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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Tråfjosen

Okay, so the luxury is a little lower with Tråfjosen, a converted wooden barn in Voss, a ski resort in Western Norway (which sleeps 4), because it lacks electricity (wood burning heat only) and running water. But the multi-sided windows allow for stunning panoramic views and and the decor and interior design is sparse but strikingly modern.

Scrubby Bay House

If the Norwegian mountains aren’t remote enough for you, Scrubby Bay House is a luxury retreat in Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. Accessibility is limited to a dogged 40-minute SUV ride or a helicopter from Christchurch. Friends and family are welcome as it sleeps 14. It was nominated for World Building of the Year in 2015. There is a pool, lots of wood and stone, an idyllic bay and plenty of hills. Good reading material is essential. The property is just one of  luxe retreat specialist Annandale’s coastal farm escape and luxury villa collection.

Anakolodge

You can’t talk about mountain retreats without mentioning Switzerland. Don’t let the cluster of chalet’s that comprise Anakolodge’s rugged outward appearance fool you. Although you might be expecting to hear bleating sheep when you approach, the interior is spartan but sleek and modern with ski-to-door access, hot tubs and more. It is a year-round getaway with wifi access that will have you asking to work from home more often.

The Ark

Now for something entirely different: The Ark is a  Sri Lankan rainforest getaway that is the stuff of James Bond movies. Forty acres of private reserve will allow you to hike, bird watch or just switch off. There’s an infinity pool in the clouds and old cinnamon and tea plantations below. You can even try your hand a tea-plucking.

The Hen House

A continent away, in Scotland, The Hen House is a perfect place to ensure no annoying neighbors will alert the cops when you blast your music or walk about in the buff with the curtains open. Overlooking Loch Bracadale on the Isle of Skye, it has been featured in the Guardian, Small House Bliss, and the Financial Times 2015. The retreat is completely built from sustainable and often local materials.

Solo Houses

Off the grid and relying completely on solar power, Solo Houses is the first of 17 retreats being designed by Spanish architects, Kersten Geers and David Van Severen As they explain in the book Mountain View, The Perfect Holiday Homes: “Since the scenery is so impressive, we felt architecture should be invisible, merely emphasizing the natural qualities of the surroundings.”

Okay, put down the swimwear and grab the hiking boots.

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Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port city, is coming clean with the proposed Dutch Windwheel, the world’s most innovative and energy-efficient wind turbine. Slated to open in 2020, it will dramatically alter the city’s skyline as a contemporary architectural spectacle and the greatest showcase of Dutch Clean Technology.

The Dutch Windwheel is an attraction that will instantly change the fortunes of Rotterdam as a travel destination.

The 570-foot-tall future landmark will feature pioneering Electrostatic Wind Energy Converter (EWICON) technology, which allows the Dutch Windwheel to convert wind energy into electricity via steel tubes and no moving mechanical parts. This translates to less wear, lower maintenance costs, no noise, and no moving shadows on the landscape.

Developed by a government-funded consortium (the Dutch Windwheel Corporation), which includes TU Delft and Wageningen University, Dutch Windwheel boasts a state-of-the-art design of two intertwined, three-dimensional rings (one as part of the foundation) crafted from a light, open steel-and-glass construction. One ring serves as the foundation, which extends underwater—giving the appearance that the renewable windmill is floating on the harbor.

Rendering of the sky lobby observation deck with panoramic views

The Dutch Windwheel is a mixed-use facility whose inner ring boasts commercial space, underground parking, 72 permanent apartments, a 160-room hotel across seven floors, a sky lobby observation deck, and a panoramic restaurant. The wind turbine is unlike any other windmill in the Netherlands—or for that matter, in the world. The inner ring also features unique circular elevators and staircases in the project’s structural core.

A digital lighting and panoramic 3D interactive roller-coaster experience chronicles the great history of the Dutch water management system (the most advanced in the world) via the façade’s “smart walls,” which are actually glass panels that project a virtual layer of information. Part of this thrill ride includes an underwater film experience with guests literally under the surface of the harbor.

The Netherlands is famous for its sustainable windmills which power towns, cities and its reputation as a world-class efficient energy producer.

The mixed-used Dutch Windwheel features residences, a hotel, commercial space and a roller coaster 3-D experience.

Above the surface, forty traveling, rail-linked coaster cabins sprint through the outer ring, offering tourists sweeping views of Rotterdam, its harbor, architecture, the recently-reconstructed Second Maasvlakte port, Kinderdijk’s group of 18th century mills (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the sea, and even the cities of Delft, The Hague, and Dordrecht.

