KUBIK

Ecole Nationale d'Architecure de Strasbourg

Project idea

The principal idea of my project was to fusion the Czech and Ethiopian architecture with the maximum of the security and comfort level. Then throw most of the researches I stood up on reviewed Cubism (cause Czech Cubism is one of the most famous periods in cubism movement architecture) as a design and rammed earth as local material. As a security measure, I mad the supplement corridor between defensive wall and embassy building entry.

I also want to explain the name of the project. I call it "KUBIK" what means a cube in Russian, but it also used as a name of Rubik's Cube, what we name "kubik rubik" in russian. Rubik was an architect who becomes famous in big part for their brainteaser, the most famous is Rubik's cube. The architecture of the embassy is a kind of brainteaser, cause the challenge of security level, etc. That I called my project KUBIK, cause from some points of view we see the simple cube building, and from another point of view there is another completely different figure what appears.

Project description

First of all, I delimited the possible zones of construction of the embassy building, which was suitable 25m from the area limits. Then I thought about the logic and practice of the entrance on the embassy area. That why I created this kind of tampon corridor, putting the second wall in parallel of the defensive wall. Now I had 2 accesses to the embassy: The main entrance on the north-est and second entrance with the parking, as a consular entrance, on the south-est corner. Later this second wall becomes a united element of the whole embassy building. I repeated the same double wall on the side of local workforce building. Like this the territory of the embassy has two levels of isolation in case of the unstable security situation: first, close the defensive wall, second close the double wall.
Secondly, the building on their own. I wanted absolutely to make a kind of mono-block for the biggest part of this project. As you can see on the plan, there is only a garage and building of the local workforce are visibly separated.

So once we passe the first check-point at the entrance on the territory, we can access as a public only in consulate building (what is situated in the south) or in official building what is situated more on the north. In the residence of the ambassador, we can access only once passed the checkpoint in the official part building or by controlled car.
* Official part
Once we enter the official part, passing the control, we come in the reception hall (where we also have access to the restroom for public). Dew the reception we can or going upstairs to join the meeting rooms or to continue in the big hall with cloakroom. This hall joins the semi-open circulation space, related to the interior patio garden, which deserves the whole representative part of the building. So the ground floor the only level with public access. On this floor, we have also other accesses, on the north of the building, we can find two entrance, which serves as residence entrances. And two stuff entrance on the passage between the official embassy building and ambassador residence. This entrance offer access to offices sections, technical support, and some other stuff locations.
Coming up on the first floor we find isolated part of meeting rooms, what I talk earlier, that we haw access only from the ground floor. On the east and south part of the building, we find out the office section. On the north part the residence (on this floor we find the studios of 25M2). We have also access on the patio terrasse from the offices' section on the first floor. The assembly room, what situated on the ground floor, has a double hight. On this floor, we also have the communication with the consul department, by the footbridge.
NB. On the n-w corner of this building, I created a place for bike storage.
We continue to rise this building, and on the second floor, we find on the north the apartments of the residence. On the left corner technical zone, and approximatively at the same place the office section.
And finally, on the third floor, we have the residence and a small office section on the SE of the building.
* Consul department building
On the ground floor of the consulate building, we have public access with the security checkpoint, which brings us in the waiting hall, with restroom, meeting room, and reception of visa application. That separated by a supplement door we have the other part of the building, not for the public. Where we find one meeting room and office on the ground floor, and 2 more offices with WC/shower room on the first floor, and also the access to the official building.
* Ambassador residence
On the ground floor of the residence, we find only representative space, what include the check-point, the main hall, restroom, cloakroom, representative room, and dining room with a representative kitchen.
Then coming on the first floor we come in the private apartment of the ambassador. Where we have the night section with five rooms and two bathrooms. And day section with a spacious saloon on double hight and separated kitchen. From the saloon, we have a stair what brings us on the third floor, what is the office of the ambassador, with access on the terrasse.
* Local workforce building
This building situated out of a double wall and include 4 simple 2 rooms apartments with a small garden and with shared space as cloakroom and laundry. * Garage
- In the garage building, we find out the garage places for 10 car, drivers room, and garbage room. This building situates just near the car entrance, which makes the facility of circulation.

Technical information

For this project, I made an impact on bioclimatic architecture. Throw my knowledge and researchers, I stood up on the rammed earth as a principal material of construction. Firstly this material is local and economic and it offers integrity in the urbanity of Addis Abeba. Secondly, this material is bioclimatic material, which offers natural isolation, which is really important for the building situated in this kind of hot climate. The construction reinforced by the interior concrete walls. The overlap is also made of armored concrete.

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