THE EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

FAST VUT - Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Department of Architecture

Project idea

The goal was to design embassy of the Czech Republic in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The complex will be serving for diplomatic purposes and to represent Czech Republic in Ethiopia while it has to provide sufficient comfort for its staff. It also has to be accessible for disabled people.
Project includes official part (it consists of entrance spaces, representative part and administration part), consular and visa object (part for visitors and staff), Residence (divided into representative part for guests and space for living), residential building of embassy staff and building for local workforce. There should be also garage and utility part of the building.
3 gateways are required for the plot.

Project description

Plot have a shape of an irregular trapezoid, which has been split into two parts by a new road from south to north. Part of the plot west from this road is dedicated for parking and building for the local workforce while the eastern one holds the rest. There are 3 gateways to the eastern part of the plot which is fenced by a wall. The main gateways location was recommended in the south-western part of the plot however there is a service station with cars always parked in front of it. That's why in this project eastern gate is the main and the most representative gate. In the north is gateway dedicated for ambassador and his residence. Western gateway is mainly for local workforce and can be used as exiting gateway for guests.
Eastern part of the plot is divided to 4 parts. Representative, ambassadors garden with a tennis court, recreational part with traditional Ethiopian tukul and swimming pool. The last part is dedicated to traffic within the plot.
The main building on the eastern part of the plot consists of residential official part and residential part below this building is utility part and underground garage. East from the main building is residence for ambassador and next to is stays consular and visa building.
There are many vegetation mounds surrounded by concrete sitting walls. These mounds serves several purposes. Primary they are here as a storage for the soil dug during construction of buildings and underground spaces. They will provide shade and ideal place to sit down and relax.
The main building will have covered walkway with columns which will help to protect building from sun-heat and staff from rain during rainy months of the year. It also underlines the representative character of the building. It is also surrounded by a water canal which helps to cool down the main building and air within the area.

Technical information

Load bearing structure of the main building will be divided into 3 parts connected with expansion joints. Administrative and residential parts will be made of wall (structural) system. Load bearing structure of the representative part is designed as a concrete frame. Longitudinal stability of the building will be increased by 2 shear cores and shear walls. External walls are 500 mm thick while load bearing part of the wall is 300 mm. Covered walkway will be borne by 300 x 300 mm columns with axial distance 1500 mm. Basement walls will be made of 300 mm hollow concrete bricks covered with 200 mm thermal insulation made of extruded polystyrene (XPS).
External walls of all buildings (except building for local workforce) have ventilated facade which consists of glass panels with heat mirror technology, with aluminum cooling frame, ventilated space, thermal insulation connected to load bearing structure. Glass panels are coated with black reflective foil.
Roof above the main building is designed as double skin roof. Slope of the roof is 3 %, rainwater is led to water drain connected to pipe system which leads to underground water tank, extra water is infiltrated into soil within plot. Water tank will be used for watering green and for refilling cooling water canal around the main building.
Complex of buildings will be connected to local utility networks (gas, heavy current, weak current, sanitary sewerage). Drinking water will be taken from 200 m deep borehole located within the plot. Buildings will be heated with heat pumps.
Wall around the plot will be made of 400 mm thick and 3000 mm high. The wall will be made of reinforced concrete.

Co-authors

TEACHER/CONSULTANT: doc. Ing. arch. JURAJ DULENČÍN, Ph.D.

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