Inside Null, a small house conceived as an experiment for climate-resilient architecture
A project by architect Hafsa Burt, this raised, small house in Jackson, CA, proposes a model for climate resilience where architecture for vulnerable communities is needed – and beyond
What could the future of our homes look like, in this ever-changing, ever-challenging world? This is the type of question this new small house was conceived to address. Titled Null, the structure sits in Jackson, California, on the West Coast's mainland. Designed by architect Hasfa Burt and her studio, hb+a Architects, the small but perfectly formed project is a prototype and a thought experiment towards achieving climate-resilient architecture – and it is also a comfortable, boutique, private home.
Step inside Null, a small house design for a sustainable future
The small house was designed to be the home of the manager of a larger piece of land in the area – a 9-acre site – where Null sits on a plot shared with another, existing, building. The architect and her team (which operates out of three bases - in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Castro Valley) worked with their client to craft a structure as part of Burt's Box Lab initiative, a 2018 action 'focused on resilience measures in a changing climate for vulnerable communities subject to more than one challenge,' she explains.
Beyond the design development of this residence as a real home, Burt was intrigued to explore the typology as a testbed for her sustainable architecture. 'The project is exploring residential design in a changing world as a response to man-made and natural elements. It isn't a cabin; instead, it shifts thinking about the future of single-family housing, following a just-enough philosophy in program, systems, materials and spaces. The site is located in a part of Northern California where median income is 70% lower than the rest of California,' she says.
'The area is also prone to wildfires and experiences significant temperature swings from summer to winter. It was important not to rely on any source of fossil fuels for any of the operations and to use the site in its existing character, welcoming the wildlife that frequents the reservoir and can be heard and seen running around.'
The building is made of structural steel, with carefully insulated walls and ceilings. Its drywall elements and exterior wood cladding have been upcycled, taken from the construction surplus of another ongoing project nearby. It was important to Burt to keep materials to a 'bare minimum', covering the scheme's needs but not 'drowning in excessive exterior and interior finishes as a design language.'
Meanwhile, the architect's low-carbon approach extends from the building's construction to its upkeep and operational needs, ensuring it functions seamlessly and safely while keeping things simple and focusing on what's required rather than adding unnecessary ornamentation.
Burt adds: '[What makes this project special is] exploring a paradigm shift in residential programming focused on the future of this project type using a systems-thinking approach. Everything for me starts with the program, and I find it quite exciting to take apart and reassemble a more efficient version of an existing problem.'
'The project utilised an existing flat pad and, in a machine-like approach, which I insist on as an honest expression, systems are left exposed to showcase the workings instead of hiding them. It is positive energy connected to onsite solar [power] and has been oriented to maximise the site elements. Rainwater is harvested in 2500-gallon cisterns, with excess running off to a reservoir; environmental strategies weren't an add-on or late-stage consideration but were integrated at ideation.'
This small house can now act as a prototype and an example, which can be replicated in different areas and terrains as needed.
