New U.S. Embassy

Windhoek, Namibia

BEST PROJECT

Submitted by: BL Harbert International

Owner: U.S. Dept. of State | Overseas Buildings Operations

Design Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

Architect of Record: Page Southerland Page LLP

General Contractor: BL Harbert International

Civil Engineer: KPFF Protective Design

Structural Engineer: Ehlert/Bryan Inc.

MEP Engineer: Mason & Hanger

Geotechnical Engineer: Schnabel Engineering

Fire Protection: American Fire Protection

In her remarks at the mid-2023 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new U.S. embassy in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called it “a symbol of, and testament to, our strong, abiding relationship.”

At the time, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations also said the project “takes U.S. engineering, environmental and construction expertise and blends it with Namibian architectural traditions, locally sourced materials, and of course, inspiration from the natural landscape.”

Photo courtesy of NL Harbert International

The project team says the result is an embassy that is “technologically innovative and progressive while being respectful and sensitive to the context.” Members had to face challenges to reach its goal, including COVID-19. During the pandemic, airlines halted service to the area’s largest airport, a “particularly untimely” development the team says, because it occurred during project mobilization. To avoid what it says would have been “significant delays,” the team arranged chartered flights to bring key staff members to the site.

U.S. official said project mixes U.S. engineering and construction expertise with Namibian architectural traditions and materials.
Photo courtesy of NL Harbert International

Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in developing the project, the embassy team used active and passive sustainable practices, including photovoltaic canopies that provide about half of the energy needed for the chancery, the multibuilding project’s largest facility.

The 12.8-acre site had a steep slope, which required planning to prevent land erosion or “structural issues” during construction, the submission says. The team also piloted the use of Pull Planning and Last Planner systems on the project and, it says, developed a schedule that field crews could use. The team also reports that the project, with a construction cost of about $188.2 million, was completed at budget and on schedule, and had no recordable or lost-time injuries.