U.S. Embassy — Nairobi

Nairobi, Kenya

Commissioned to master plan and implement several renovations, add new buildings, and reconfigure the site, we began this project with a comprehensive master plan.

What was a design challenge of campus circulation with a remote building location became an opportunity to enhance the site users' experience.

With security the driving factor in the design, the building is defined by its civic quality. With a design directive that the building could not have a greater presence than the existing structures, the design is contextually related to the existing campus, in a supporting role.

The only available area for construction of the new office building was on the campus's far west side. We developed a landscape network to connect the new office building to the existing offices through the relocation of inner campus roadways.

Construction Completion - 2020

Through extensive site surveys, user interviews, programming, and multiple client charrettes, several site options were analyzed — which coalesced into three distinct opportunities for OBO’s consideration.

A new south lower road enabled campus circulation and connectivity to allow for service and delivery access. We removed a portion of an existing road to create an uninterrupted pedestrian path between the office buildings — connecting from the east to the existing chancery service area and tying the buildings together into one cohesive whole.

A major component of the site, an episodic landscape journey, was developed with multiple segments to represent Kenya's biome with many trees that are close to extinction.

In addition to the landscaping, material selection for the new structures was of the utmost importance. The original buildings are clad in white stucco. The rough surface, in combination with the local environment, created a heavily weathered appearance.

Through research, we selected an ultra-high-density concrete fiber panel. The material allows for a sympathetic appearance without any of the maintenance issues that the existing buildings experience.