The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has recently opened the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. The design by Ennead Architects aims to balance transparency and openness with security, according to a press statement. The design also seeks both to honor Turkey’s architectural traditions and to meet OBO’s goals of sustainability, resiliency, and stewardship.
“By reinterpreting Turkish design history in a contemporary way, we’re proud to deliver a civic-minded and purpose-driven facility that reflects U.S. values of transparency, openness, and accessibility,” Felicia Berger, Ennead principal and project manager, said in the statement.
On the sloped, nine-acre site, the project’s series of courtyards draws inspiration from Turkish courtyard design. The inclined procession eliminates the need for stairs, creating a direct path from the public way to the front door.
The Embassy’s main arrival plaza serves as the first courtyard. Set back from the street, the landscaped courtyard, with trees and other plants, blurs the boundary between the Embassy and the city, while offering a respite from the surrounding business district.
Internal courtyards bring light into the building. They also create outdoor spaces for both large, formal gatherings and quieter diplomatic exchange.
Ennead selected regionally sourced materials that reflect the history of masonry in Turkey. Materials also were chosen for their low embodied environmental impact, high recycled content, durability, and responsible sourcing. In addition to stone, the Chancery façade’s concrete screen offers daylight and views of the outside, and security and privacy on the inside. Referencing Turkish materials, the interior and exterior incorporate marble, travertines, native wood varieties, and local ceramics.
The Embassy is a LEED Silver Certified building. Energy demand is reduced with highly insulated exterior walls; efficient mechanical, electrical, and lighting systems; and solar thermal water heating. Water consumption is minimized with ultra-low flow plumbing fixtures, climate-appropriate landscaping, and harvested rainwater.
On the Building Team:
Owner/developer: Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO)
Design architect and architect of record: Ennead Architects
Local architect: Emre Arolat Architecture
MEP engineer: Mason & Hanger
Structural engineer: LERA
Protective design engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
General contractor: B.L. Harbert International
Related Stories
Sustainable Design and Construction | Oct 10, 2024
Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure
Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.
Government Buildings | Sep 17, 2024
OSHA’s proposed heat standard published in Federal Register
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a proposed standard addressing heat illness in outdoor and indoor settings in the Federal Register. The proposed rule would require employers to evaluate workplaces and implement controls to mitigate exposure to heat through engineering and administrative controls, training, effective communication, and other measures.
Government Buildings | Aug 19, 2024
GSA posts new RFI for enabling energy efficiency, decarbonization in commercial buildings
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, recently released a new Request For Information (RFI) focused on enabling energy efficiency and decarbonization in commercial buildings. GSA wants to test innovative technologies through GSA’s Center for Emerging Building Technologies.
Curtain Wall | Aug 15, 2024
7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks
It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus.
Government Buildings | Aug 14, 2024
GSA releases updated standards to move federal buildings toward zero emissions
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently released updated building efficiency standards for federal buildings. The mandatory design and construction standards and performance criteria apply to 300,000 federal buildings.
Sustainability | Aug 14, 2024
World’s first TRUE Zero Waste for Construction-certified public project delivered in Calif.
The Contra Costa County Administration Building in Martinez, Calif., is the world’s first public project to achieve the zero-waste-focused TRUE Gold certification for construction. The TRUE Certification for Construction program, administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), recognizes projects that achieve exceptional levels of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
Government Buildings | Aug 1, 2024
One of the country’s first all-electric fire stations will use no outside energy sources
Charlotte, N.C.’s new Fire Station #30 will be one of the country’s first all-electric fire stations, using no outside energy sources other than diesel fuel for one or two of the fire trucks. Multiple energy sources will power the station, including solar roof panels and geothermal wells. The two-story building features three truck bays, two fire poles, dispatch area, contamination room, and gear storage.
Smart Buildings | Jul 25, 2024
A Swiss startup devises an intelligent photovoltaic façade that tracks and moves with the sun
Zurich Soft Robotics says Solskin can reduce building energy consumption by up to 80% while producing up to 40% more electricity than comparable façade systems.
Government Buildings | Jul 8, 2024
GSA adopts new accessibility guidelines for federal properties
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) adopted a new rule with new accessibility guidelines for federal buildings. The rule establishes that pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way are readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.
Smart Buildings | Jul 1, 2024
GSA to invest $80 million on smart building technologies at federal properties
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will invest $80 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into smart building technologies within 560 federal buildings. GSA intends to enhance operations through granular controls, expand available reporting with more advanced metering sources, and optimize the operator experience.
