Australian Embassy in Washington D.C.
Australian Embassy in Washington D.C.
Bates Smart
ARCHITECTS
Bates Smart
COST CONSULTANTS
Rider Levett Bucknall, Rider Levett Bucknall, Rider Levett Bucknall
PROJECT MANAGERS
Jacobs Consultancy, Inc.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
Aurecon, SGH
PROJECT DIRECTOR
Simon Swaney
DEVELOPERS
DFAT OPO, DFAT OPO, DFAT OPO
DESIGN DIRECTOR INTERIORS
Mark Healey
PROJECT LEADER (DELIVERY)
Steve Jones
PROJECT LEADER (DESIGN)
Timothy Leslie
DESIGN LEADER
Cian Davis
PROJECT ARCHITECT
Ray Feile
PROJECT ARCHITECT (DESIGN)
Brendan Grayson
WORKPLACE LEADER
Rachael McCarthy
TEAM
Amy Banfield, Ali Bolandnazar, Raymond Butt, Lai Yee Chan, Leo Chen, Wai Fong Chin, Joel Collins, Mark Di Bartolo, Christian Grossi, Gabrielle Hamilton, Richard Healy, Celine Herbiet, Jackson Hexin Bi, Henry Howson, Allan Lamb, Erica Lienert, Brian Mason, Andrada Olteanu, Carli Popplewell, Ian Potter, Samantha Poole, Chris Prince, Jefferson Protomartir, Emma Serraglio, Caroline Surgiato, Christopher White, Deirdre Whitnall, Emma Wingad
TRAFFIC CONSULTANTS
Wells & Associates, Wells & Associates, Wells & Associates
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Clark Construction Group, Clark Construction Group, Clark Construction Group
FAÇADE ENGINEERS
Aurecon, SGH, Aurecon, SGH, Aurecon, SGH
FIRE ENGINEERING CONSULTANT
Aurecon, Arup, Aurecon, Arup, Aurecon, Arup
HYDRAULIC CONSULTANTS
Aurecon, Interface Engineering, Aurecon, Interface Engineering, Aurecon, Interface Engineering
VERTICAL TRANSPORT CONSULTANTS
Aurecon, Interface Engineering, Aurecon, Interface Engineering, Aurecon, Interface Engineering
AV CONSULTANTS
Aurecon, Interface Engineering, Aurecon, Interface Engineering, Aurecon, Interface Engineering
ACOUSTIC CONSULTANTS
Aurecon, Arup, Aurecon, Arup, Aurecon, Arup
ESD CONSULTANTS
Aurecon, Arup, Aurecon, Arup, Aurecon, Arup
DESIGN DIRECTOR ARCHITECTURE
Kristen Whittle
PROJECT ARCHITECT (DELIVERY)
Eamon Harrington
ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN
Bates Smart, Bates Smart, Bates Smart
CIVIL CONSULTANTS
Aurecon, Sorba, Aurecon, Sorba, Aurecon, Sorba
LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
TCL (Taylor Cullity Lethlean), Wiles Mensch Corporation, TCL (Taylor Cullity Lethlean), Wiles Mensch Corporation, TCL (Taylor Cullity Lethlean), Wiles Mensch Corporation
LIGHTING CONSULTANTS
Electrolight, ONE SOURCE, Electrolight, ONE SOURCE, Electrolight, ONE SOURCE
TOWN PLANNING CONSULTANTS
Holland & Knight, Holland & Knight, Holland & Knight
KITCHEN CONSULTANTS
Chris Love Design, Chris Love Design, Chris Love Design
SIGNAGE
Ongarato, Ongarato, Ongarato
YEAR
2023
LOCATION
Washington, United States
CATEGORY
Embassy
SITE
The Embassy of Australia in Washington D.C. is one of the country’s largest diplomatic presences. The design by Bates Smart stands as both an integral civic space and an enduring symbol of Australia.
The embassy’s architecture, landscape, and commissioned artworks combine to embed an enduring relationship between Australia and the United States.
The Embassy respects and upholds the character of the city of Washington D.C., completing Scott Circle and addressing the street axes to 16th Street and the White House and Massachusetts Avenue, commonly referred to as Embassy Row.
