A Case Study of Practical Resilient Measures

Date: September 15, 2026
Time: 4:20 PM – 4:50 PM
Ballroom F

This session will share the story of a flexible community space designed in 2019 that has become both a resilience hub and a welcoming place for everyday gathering, all while meeting the Zero Energy requirements of the Living Building Challenge. The project rethinks what a civic space can be, showing how thoughtful, adaptable design can support daily use as well as critical needs during emergencies. It offers real world ideas for creating spaces that prioritize net positive performance and occupant well being. It anticipated key ideas now reflected in LEED v5 resilience credits by six years along with with all electric REACH codes three years before REACH codes. The session will explore strategies combining high performance systems, passive strategies, and community focused planning.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this session, attendees will learn about:

• What does Net Zero Energy Design in operations entail?
• A case study of a resilience hub with the open ended question for replication as a school facility
• LEED v5 Resilience Credits over view.
• Pointers on tackling health and decarbonization at a building level.

Speaker:
Hafsa Burt, Principal, hb+a Architects

Hafsa Burt, FAIA, LEED Fellow, is the founder of hb+a Architects, a practice distinguished by its commitment to sustainability, technical excellence, and enduring civic impact. The firm is nationally recognized for work that advances environmental responsibility while resolving complex programmatic demands. At the core of Hafsa’s vision is the conviction that architecture must respond to the urgent imperatives of climate, resource stewardship, and social equity. Each project is conceived as part of a larger ecological and urban continuum, with an emphasis on reducing embodied carbon, advancing energy performance, and supporting long term adaptability.

Hafsa brings deep expertise in healthcare design, transit infrastructure, and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. Her portfolio includes highly technical healthcare facilities, historic buildings and transportation projects. She is widely recognized for her ability to guide projects through rigorous regulatory environments while maintaining a strong design vision.

Hafsa is a licensed architect in California, Nevada and Texas. Her professional work and leadership reflect an ongoing commitment to advancing eco conscious design practices and shaping a more resilient built environment.