design process by myself. I tend to go away to the design center or to my own office and being to put the story together so that when I do meet withy my team, I have a good direction on where we're going. Because there are so many components to the design, that there is not a lot of time to spend on the creative side. We would love if that were the case. People think we just sit in our office and design and go and pick out colors and things like that. The reality is, we have a lot less design time that people imagine.

So, I definitely need to sit by myself first to get my thoughts together, so that when I do present to my team or the client, I have a good sense of where we're going. Once we get the ball rolling, I enjoy the teamwork aspect a lot more.

AD: Who would you say are the unsung heroes in the design industry as a whole, who deserve more recognition?

Michele Salazar: Any one working in production right now, despite who frustrated we may become with that realm of design, they're really getting the thick of it.

When people get fed up or become impatient, they get really upset because this is a very personal business. There are multiple businesses around the world but when it comes to your home, at least for those of us who do residential, it's very personal. So, I think that those who are on the other end of things and dealing with impatient people are the unsung heroes, because for us, the designers, we can relay that unfortunately certain things are out of our control. But at the end of the day somebody is deemed responsible and they do have to answer to these complaints and they are having a tough time right now.

Watch the entire conversation below:

The post Watch: Haute Design Experts Reveal That It Truly Takes A Village appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Hafsa Burt has been running her own studio, hb+a Architects since 2006. Her portfolio includes work at the San Francisco Airport, institutional buildings, multifamily buildings, hospitality, retail, medical office buildings, and custom single-family homes.

Hafsa recently took the time to speak with Haute Design regarding an affordable housing proposal her firm submitted for Melbourne, Australia.

Haute Design: Do you typically engage in projects overseas?

Hafsa Burt: We typically do seek work overseas and frequently respond to design challenges that tackle a unique set of problems and address larger social or environmental issues.

HD: How would affordable housing benefit the surrounding community? Is affordable housing a major issue in Melbourne?

HB: Melbourne, just like any growing metropolis, will need 1.6 million new homes to be constructed over the next couple of decades. This proposal was created for a design challenge where the task was to address the housing problems by creating affordable solutions. Solutions were meant to be varied enough to accommodate a diverse set of users from individuals to families.

HD: You mentioned this project included cutting-edge technologies. Could you tell us a little bit about what that entails?

HB: We stacked up shipping containers in a grid-like pattern, vertically and horizontally, and arranged them individually for smaller size units, and for the larger units, we combined configurations with two more containers. The grid is formed by structural members in a matrix-like pattern, with the containers sliding into the slots.

HD: You are known for creating environmentally sustainable buildings and spaces. How will this proposal for the affordable housing project follow suit?

HB: We take pride in thinking outside the box, so there is no one single formula for a problem, but rather a mindset rooted in experimentation. The overarching concept for this proposal is creating multi-family blocks which rely on renewable energy sources and therefore are clean in their operations. Energy usage is further monitored by onsite applications.

HD: What is the timeline regarding the next steps?

HB: The next steps are to further develop the solutions and to create configurations that aren't cuboid in nature. This way, the buildings can be constructed on infill sites no matter how small the area and further allow the building elevations to harness solar energy.

To learn more about Hafsa Burt or to contact hb+a Architects, CLICK HERE.

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While many may think of the design life as a glamorous career path, we know that a lot of sacrifice, time, dedication and talent has to go into it if you want to be successful. Several Haute Design experts took the time to reveal what it is about their job that has them waking up with a smile on their faces every day.

Haute Design: What is the best part about being an Interior Designer?

Kelly Dunn, designer & founder of FATHOM Design Company: The best part about being an interior designer (besides shopping for a living!) is specifically the hunt for unique finds. I love searching for that perfect statement piece and collaborating with other craftsmen/women to create something special. Working with other creatives that love their skill is a privilege and an honor. We push each other to think more outside the box and the result is always stunning. For this bedroom design, I worked with talented glass blowers, lighting technicians and woodworkers to create one of a kind pieces that when blended together, tell an eclectic story.

FATHOM Design Company

To learn more about FATHOM Design and Kelly Dunn's work, CLICK HERE.

