The new Embassy of Australia aims to serve as both an integral civic space and an enduring symbol of the country. The embassy’s design respects Capitol Hill’s architectural style while acknowledging the site’s transition between residential buildings and commercial structures, according to the project team.

Developed by the Commonwealth of Australia with Australian design firm Bates Smart, Clark Construction worked both remotely and on site with team members, including some material vendors, under a design-bid-build delivery method.

“The collaborative nature and positive energy that everybody brought to the process made the difference, especially with the global pandemic going on and all of the challenges associated with that,” says PJ Bombero, senior project manager at Clark Construction.

Photo by Joe Fletcher, courtesy Clark Construction

Much of the early design and sourcing had to be finished during the height of COVID. The interior features extensive wood veneer from eucalyptus pilularis trees, native to Australia. Sourcing the necessary quantity of veneer required coordination with multiple subcontractors and visits to several Australian suppliers to achieve matching consistency and quality.

The facade features copper panels sourced from a German supplier. Over eight months, Clark met with Bates Smart and the supplier—across three time zones—to discuss the facade material, research finish options and create multiple visual mock-ups for review. Ultimately, the team selected raw natural copper panels for the exterior, sealed to mitigate the effects of oxidation. The solution delivered a consistent appearance while meeting procurement milestones to keep the project on schedule. The completed curtain wall system incorporated more than 750 copper panels, intended to emulate the colors of the Australian outback. To emphasize the organic nature of the copper, module width and angularity were varied in almost every curtain wall unit. In addition, crews had to order, sequence and install the copper panels with as little handling as possible to protect their natural copper patina.

As a secure embassy, the facade was designed and installed in compliance with forced entry/ballistic resistant requirements.

Photo by Joe Fletcher, courtesy Clark Construction

The team worked within the confines of a tight site, bordered by Scott Circle, the Philippines Embassy and a historic cathedral-style church with fragile stained-glass windows. Site constraints made the demolition of the old chancery’s concrete-encased steel structure a delicate process. To ensure the neighboring embassy and church’s facade remained intact during demolition, the team measured the impact of operations with vibration monitors.

Crews performed demolition close to adjacent buildings using small remote-controlled equipment before bulk demolition commenced. As additional protection, Clark installed netting over a church facade to prevent debris from reaching the decorative windows.

To meet the schedule, the team focused on long lead items—such as wall partition assemblies, HVAC equipment and ceiling tiles—for shop drawings and materials fabrication while remaining aspects of the design were completed to keep delivery of the space on track. The project was completed on schedule and on budget.