New British Embassy opens in Warsaw

29/10/2009

Partnership working ensures successful delivery of new Embassy building

The recently opened British Embassy has been hailed a successful example of international partnership working.  Since the building’s inception in January 2006 Buro Happold, the global multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, has worked with both British and Polish designers and sub-contractors, delivering a range of services including structural and building services engineering, sustainability and alternative technologies, fire engineering design and risk assessment and acoustic consultancy. Tony Fretton Architects lead the design team.

Neoclassical simplicity

Located in the prestigious embassy district of Warsaw the distinctive 4,300 sq m building has a glazed double façade and incorporates offices, an exhibition hall and café and has been designed to feature a number of environmental measures to reduce energy consumption. Set in its own grounds facing Ulica Kawalerii to the south and a park to the north the building is elegant and imposing.

The ground floor is open to the public and features a large space for exhibitions and events, and a café that opens onto the garden. Also located on the ground floor is the Consular section and UK border agency which has a separate entrance, accessed via the grounds. The administrative offices of the Embassy are located on the first and second floors. Workspaces are well lit with daylight from the glass facades as well as two large courtyards in the centre of the complex. The Ambassador’s suite on the second floor looks out across extensive roof terraces.

Security

Designing an embassy is not without its complications: security is obviously a key factor as well as ensuring that the building regulations of the host country are met. Both of these factors were of crucial concern to Buro Happold.

Przemek Sobieski, associate with Buro Happold says: “While the Embassy was being built in Poland using standard Polish building permits and legislation, the land it is situated on is treated as British so English building regulations also had to be met.”

Sobieski adds “This meant we were obligated not only to satisfy the requirements of both British and Polish codes and building regulations in areas such as fire safety and health and safety, but also to meet which ever was the more stringent. This required a deep understanding of legal issues as well as building expertise.”

Sustainable solutions

Energy conservation is an important feature of the building; the glass elevations function as the outer skin of the double façade, to provide substantial thermal insulation in winter and to reduce heat in the summer.
The heating and cooling system inside the building has a variable flow and adjusts according to fluctuating external temperatures. These combined solutions significantly reduce the building’s energy consumption. Another sustainable design feature is the carbon dioxide driven ventilation, used in the exhibition area. This system adjusts the mechanical ventilation levels in accordance to room occupancy and has been used in the exhibition space as usage levels will fluctuate.

Project team

Client:

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Architects:

Tony Fretton Architects

Design and Build Contractor:

Mace Limited

Buro Happold services:

Building services engineering, structural engineering, sustainability and alternative technologies, fire engineering design and risk assessment, acoustic consultancy