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.

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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