Luciana Fragali, CEO & Owner of Design Solutions Miami: I love that I get to solve my clients' problems in such a beautiful way. Each day brings a set of new and exciting challenges. I love that, in this industry, you get to interact with so many different people and teams. From clients, to artisans, to brand representatives, to electricians (who are magicians, by the way), to architects and builders. It is so collaborative and inspiring! Together we make the impossible, possible. We take the well-executed dreams and the crazy structural ideas and poof! We successfully design and deliver projects that are treasured forever.

This career has taught me tough lessons, shown me my full potential and allowed me to have a flexible schedule with my family. I have dozens and dozens of homes that are living proof of ideas I created and nurtured in my head for so long, and many happy clients who get to live their best lives in those spaces.

Design Solutions Miami

CLICK HERE to learn more about Luciana Fragali and Design Solutions Miami.

Hafsa Burt, Studio Head at hb+a Architects: The best part about being an architect is that we’re given tool sets of a problem solver/an inventor that we utilize on a daily basis to imagine new functional solutions and create objects and spaces. I am also able to see a space in my head and get a sense of what works and what doesn’t and I attribute that to my training  and experience as an architect.  Spaces can tell a story and evoke emotions and I love having such an abstract medium of expression at my disposal.

hb+a Architects

Photo Credit: Doug Birnbaum

If you wish to learn more about hb+a Architects and Hafsa Burt's work, CLICK HERE.

Chasity Centeno, Founder and Designer at Riese Design: The best part about being an interior designer is creating spaces for clients to enjoy for years to come as well as building great relationships throughout the process. Not only do we address the client's pain points, we also deliver a product that is both functional and beautiful. As a result, at the end of the project you have someone you can call a friend. Personal relationships are key and each client should be treated in a way that makes them feel as though you, yourself are investing in them. At Riese Design, our clients are part of a family!

Riese Design

To learn more about Riese Design, CLICK HERE.

The post Haute Design Experts Reveal Their Favorite Part About Being Interior Designers appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Editor’s Note: Haute Designer Hafsa Burt has been practicing architecture for 22 years. She has an undergraduate degree and a professional Master of Architecture from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). Burt has been running her own studio, hb+a Architects since 2006. Her portfolio includes work at the San Francisco Airport, institutional buildings, multifamily buildings, hospitality, retail, medical office buildings, and custom single-family homes.

She also founded a development arm for the firm called Box Lab which is focused on active research and development in product and space design and zero energy/zero carbon buildings. A passionate environmentalist, Burt adopted the 2030 challenge a decade ago and is a huge proponent of high-performance buildings. Her focus includes eliminating toxins with indoor air quality as a specialty. She actively speaks on the topic of indoor air quality as it relates to the practice of architecture and is an industry expert on “Healthy Building Practices”.

Here, she talked with Haute Design about her architecture firm, favorite design projects, and her sustainability and environmental goals for the future. 

11 luxury townhomes at Stonebrae golf community

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

How did you get started in design?

I come from a family who, despite having advanced degrees in science, were creative and have relatives who are also engineers. Growing up, conversations were about creativity, problem-solving, and theories, and so it was a very creative and intellectual household. There was a lot of importance given to academics. I was particularly interested in physics, and in high school, I also got interested in the arts, specifically sculpture. Architecture just seemed like a natural fit, given those interests and my background growing up.

Tell us a little bit more about hb+a Architects as well as Box Lab.

I worked for larger companies before I started the design studio. It was a natural next chapter once I got my license. Most of my colleagues that were starting their studios were doing smaller jobs, but right from the beginning I started collaborating on institutional projects with other architects. So that led to projects such as working on the San Francisco Airport, and other institutional work, that really helped the business develop.

The idea for Box Lab came because I've always been interested in real estate development. Sometimes your ideas get kind of squished when you're working for clients, because it's their vision, and it's your job to make their vision become a reality. With Box Lab, I can put my own visions out there specifically as they relate to environmental sustainability. Zero carbon or carbon neutrality has been a focus of mine for 20 plus years, and most projects just address what's needed by local mandates. I thought there was a need to develop actual zero carbon prototypes. It took a while, but it came about in 2019, and since then, we've done a few projects.

Mei Apartments in San Leandro, CA

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

What have been some of your favorite design projects that you've worked on so far?

I would say different projects have different favorite moments. For instance, in the single-family residence for Box Lab, we set out pretty ambitious goals for carbon neutrality and zero energy, and also construction efficiency. These goals were met very successfully. 

