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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The planned 741-foot Premiere Tower in Melbourne, Australia's second most populated city.

Yes, Beyoncé is still with us (well in her prime), yet her body and spirit will forever inhabit Australian firm Elenberg Fraser’s planned 741-foot undulating building inspired by the superstar’s fantastic figure, magically mimicking her famous curves. The recently approved shape-scraper pays homage to Beyoncé’s 2013 video Ghost, where billowing fabrics cling to the curvaceous bodies of the singer and backup dancers. Ghost hails from the pop star’s self-titled fifth studio album and the video was helmed by Belgian director Pierre Debusschere.

Premiere Tower's contours mimic the curves of Beyoncé's famous figure.

The Premiere Tower was inspired by the video for Beyoncé's 2013 song, Ghost.

We expected Beyoncé to be honored in bronze one day but in 68 stories of glass, steel and concrete? Even if you're Drunk in Love, Crazy in Love or Dangerously in Love 2, it was impossible to see that surprise coming. Perhaps Beyoncé is even more influential than we realized. What’s next: Beyoncé Airlines? We can see the 747’s luscious locks of hair blowing in the wind already.

The mixed-used facility features a lounge, spa, pool and plenty of other amenities for all the Single Ladies.

The undulating tower is 741 feet tall.

The recently approved luxurious structure (which will be one of Melbourne’s tallest) will stand high above the city’s central business district, featuring 660 apartments and a 160-room hotel over ground-level retail. There’s even a pool, spa and lounge area for all the Single Ladies (“all the single ladies”). The structurally sound building’s façade swells and curves in all the right places (simulating sinuous hips and waistline) aided by a parametric design process which created the unique and sexy form.

Modern lobby

A sky lounge offers panoramic views of downtown Melbourne.

Indoor pool

As with New York City's new shadow-casting megatowers, Melbourne planners raised concerns about the Beyoncé tower being excessive or intrusive to nearby Batman Park. But the power of Beyoncé usually wins out. What else would we expect from the singer of Get Me Bodied? Mission accomplished, Melbourne.

Interiors are as luxurious and attractive as the outer curved glass façade.

An outdoor terrace with green elements.

Premiere Tower will feature apartments, a hotel and retail.

Financed by Singapore real estate tycoon Koh Wee Meng’s Fragrance Group, the $260 million Premiere Tower will be the main act of the precinct’s redevelopment plan. The city plans a more self-sustaining urban design development that seamlessly blends with the precinct’s current heritage buildings. Premiere Tower will replace the Savoy Tavern (recently resuscitated in 2014 after nearly 20 years of neglect), which will be demolished in favor of Beyoncé—despite the fact that the singer has no involvement in the skyscraper plan. But she could likely get a free room if she tours Melbourne.

Premiere Tower overlooks downtown and Batman Park.

Premiere Tower will be a main attraction in Melbourne's planned downtown redevelopment.

With its familiar hips don’t lie figure (sorry Shakira), this shape-scraper appears a natural extension of Chinese firm MAD’s Absolute Towers, two twisted, hourglass-shaped skyscrapers in Mississauga, Canada, which locals nicknamed the “Marilyn Monroe towers.” Get ready Italy, Chicago and Mexico—Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Salma Hayek skyscrapers must be on the horizon (perhaps literally). These hipster skyscrapers are trending as monumental tributes to famous “bombshells” who will be forever immortalized beyond the stage and screen toward the heavens into sexy architecture.

Beyoncé

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Eureka Tower

Now on the market for $22 million AUD (around $20.7 million USD), the diamond-shaped luxury pad boasts 360-degree views of the city skyline, ocean, and mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The crown jewel—which touts five bedrooms, five baths, three powder rooms, an executive office, and a home theater—is accessible via a private elevator lobby that houses four lifts in total, and opens to a gleaming white walkway. Equipped with a full smart system that controls the home's security, climate, and lighting, E82 also comes with five EcoSmart fireplaces; an INOA wine cellar by EuroCave with enough room for 1,300 bottles; a kitchen with a butler's pantry and Zip HydroTaps, which provides sparkling water on tap; and a second kitchen for the staff.

Originally bought by the Jreissati family as a private dwelling, the penthouse was designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, alongside interior design architects Molecule Studio and Fitt de Felice. After outfitting the digs with a plethora of luxury details and furnishings—including Italian travertine marble floors and a 20-seat handcrafted dining table—the prominent family put it up for sale immediately after, realizing it no longer suited their needs. That said, the apartment is completely brand new, with no one actually ever having lived in it.

The apartment's master suite is particularly plush, with direct access not only to the penthouse's bar, but also to an attached wing that houses a glass-encased Kos spa seemingly floating above the city, situated so far up it's possible to see helicopters flying below.

For more information about E82, click here.

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