The Consulate Architect

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A Lesson in Biophilic Design

What is it like designing consulates for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO)? Richärd Kennedy Architects can tell you. Ten years ago, the Phoenix, Ariz.-based architectural and interior design studio was selected as part of an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, beginning an architectural journey that would include the design of U.S. Consulates General in Matamoros and Hermosillo, Mexico; Hyderabad, India; and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

While Richärd Kennedy Architects’ portfolio includes diverse civic, higher education, academic research laboratories, and commercial projects, their visioning process for consulate projects follows the same basic steps: goals definition, fact finding, needs determination, and lastly, concepts. Steve Kennedy, Partner, Richärd Kennedy Architects, elaborates on what the last part of the process is like designing for the State Department: “We’ll sit with OBO and go through three different concepts, and they’ll bring in outside architects to weigh in. And then we’ll all get to one final concept that we think works best for this particular project and we see it through.”

Before the team develops those concepts, they must gain a better understanding of the people, customs, history, and culture in the foreign location. The design, construction, and engineering teams immerse themselves in the environment. “We go there with our OBO counterparts,” explains Jeremy Kotter, Principal, Richärd Kennedy Architects. “We’re experiencing it in person, firsthand. So not only walking the site, understanding the community, but also, we take time to visit what we believe are important cultural places.” Staff at the consulate and a local AE firm provide additional information.

Designing for customized diplomacy at each location is crucial. Ensuring the safety of staff is as well—it is OBO’s mission. “Security is integrated into the design at the outset. We’re making sure that even though it is a safe secure environment, it still feels welcoming. That’s a delicate balance,” Kotter adds.

by Jana Madsen , contributing writer

Stewardship and resiliency are another goal of the State Department. Sustainable design is one way that these principles are embodied. “OBO really does a great job at helping the design teams think through the notion of ecodiplomacy,” says Kotter. “How do the decisions that are being made and the site, landscape, and building itself create a conversation with the host country and forge friendships over being protective of resources? Because local resources are really all of our resources.”

The U.S. Department of State has ecological protection priorities that align with Richärd Kennedy Architects’ sustainable design philosophy. It is not just about improving operating efficiency and increasing the architecture’s resiliency; often, it is a necessity. “When we did Hyderabad, we sat in our first meeting and they said, ‘Well, you’re going to get an hour, maybe two, of water a day,’” recalls Kennedy. Extensive life-cycle analyses with their engineers, sustainability group, and cost estimator evaluate the practicality of different approaches early in the conceptual design phase.

AWARD-WINNING DESIGN

This project has won several awards: The Chicago Athenaeum’s 2021 International Architecture Award, 2020 ENR Global Best Projects—Best Government Building.

One thing that has become abundantly clear of consulate architecture work: Clear communication is imperative. “This process can take a couple of years in design and four to five years in construction,” shares Kennedy. Project teams are large and getting (and keeping) everyone on the same page throughout the long project requires ongoing consistent communication. “Once everybody understands the why, they know what it is that we’re collectively trying to achieve. It is so much simpler to make a decision five to eight years later, after a project was conceived,” explains Kotter.

Because of the duration and scale of these projects, thousands of people are involved. This is made even more complicated by the fact that diplomatic staff turns over often due to the length of their postings (usually two to three years). It became evident that Richärd Kennedy Architects could (and would) be the constant. “We really focus on being that common thread all the way through,” Kennedy says. All the conversations, emails, and discussions are worth it. “There is a real sense of pride that communities have in these buildings.”