Total Link

University of Patras, School of Engineering, Department of Architecture, Patras

Project idea

The Czech Embassy complex in Addis Ababa acts as a Culture Link, while being also the business card of the Czech Republic. The project’s idea is to represent the linkage between the Republic and the Ethiopian “topos”, in all levels of its architectural expression. The total synthesis proposes a visible representation of a “whole” (one-piece) building responding to “genius loci” in a timelessness manner. While being an ambassador for Czech culture, embracing a simple and sophisticated European character, embodies local elements (i.e.: voids and semi-roofed spaces, atrium and materials). The Total Link concept proposes a distinctive character that will create a landmark for the area and the city. It also refers to the linkage of all building’s functional units and voids into one recognizable entity.

Project description

A simple mono-block building follows the lines of the site and embraces an Atrium for common gatherings, reflecting a non-ornamental austerity and the community life, characteristics of both countries. The building lowers its mass towards the southeast corner gesturing to the human scale. The friendly skin of the building reflects the link between the Czech Republic and Ethiopia in terms of materiality, allowing for climatic control. It also contains all different functions by linking them to a unified whole made of distinctive parts, thus, being more than just a conglomeration of spaces. It is about the creation of an envelope that embodies all the livable voids (Atrium, terraces, yards, verandas, semi-roofed passages and outdoor spaces) that are interlocking with the program’s indoor requirements.
The proposed building is embedded in the site with caring distance from its boundaries with its basic lines connecting to them allowing for a bonding relationship to each one. All required spaces are spread on almost two full levels with very small parts on a third level above ground. The building does not have a basement for economy and safety purposes.
A private street is created crossing from south to north, offering an internal protected entrance and separation from the local workforce units (placed in the south-west side of the site). This choice allows for a more private (West) entry to the Embassy, instead of placing it straight on the street facades. At the same point all necessary entries for car-parking for the Embassy staff and the ambassador as well as spaces for required technical services are placed, in order to be highly secure.
The Ground floor level houses the entrance to the Embassy and supporting functions (Car-Parking, Technical services, Reception, etc.) on the west side. The Official Embassy offices, the public zone and the Representative spaces the secure zone and embassy staff offices, meeting rooms, lounges and assembly room are placed with discreet relation to the internal Atrium, on west, north and south sides of the building, creating an immediate access to it. The East side of the building is dedicated to Embassy staff housing, with all units mainly looking to the south using also both their west and east facades for natural lighting and ventilation.
On the southeast lower part of the building the consular and visa office is placed as a separate unit, with its own entrance from the east, security and visitor’s parking space. It acts as a separate building with protected access to the other zones and in the same time belongs to the total entity completing its wholeness.
The ground floor athletic facilities and garden for the staff is placed on the eastern side. On the north landscaped area a well protected garden and pool area is located mainly serving the ambassador and guests. Within the same configuration lies the bbq area and the traditional tukul structure along with lightweight shading structures. The South garden is softly landscaped and serene acting as a friendly green barrier. The southwest corner is occupied by a water element that reflects the building and creates a cooling serenity.
On the first floor the housing on the east side continues with more units as well as the offices and technical services on the west and south. The north side is dedicated to the ambassador’s apartment that has a separate entrance and access to the offices and a well-proportioned closed-open space arrangement. All main spaces of the apartment are looking south at a distance from the south façade to the Atrium. By overlooking the common yard and the Atrium on the ground floor as well as the northern garden (pool, bbq, deck and trees), a remote space is created. Due to its configuration and positioning in the building mass, is protected from the discomfort of views from all other zones of the building at any level. On the apartment’s roof there is space for a possible future expansion and enough area to host arrays of solar and photovoltaic panels that could offer a great deal by minimizing the cost.
The second level above the ground hosts a large housing unit (on the top of the eastern band of housing) and the ventilated (outdoor) roofed area that encloses the HVAC units on the roof, hidden, thus completing a homogenous roof and facades free of any mechanical obstacles.
The roof is simple and is leaning towards the southeastern corner, with a constant relatively small slope, covered by zinc type panels, reflecting the reach European tradition on roofs. In combination with lightweight roof structures (wooden pergolas with bamboo covering) the roof represents a complete periphery, contributing to the “wholeness” sensation of one entity.
The morphology of the facades is using mainly two materials: a. the grey-colored ash-cement bricks that are very common in Ethiopia (recently produced also through garbage incinerator industrial unit) and b. the U-glass type panels that are a symbol of the long relation of the Czech people to this material. The lightness of glass interplays with the coarse surface of the bricks, linking them together into a breathable skin, through the designed perforation of the brick walls. Behind the brick walls in many cases openable windows can be used for ventilation and framed views to the gardens and to the water element. This outer skin, unite the separated and distinct zones into a whole suggesting a unique character of the proposed Embassy avoiding scattering and unnecessary circulation.
On the southwest corner of the site the small compound for local workforce is placed, allowing for remote units with own yards and workshops, adjacent to a parking area for local staff and visitors. Neighbored to that, the enclosed parking space for the ambassador’s cars and for the employees is considered part of the fencing wall, has relatively low height and encloses other service facilities (maintenance, car-wash, garbage collection, etc.) allowing for possible future extensions to the north. This area is green roofed and sky-lighted and acts more as ground than a building, well hidden from the street.
Planting will be made with indigenous plants of different kinds serving the desired purposes. High trees for the boundaries are preferred for better privacy. Beautification trees and shrubs will offer internal serenity and create a local microclimate. Isolated big trees are proposed in certain areas (barbeque, garden, pool area). Parking will be more unseen with the use of normal size trees. Proposed trees are red jacaranda (national tree of Ethiopia), African olive tree, eucalyptus, Ginkgo biloba, cedars, cypresses, cercusilex, acacias, laurels, yuccas, aloe, palm trees, decorative flowers of the area, etc.

