Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb los ntawm Hafsa Burt - Hb+a Architects

Qhov qauv tsim Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb los ntawm Hafsa Burt - Hb+a Architects yog tus yeej muaj nqis heev ntawm qhov khoom plig 2026 A' Design Award Nyiaj hauv Pawg Sib Tw Tsim Khoom Ruaj Khov, Hauj Lwm thiab Kev Tsim Ntsuab.

NyiajKhoom Ruaj Khov· 2026

Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb

los ntawm Hafsa Burt - Hb+a Architects

Tus Neeg Siv: hb+a Architects

Tus Yeej A' Design Award Nyiaj hauv Pawg Khoom Ruaj Khov

20,245

Tus Yeej Khoom Plig Tau Txheeb Xyuas

Txheeb Xyuas Qhov Xwm Txheej Khoom Plig rau #180146

Mus Saib Lub Vev Xaib Saib ntawm A' Design Award Tsab Xov Xwm Daim Phiaj Khoom Plig

Xim

Qhov Tsim

Txog Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb

Book Text: Qhov project uas tsis siv roj teeb thiab tso pa carbon tsawg no muaj cov ntaub ntawv qhia txog nws txoj kev ua haujlwm tiag tiag. Nws yog ib lub tsev uas siv fais fab tag nrho uas cia siab rau lub hnub ci ntawm qhov chaw los txhawb nws txoj kev xav tau zog, nrog cov twj nqus cua kub (heat pumps) muab kev ua kub thiab txias. Kev xaiv qhov chaw thiab kev tsim daim ntawv zoo ua haujlwm hnyav npaum li cov cuab yeej, nrog lub tsev tig raws li cov cua ntsawj hauv zos thiab lub hnub ci lub kaum. Box Factory muab kev tiv thaiv huab cua, kev tsim tshiab, thiab kev cuam tshuam rau zej zog los ntawm kev tsim uas xav zoo. Thaum lub sijhawm Electra Fire xyoo 2022, uas hlawv 4,500 ekas hauv Amador County, qhov project no tau ua pov thawj rau nws tus kheej tias muaj zog thiab npaj tau rau huab cua.

Qhov Lees Paub

Txog A' Design Award Nyiaj

Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Nyiaj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev tshaj li qub uas muab rau cov qauv tsim qib siab, zoo nkauj thiab ua rau neeg xav tsis thoob. Cov neeg yeej Nyiaj yog cov haujlwm ci ntsa iab heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas qhia txog kev paub, kev txawj ntse thiab kev ntse ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb xav tias yuav yog ib qho haujlwm zoo kawg nkaus uas tsim rau qhia, tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab tob. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Nyiaj no yog ib qho khoom tsim uas pom tseeb heev thiab neeg qhuas uas pab tau thiab nthuav dav ciam teb ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis. Box Factory Primary Function: Lub Chaw Zog Muaj Zog Uas Tsis Siv Roj Teeb yog ib qho khoom tsim uas neeg coob xav tau, uas ua rau xav, coj kev xav zoo thiab ua rau xav tsis thoob thiab xav paub.

Tom Qab Qhov Tsim

Pob Xov Xwm

Cov credit, cov neeg pab thiab cov ntsiab lus kev txawj ntse muab los ntawm tus tsim.

Yam Tshwj Xeeb: This project is Zero Energy with operational data to confirm its performance. It is an all‑electric building that relies on onsite solar to meet its energy needs, with heat pumps providing heating and cooling. Careful siting and form work as hard as the systems, with the building oriented to local wind patterns and sun angles.

The design is also a flex space designed for diassembly and flexibility for programmatic functionality.
Qhov Loj & Ntim: 1750 square feet
Cov Ntsiab Lus: Zero Energy,
Thev Naus Laus Zis Tsim Khoom: Low Carbon with some prefabricated elements
Kev Sib Tw Tsim Qauv: This project is Zero Energy Ready, with performance continuously monitored rather than assumed. It is an all‑electric building that relies on onsite solar to meet its energy needs, with high‑efficiency heat pumps providing both heating and cooling and smart controls fine‑tuning operation over the year. Careful siting and form do as much work as the equipment: the building is oriented to local wind patterns and sun angles, with shading tuned to block high summer sun and admit lower winter sun, and north‑facing windows opening toward existing mature trees to frame views while tempering light, glare, and heat gain. Daylight is prioritized through generous but well‑controlled glazing, so artificial lighting is needed only sparingly, and cross‑ventilation is supported by the plan, opening layout, and fan placement to reduce reliance on mechanical cooling during shoulder seasons.