Much like the St. Louis Arch, the Dutch Windwheel will dominate Rotterdam’s skyline and inject the city with pride and new energy (both figuratively and literally speaking). The landmark is expected to draw profit within 10 years while attracting hordes of tourists per year to the local economy. With a predicted 1.5 million annual visitors, the iconic Dutch Windwheel offers tourists reason to give another “dam” about the Netherlands—crossing Amsterdam and Rotterdam off of their bucket lists.

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Ground has just broken on Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture’s Greenland Tower Chengdu which, at 100 stories, will be southwestern China’s tallest building and the fourth-tallest edifice in the nation upon its 2018 completion. At 468 meters, it will overshadow the city’s current tallest building, the Chengdu IFS Towers, by approximately 200 meters.

Located in the center of the flourishing Dongcun district, the structure’s design was inspired by the unique ice mountain topography around Chengdu, which, according to the design studio, symbolizes the city’s growth and promising future.

Greenland Tower Chengdu is located in the center of the booming Dongcun district.

At 468 meters Greenland Tower Chengdu will be China’s fourth-tallest building, upon its 2018 completion.

Greenland Tower Chengdu acts as a light sculpture to diffuse light from 360 degrees, connecting the sky and the earth.

“Like the mountain ridges reflecting the light of the sky and the valleys reflecting light from the earth, the iconic tower will perform as a light sculpture to diffuse light from 360 degrees, creating a connection between sky and earth,” the architecture firm said.

At night, Greenland Tower will glisten brilliantly (via LED lights) like a sparkling glacier, accentuating the structure's crystalline form. In addition to reflecting light from mountains and earth, Greenland Tower Chengdu’s mixed-use functionality will also reflect local society and contribute to the city’s advancement as an economic powerhouse within China.

At night, Greenland Tower will glisten brilliantly (via LED lights) like a sparkling glacier.

The design for the 395,305-square-meter complex (which includes a main tower, two small towers and a six-story podium) interprets and integrates Chengdu’s urban structure, local culture and Chinese traditional feng shui theory in a modern form. Like many of today’s modern big city structures, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture intends to create a comfortable garden city environment with convenient traffic patterns for vehicular, pedestrian and metro transportation.

The main tower features 120,000-square meters of office space in the lower zone, a 51,000-square-meter luxury hotel in the middle zone, and 42,000-square meters of “CEO suites” in the high zone. The two smaller towers (116-meters tall and 147-meters tall respectively) will accommodate luxury “SoHo apartments.” Meanwhile the podium boasts 14,000-square meters of retail space, a 16,000-square-meter conference center with a bridge connection to the main tower, and an 8,000-square-meter exhibition center. A roof garden will offer 360-degree views of the city.

Greenland Tower is a 395,305-square-meter complex with a main tower, two small towers and a six-story podium.

The main tower boasts office space in the lower zone, a luxury hotel in the middle zone, "CEO suites” in the high zone and a rooftop garden.

Chengdu is China’s fourth most populous city (14 million people) and capital of the Sichuan province in Southwest China. It is known for its cuisine, ancient fortress wall (built during the Qing dynasty), the New Century Global Centre entertainment complex (one of the the world's largest buildings), and giant pandas—including the Sichuan Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, the largest preserve in the world, just 81 miles away from Chengdu.

Sichuan province is prone to major seismic activity, including a 6.6-magnitude quake in April 2013. Greenland Tower Chengdu compensates for the high seismic zone, using a geometrical plan, a tapered form and a high-performance damper bracing system to ensure the structure’s stability and efficiency. The building façade, MeP and other systems are designed with “high-efficiency sustainability features, creating a new generation of the high-performance super tall building,” according to the firm.

Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture designed Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Tower, slated to become the tallest structure on earth upon completion.

Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture recently designed Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Tower (an ultra modern structure whose observation deck resembles Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise spacecraft), which is slated to become the world’s tallest building (1,000-plus meters high) when construction finishes. Smith also worked on the Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates touted as the tallest man-made structure in the world, standing at 829.8 meters.

By 2018, Chengdu’s natural surrounding ice mountains will have its manmade equal—a modern high-rise tower that will shed a little more light about the city's culture, customs and lifestyle. More impressively, the Greenland Tower will be symbolic of the economic prowess of China—which surpassed the United States as the world’s largest economy this week.

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