Technical information

The proposed structure has a periphery of 15 m. wide spaces that allows for only three structural lines of supports in each band of the building. Where the space requires wider openings is only one-storey and is covered with metal roof structure. The rest of the two-storey building is proposed to be constructed by concrete sandwich type slabs 40 cm. thick with 30*70 cm. beams placed behind the facades only. Columns and sheer walls can be accommodated accordingly within the proposed walls or free-standing where it is functional (i.e. parking spaces). The foundation is proposed to be made by an array of concrete T section footing at an excavation depth not exceeding 1,20 m.
For all permanent interior walls, ash bricks, exposed or plastered are proposed. Other interior separation glass panels will also be used. The facades either of single or double-skinned will be made as ex-said by local ash-concrete bricks (20*20*40), u-glass type panels and aluminum grey-colored frame, the same used for the windows, doors and glass surfaces as well. Floors are proposed to be constructed by wood in most parts with some exceptions (i.e.: technical services, parking, compound, bathrooms, kitchens, etc.) made by epoxy-covered industrial cementitious layer and/or ceramic tiles. The false ceilings will carry all electrical, mechanical, lighting and ventilation and will be made by gypsum boards at a height of 40-50 cm. under the slabs.
Due to Ethiopias’ climatic conditions, the most necessary provision is nighttime ventilation during the hot periods and good rainfall drainage during the rain periods.
The facades are designed to have hidden openings behind the clustered perforated brick walls and elsewhere openings for ventilation. The carefully made landscape will offer shade and better cooling to the air at proximity, creating micro-climatic conditions. The HVAC units will operate sparsely during the year (as conditions are not harsh) and mostly for artificial ventilation and air filtering for the office areas with the use of a thermostat for economy. The mechanical systems required are simple and easy due to their segmented function in zones. Each of the staff apartment units including the ambassador’s apartment will be serviced by individual a/c units as needed. Electric ceiling fans for internal evaporation will also be essential for each room.
The continuous roof will perform well for drainage. Water can be saved during rainfalls in tanks under the water element on the southwest side and can be used later for the gardens. Water falling in not roofed areas of the building will be directed to the southeastern corner where the existing lower level is. From there, it can be directed to the street or in tanks when empty. The irrigation on site will be able to be accommodated in any uncovered or covered area (gardens, parking spaces, etc.) depending on the exact spot. A pump unit can be easily situated at a later version of the project.
Hot water for usage can be obtained by solar panels placed on the roof above the ambassador’s apartment. On the same roof, photovoltaic panels with ac/dc transformers can store energy for considerable savings and for autonomous operation in case of a black-out, in combination with a main generator placed in the technical service area. The Embassy’s and ambassador’s safety requires no power interruptions. In addition, a greenhouse is placed at the bedroom corridor of ambassador’s apartment, to compensate for energy during the cooler periods.
All exterior works can be performed in a simple manner and require no special expertise (fencing wall, local workforce compound, landscaping of gardens, athletic facilities, pool, pergolas, wooden decks, water element, lighting, etc.)
Most of the materials and construction techniques should be found locally, with the only exception of the glass panels that could be imported from Czech Republic, as well as some mechanical or electronic equipment suitable for the Embassy’s operations.
According to our estimations the total cost of the building (including all exterior works, landscaping and fencing, all project studies and permits, etc.) and the local prices, should not exceed €3.7 m. Economy is achieved mainly due to the concentration of all linked zones in one entity with no basement and the choice of construction methods and materials. Economy from the energy point of view will also be achievable due to the good F/V ratio (F=surfaces exposed to environment, V=Volume of building), which is below 0.8.

Co-authors

Dimitris Antoniou