I also did a retail store for a client way early on when I had just started the studio, and their budget was extremely strapped, but the owner had this unique personality and I wanted to give it a unique flavor without burning her budget. It was a good exercise in terms of finding materials and objects and turning them into fixtures for her retail store to give it its own individual character. 

What would you say are some of the biggest accomplishments that your firm has accomplished so far?

I think it's a work in progress. I do like the fact that for just starting the studio in 2006, we were able to scale to much larger projects. That's a big one. We also are focused on carbon neutrality and zero energy, and we've kind of pioneered that. We also started the discussion of healthy buildings and indoor air roughly a decade before the pandemic. These are some of the things that I would say I'm proud of because we were ahead of the time. Everybody's talking about climate initiatives right now because it's so crucial for the industry, but for 20 plus years that's been our focus, we're not just trend-driven. It's a larger philosophy in terms of how buildings are built. I am proud of having done thoughtful work embedded in environmental and social awareness throughout my career instead of being trend-driven.

21 unit mixed-use project in Oakland, CA

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

What do you see for the future of your company and the industry in general?

Based on what the scientists are telling us, we have to reduce the greenhouse gases all over the world by 65% in the next nine years, and that's a pretty strong deadline. I'm hoping that that's where the industry would move. There is a bigger sense of urgency than, say, 20 years ago when we were talking about it. Some people may be caught by surprise in 2030 when it's too late, but ideally, that's where the industry is moving. 

As for us, we're just going to continue on the innovation path, and keep experimenting and keep looking at how we can innovate products, furniture, fixtures, or equipment and systems for energy efficiency and carbon neutrality so a building has minimal impact on the planet and its people. Social equity is going to be very important. For instance, in a multi-family project, conversations will be about inclusivity. There's a lot at play and I think we will see it more and more in the industry.

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Editor's Note: Hafsa Burt has been practicing architecture for 21 years. Burt has been running her own studio, hb+a Architects since 2009. She also founded a development arm for the firm called Box Lab which is focused on active research and development in product and space design and zero energy/zero carbon buildings. An environmentalist, Burt adopted the 2030 challenge a decade ago and is a huge proponent of high-performance buildings. Her focus includes eliminating toxins with indoor air quality as a specialty. She actively speaks on the topic of indoor air quality as it relates to the practice of architecture and is an industry expert on “Healthy Building Practices”.

Today she is sharing her design process on her project Box Factory.

Photo Credit: Branded Content Media, Doug Birnbaum

The project is a prefabricated, zero energy/zero carbon single-family residence of 1750 sq. ft. The intent was to explore construction efficiencies and produce a project resilient to climate emergencies. I, as the architect, set ambitious goals upfront to achieve a truly off-grid project that relies only on renewable energy for all its functions. The project is a zero energy, zero carbon home with R-50 insulation to further conserve energy. Ahead of electrification mandates in California, the project proves to be a successful, working example of electrification not dependent on fossil fuels.

Photo Credit: Branded Content Media, Doug Birnbaum

The interior explores minimalist architectural form to inspire through light and color, its relationship to the land, and sweeping views. The design focus is on space and resource preservation that grasps a visitor as soon as they enter the home.

Photo Credit: Branded Content Media, Doug Birnbaum

The site’s ecosystem is also preserved and most of the 9 acres remain pervious and welcome to wildlife. The topography was used to the fullest for drainage, views, and orientation. An existing creek on the site has also been left untouched. The project has a patent pending for its unique custom features and has been customized to the site’s unique characteristics for optimum sustainability. An important goal of the project was to make use of prefabricated efficiencies to significantly reduce construction time and waste. The project beat all its goals. Prefabricated elements have been greatly customized for beauty, efficiency, and sustainability.

Photo Credit: Branded Content Media, Doug Birnbaum

hb+a Architects’ motto is “Zero (energy/carbon) is everything” and for the past 20 years, explorations into environmental sustainability, Indoor Air quality, and the health of the planet and its people have been the firm’s prime focus. With sweeping views, the project serves as a retreat for industry peers and climate activists.

The post Haute Designer Hafsa Burt On Her Zero Energy/Zero Carbon Project – Box Factory appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.