Inside The Nature-Influenced Australian Embassy In Washington, D.C.

2024 Best of Year Winner For Institutional

Australian culture does not easily translate into a government building. For one, the people are friendly, unlike many of today’s fortresslike embassies. Yet Melbourne-headquartered Bates Smart, along with the architect of record, DC’s KCCT, managed to create a secure, 260,000-square-foot facility for the Embassy of Australia in Washington D.C. that feels welcoming and nature-influenced, embodying the country’s spirit. The hues on the exterior change throughout the day, thanks to treated copper panels, slender and vertically oriented. The rhythm of the facade continues in the central atrium, which connects ground and sky and serves as an organizing space. All around, sunlight dapples through the glass ceiling and vertical eucalyptus-veneer paneling that evokes native forests. Natural illumination also fills the staff area, where the feature stair links breakout spaces and encourages easy movement between and interaction among departments. Furnishings showcase Australian craft; custom rugs in key rooms, for example, are based on First Nations artworks. The result is at once warm, engaging, and, having earned LEED Gold certification, sustainable.

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