NEW RESIDENCE AT THE BELGIAN EMBASSY
Washington D.C., United States,

PROGRAM: residence including living spaces for ambassador, staff quarters and representational spaces
CLIENT: Belgian Government
SIZE: 23.000 sf
STATUS: on goingcompleted

The Belgian Government through is Foreign Affairs Office commissioned Z&Z architectural designs to materialize the construction from planning designs and execution of its new flagship building at Washington D.C. It is not only to be a private house but also a cultural gathering place on which standards and self-image of a country are measured. Sited on a hill with a direct view through the trees to the Washington monument in the distance, a diagonal line of overlapping spaces drawn through a cruciform courtyard plan was the conceptual starting point. Official arrival spaces and ceremony spaces are connected along this diagonal line on the first level, while private living quarter functions are on the level above. Materials are charcoal integral color concrete trimmed in local slate and sand-blasted structural glass planks. Constructed according to Belgian Standards , the south facades use passive solar energy. The roof is a "sedum" green roof with PVC panels. The existing natural landscape will be clarified with new walkways and trees, while the plateau of the residence defines an arrival square: a reception courtyard and an herb garden with sub-floor wiring flexibilities.