Passive strategies are central, not supplemental. A concrete floor slab acts as thermal mass, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it slowly at night, which flattens indoor temperature swings and cuts demand on active systems during both hot and cold spells. The envelope and massing follow a “just enough” approach: a compact, simple volume sized to real program needs avoids unnecessary height, volume, and surface area, reducing loads, construction cost, and embodied impacts. The building sits on an existing two‑story‑ready pad, eliminating grading and new disturbance, and its prefabricated structural elements shortened construction time, improved quality, and made site waste almost negligible. With only 1,750 square feet of conditioned space on a 9‑acre parcel, the project leaves nearly the entire site including the creek corridor and existing vegetation undisturbed, pairing ultra‑low operational demand with a light touch on the land and a landscape that continues to function ecologically.
Kev Tshawb Fawb: The Box Factory takes a deliberate approach to materiality, using a compact form, low‑impact construction methods, and carefully vetted assemblies to reduce its environmental footprint. Structural components were prefabricated off‑site and assembled on location, which dramatically cut construction waste, noise, and dust while tightening quality control and speeding delivery. This approach limited disturbance to the surrounding landscape and community, aligning construction practice with the project’s long‑term environmental ambitions. Materials were selected for durability, low toxicity, and ease of maintenance, reinforcing both climate goals and lifecycle performance. Exposed structural elements and straightforward, robust finishes create an honest, resource‑efficient architecture in which materials are not concealed but celebrated for their role in making the building work.

As a resilience hub in a rural, wildfire‑prone region, the Box Factory was conceived to address real inequities in access to safe, healthy, climate‑ready space. It offers an inclusive, welcoming refuge during wildfire smoke events, public safety power shutoffs, and heatwaves, at a scale that feels legible and usable to neighbors rather than institutional or remote. All‑electric systems powered by onsite renewables, filtered ventilation, and passive comfort strategies work together to provide clean air and stable indoor conditions when nearby homes and businesses are compromised. The building is intentionally programmed for more than emergency use: flexible spaces support gatherings, workshops, and everyday community life, so that residents experience it as a civic anchor rather than a specialized facility that sits empty between crises.

The project is calibrated to endure and remain functional in a rapidly changing climate. Its compact footprint limits land disturbance and reduces operational energy demand, while careful orientation, operable windows, and ceiling fans support cross‑ventilation and night‑flush cooling to ease reliance on mechanical systems. Non‑combustible, low‑glare exterior finishes help moderate heat gain, shed ember exposure, and maintain visual comfort, and drought‑tolerant planting combined with on‑site stormwater strategies reinforces water conservation and localized infiltration. The envelope and systems are tuned to protect indoor air quality and thermal comfort during periods of extreme heat and dense smoke, so that the building can remain safely occupied even when outdoor conditions are hazardous. In doing so, the Box Factory functions as a modest but pointed prototype for climate‑adapted rural architecture holding space for everyday use while standing ready for the next emergency.
Kev Txhawb Siab: In 2022, the Electra Fire ignited near Electra Road and Highway 49 in Amador County and rapidly spread across 4,478 acres in both Amador and Calaveras counties. The fire prompted evacuations and posed significant threats to local infrastructure and communities. During these events, the project functioned as a resilience hub for neighboring properties when residents had to evacuate due to safety warnings and countywide power shutoffs.
Lub Sij Hawm Ua Hauj Lwm: The project is located in California, design started in 2019 and final rack was installed in 2022 and landscape was also finished in 2022.
Txheej Txheem Ua Hauj Lwm: Box Factory integrates sustainability, innovation, and community impact through thoughtful design. It champions creative slab reuse, minimizes embodied carbon, and prioritizes environmental responsibility in ways that are tangible to everyday users. Framed by leading international standards for zero energy, low‑carbon design, it advances architecture by balancing holistic performance, rigorous metrics, and meaningful contributions to its community, turning a modest building into a living demonstration of what resilient, climate‑positive design can look and feel like in practice.
Cov Patent: hb+a Architects
Cov Tswv Cuab Pab: hb+a Architects - Architecture, MEP, Landscape Design, Sustainability programming
SDE Engineering - Foundation Slab
Doug Birnbaum - Photography
Kev Qhuas Duab: Doug Birnbaum