Embassy Design | New British High Commission |Kampala | Uganda | Kilburn Nightingale Architects

In response to the climate, the building has the capacity to be completely naturally ventilated. Wherever possible, perforated screens provide cross ventilation and where there are windows, these are large, openable and shaded. The different elements of the building are situated in a lush, landscaped garden which provides shade and a cooler microclimate.........more

SeARCH | Dutch Embassy complex, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The compound of the Dutch Embassy consists of a five-hectare wooded area that slopes steeply towards the city. The design task was to situate the five individual buildings in the compound while retaining and enhancing the quality of the site's landscape. The strict horizontal volume of the main building cuts into the hill with the sloping terrain naturally dividing the building into two programmatic units; the ambassador’s residence and the chancellery.

The Embassy roof is a shallow pool, an element that combines Dutch tradition in water management and landscape technology, with the natural craggy countryside of Ethiopia. As in the Netherlands everyone lives and works under water. The building is visible at both ends and as the landscape slopes gradually upwards it disappears temporarily, transforming into a pool among the eucalyptus trees.

The other elements of the programme are articulated in a similarly ‘camouflaged’ way; the gatehouse peeks above the entrance wall, wrapped in the colours of the Dutch flag, the extension to the house of the deputy ambassador is slid underneath an existing villa and the three staff houses are built between the north double-wall of the compound.
This project was designed while at de architectengroep.....more

Embassy of The Czech Republic Washington DC, United States | Your Building Here

The project was a competition for a new Embassy of the Czech Republic in the United States. As such, it was to represent the culture and spirit of this country abroad.
Our first objective was to create a project appropriate in size and character to the surrounding neighborhood.
At the same time, it was critical to have a structure that would fulfill the functions of an embassy, to tread as lightly on the environment as possible, to use morphology of the site to form the architecture and to blend the building into its surroundings.
We decided on several low-story buildings arranged in terraces and laced with garden plots. Certain areas were closed and put underground due to security requirements.
Because of such requirements, it was necessary to sink one-third of the structure.
Despite this, we managed to "connect" the green roofs and gardens to the park and forest surrounding the site, and provide long, clear views from the building.
We turned the strict security needs of the structure into an advantage – the complex has a high level of privacy from the nearby streets.
The idea was to provide a sense of refuge and familiarity inside its walls while blending in with nature.
Openness, dignity, sustainability and respect for the surroundings and the neighbors were our main goals.....more at earchitect

New U.S. Embassy in London | Morphosis

Embassy architecture serves as a powerful symbol that provides an instantaneous and indelible impression of a country. Public buildings project the identity of a country’s peoples, culture and aspirations. American public buildings convey the collective identity of our rich, culturally diverse, and increasingly complex society. An American embassy’s design expresses to the world the ideals of American democracy—the optimism, hope and promise of our time. By communicating the transcendent values that define the United States as a nation, the new Embassy of the United States of America in London has the potential to embody a new age of American openness, transparency, and renewed commitment to international collaboration. A U.S. Embassy also acts as a symbolic gateway between two countries......more about the embassy here

New Finnish Embassy in Tokyo By ALA Architects Ltd

LOCATION:
Tokyo/Japan

TYPE:
Invited Competiition

PROGRAM:
4.000 Embassy
10.000 Housing

SITE:
A tight hilltop plot in in Minato-Ku, currently occupied by a 70's embassy building.

DESCRIPTION:
--

CLIENT:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland

TEAM:
Juho Grönholm, Antti Nousjoki, Janne Teräsvirta, Samuli Woolston
with Risto Wikberg, Jan Galecky, Aleksi Niemeläinen

COLLABORATORS:
Ramboll

ALA Architects

Estonian embassy in Beijing By JVR Architects Ltd

Project: 2008
Architects: Kalle Vellevoog, Velle Kadalipp, Tiiu Truus, Martin Prommik
Competition entry, 3rd prize
Established in June 1990 by three architects Ilmar Jalas, Kalle Vellevoog and Enn Rajasaar. In 1998 architect Velle Kadalipp joined the owners' team.
The office is owned by principal architects .
Via

British Embassy-Jakarta-Indonesia-HOK

The 3,800 m² scheme is designed over three levels and is located on a 1.5 hectare site in central Jakarta. The project is due to complete in 2011.
Architect:HOK
Via

Royal Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Royal Netherlands Embassy design has been honored with a 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Architects: Dick van Gameren and Bjarne Mastenbroek
Via