The building's siting acknowledges the site's transition from the predominantly residential urban realm to the north and the more commercial to the south. Its folded copper and glass façade combine in varying degrees of openness to respond to this condition.
Formal access is from the south, acknowledging the White House, a 'garden face' with landscaping embracing Scott Circle and greater solidity towards the 16th Street Historic District.
ARCHITECTURE
The Embassy’s monolithic form is inspired by Australia’s iconic landscape and embodies the essence of an ancient and vast continent inhabited by the world's oldest continuous living culture.
Materiality and light play key roles in expressing the embassy's design. The appearance of the building changes throughout the day depending on the perspective of the viewer.
The interplay of angled copper cladding and extensive glazing combine to create a dynamic and engaging expression of Australia. A striking tectonic quality, where large shadow line joints define a series of aggregated forms, creates a dialogue between positive and negative space.
Symbolising Australia's welcoming nature, a celebrated gateway entry and visually open ground plane invite public engagement whilst providing the necessary level of security. The building is organized around a north-south civic axis and a large central atrium connecting the ground plane to the sky.
INTERIORS
The building’s transparency manifests the inherent Australian values of welcomeness and trust, while the interior’s expansive atmosphere is representative of the vastness of the Australian landscape and evokes a sense of something greater than ourselves.
At the heart of the building, a large atrium serves as an organizing and orientating space, displaying a powerful connection between the ground and the sky. This central atrium gives rise to an axial arrangement of spaces that exhibit a strong sense of materiality.
Australian timber is the primary material and expresses a series of textured horizontal bands that transition from rough to smooth. This response mirrors the protective qualities of the bark during the eucalypt forest's cycle of growth, burn, and regrowth.
Intricate metallic filigree screens mediate the interplay of light and shadow in key social breakout and office spaces. The security screening area provides access to the staff lifts, the consular department, and a waiting space, allowing for the clear separation of these key flows.
The waiting space serves as the threshold to the formal and ceremonial areas and is furnished with bespoke rugs and handcrafted Australian-designed furniture.
Specialty rugs based on Australian First Nations artworks establish a hierarchy throughout, with a feature rug separated into sections to define the series of key breakout spaces. These rug installations also create an inviting space for cultural exchange.
STAFF SOCIAL
The staff hub, located in the controlled access zone, is a key space in the building. It consists of a series of breakout spaces vertically linked by a feature stair, encouraging staff to move easily between departments and gather in social spaces, fostering a sense of collaboration.
The main social space on level two acts as an events space to connect staff with guests. The bar’s informal design is constructed with robust materials, exuding a raw Australian character and highlighting Australian art and design.
STAFF WORK
Agency interactions are actively facilitated by a workspace design that is deliberately equitable. Open workspaces with ample daylighting promote a calm and ordered atmosphere.
The U-shaped plan and side core arrangement ensure efficient floorplates, allowing departments to adapt to changing requirements.
FURNITURE
A collaboration with the Design Institute of Australia identified a number of leading furniture designers from Australia whose pieces embody an informal, future-forward, and distinctly Australian aesthetic. Sustainable materials and finishes feature throughout.
Re-interpretations of Robyn Boyd’s iconic 1960s sofas, located in the waiting space
An executive boardroom table custom-designed by Simon Ancher using reclaimed hydro timbers sourced from Tasmania
Elegant armchairs by Franco Crea
Sofas for the head of missions office by Bassam Fellows
Armchairs and sofa for the public spaces by Justin Hutchinsons and Kett
Adam Goodrum Molloy chairs with custom seat pads, and tables that feature in staff breakouts in the atrium
ARTWORKS
The display of Australian artworks emphasizes the nation’s artistic excellence and rich Indigenous heritage and depicts stories of vibrant diaspora communities.
The selection and commissioning process for the works was guided by the Australian Government's cultural policy pillars of supporting artists, creating a space for diverse voices, prioritizing First Nations representation, and ensuring a meaningful and engaging experience for all visitors. A list of select pieces and artists is available upon request.
SUSTAINABILITY
The environmental focus of the Embassy demonstrates Australia’s global leadership in sustainable design, products, and construction. The building is targeted to obtain a LEED Gold rating, with plans to apply for the Green Building Council of Australia’s Greenstar rating, making it the first such overseas Greenstar-rated project.
