28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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lucerne-based firm roeoesli & maeder has completed switzerland’s new embassy in nairobi, kenya’s(h!ps://www.designboom.com/tag/architecture-in-kenya/) capital and largest city. the building is surrounded bytrees which have an embedded social and poli!cal importance following poli!cal ac!vist wangari maathai’s greenbelt movement in the country, which began in 1977. set in a lush and leafy neighborhood, the embassy’s footprintcircumvents the site’s exis!ng trees, while the building itself is topped with a green roof — further integra!ng it intoits bucolic context.

roeoesli & maeder integrates new swiss embassy into leafy nairobi neighborhood

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roeoesli & maeder integrates new swiss embassy into leafy nairobi neighborhood

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28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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switzerland’s new embassy in nairobi, kenyaimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/) (also main image) a perimeter wall, a safety provision mandated by the brief, turned out to be the star"ng point of the embassy’sdesign — merging the enclosure of the site, with interior programing. ‘the building itself grows seamlessly out of thisenclosing wall, which spirals into the middle of the site, culmina!ng in a split-level arrangement of rooms at thecenter,’ explains roeoesli & maeder (h"ps://www.roeoesli-maeder.ch/). ‘a slight gradient of the ground furtherenhances the split level arrangement, with each of the offset floors containing different func!ons.’

the building’s faceted, polygonal geometry is unified by red-!nted concrete wallsimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/)

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internally, the lobby, which serves as the building’s central hub, connects the different areas of the embassy. thespace also provides a visual connec!on to the outside world, furthering the embassy’s rela!onship with its naturalse$ng. the building’s faceted, polygonal geometry — a direct result of the desire to maintain prominent trees — isunified by concrete walls with a dyed red colora!on, (a tone that resembles the iron oxide found in the local soil).

the thick concrete façade regulates the building’s internal temperatureimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/) importantly, the thick concrete façade regulates the building’s internal temperature, meaning that there is no needfor air condi"oning or hea"ng. in addi!on, a flexible use of internal space, an array of solar panels, and rain andwaste water recycling systems complement the sustainable use of the building. roeoesli & maeder won thecompe!!on to complete the building in 2011 before collabora!ng with local firm DMJ architects(h"p://www.daginterna!onal.com/Dmj_Web/HOME.html) to realize the project.

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28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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a visual connec!on is provided to the outside worldimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/)

large windows frame external viewsimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/)

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28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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each of the offset floors contain different func!onsimage © fabio idini (h"ps://www.movieandclick.it/)

a slight gradient of the ground enhances the split level arrangementimage © fabio idini (h"ps://www.movieandclick.it/)

28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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the building is surrounded by trees which have an embedded social and poli!cal importanceimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/)

the perimeter wall turned out to be the star!ng point of the embassy’s designimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/)

28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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full ar!cle here

the structure is topped with a green roofimage © iwan baan (h"ps://iwan.com/)

project info: compe""on (open procedure): 2011realiza"on: october 2014 – august 2016loca"on: embassy of switzerland (h"ps://www.eda.admin.ch/nairobi), nairobi, kenya

28.08.18, 11(03roeoesli & maeder completes new swiss embassy in nairobi, kenya

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philip stevens I designboom jun 05, 2018

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very though%ul design. As a Nairobian, I really appreciate the deliberate effort to put up the embassy in a design thatcaptures the Kenyan way of life, our social values and poli!cal symbolism. Kudos Switzerland, maybe you should nowopen up Swiss bank branches in Kenya, we got some loot to stash :-).

jun 05, 2018

(h"ps://www.designboom.com/architecture/roeoesli-

maeder-swiss-

embassy-nairobi-

kenya-06-05-

2018/#comment-

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plot area: 4,046 sqmfootprint: 770 sqmusable area: 1,512 sqmmain usable area: 849 sqmvolume as per SIA 116: 6,120 m3photography: iwan baan and fabio idini client: swiss conferdera!on, federal office for building and logis!cs FOBL project manager: jodok brunner client’s representa"ve in nairobi: bautop 2001 (h"ps://www.bautop-2001.ch/) collabora"on: rené häni architect: ro.ma. roeoesli & maeder gmbh (h"ps://www.roeoesli-maeder.ch/), dipl. architekten eth bsa collabora"on: chris!an maeder, philipp röösli, adrian rogger local architect: DMJ architects (h"p://www.daginterna!onal.com/Dmj_Web/HOME.html)collabora"on: simon johnson project management: mentor management ltd. (h"ps://www.mmlea.com/) collabora"on: andrew ward, lawrence mureithi landscape architect: concrete jungle (h"p://www.junglescaper.com/) collabora"on: bruce hobson civil engineer: BG ingenieure und berater AG (h"p://www.bg-21.com/en/homeo'g) (zürich) collabora"on: markus pieper civil engineer: metrix integrated consultancy (h"p://www.metrix.co.ke/)collabora"on: khalid alkizim MEP engineer: BG ingenieure und berater AG (h"p://www.bg-21.com/en/homeo'g) collabora!on: maxime raemy, benoît müller MEP engineer: EAMS ltd. consul!ng engineers (h"p://www.eams-consultants.co.ke/)collabora"on: gordon schofield

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