Bates Smart's earthy Australian embassy in Washington

Bates Smart has been selected as the design consultant for the new Australian Embassy in Washington.

The competition winning design by Bates Smart, in partnership with local firm KCCT, is to be located at the diplomatic heart of Washington.

The design is suggested as embodying the spirit of Australia through direct references to the distinctive Australian landscape: its bright and clear natural light and open skies, its warm materiality and its vast scale.

At ground floor level a large open public space announces itself as the grand entry into the building looking back towards the White House.

Features include a thermally efficient façade, a green roof with an extensive photovoltaic array, expansive use of natural light and the latest building services technologies.

The new Australian Embassy will replace the existing embassy building which was also designed by Bates Smart in 1964, according to the Dexigner website.

The original design by Sir Osbourne McCutcheon was the first purpose-built Australian embassy building since Australia House was constructed in London in 1918.

"It is with great pride that we have the opportunity to replace this building with the next generation of Bates Smart design," commented Kristen Whittle at Bates Smart.

"The project has a refined and rich materiality which will make it stand out in Washington," she told Dexinger.