The Foreign Service Journal, December 2012

26 DECEMBER 2012 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL ornamenting a standard box; rather, it is about quality work at every level so that new buildings are engineered and constructed “for easy and economical maintenance over generations,” Muniz says. Architecture should harness the best in American talent and know-how, she continues, “because it conveys who we are.” Muniz is quick to point out that her views have also been shaped by the opinions of many who questioned “the look of fortress America”—some on the Hill, some within the State Department and many on her own staff. Senators John Kerry, D-Mass., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., are among those she singles out in that regard. And she was particularly influenced by the example of the new U.S. embassy in Beijing (2008). “If [Embassy] Beijing could work so well and look so good,” she asked, “why couldn’t we do the same elsewhere?” She ascertained that DS was more than willing to encourage innovative solutions by setting security requirements based on performance criteria, then moved to develop guiding principles for the new program. Guiding Principles Define Design Excellence Those guiding principles include: construction of embassies and consulates that are maximally safe, secure, functional and attractive; acquisition of (smaller) sites in urban areas, where possible, to enhance symbolism and accessibility; selection of designs that are cost-effective, contextual, flexible and enduring; use of the latest engineering techniques to maximize sustain- ability and energy-efficiency and to minimize long-term costs and maintenance issues; the hiring of the best designers and contractors; integration of art (local and American) to showcase cultural exchange and enhance buildings and grounds; and care and preservation of historic properties and other cultural assets. In describing the new Design Excellence program, Muniz makes it clear that its overall purpose is to further diplomacy, as broadly defined by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Although projects now underway—such as London, Jakarta and Guangzhou—will incorporate many of the same principles, the embassy compound in Mexico City will be the first fully com- pleted under the new program. Its architects, just selected, will be Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects/Davis Brody Bond Archi- tects; the project will go out for bid in 2015 and is scheduled for completion by 2019. Mixing design-bid-build with design-build projects, Muniz hopes to reinstate architects and landscape architects as key OBO partners to stimulate innovation. With architect Casey Jones, her director of Design Excellence, she is making presen- tations to groups of architects in cities across the country. Asked why she is trying so hard to introduce a program to architects who already have such a vested interest in it, Muniz replies: “Many talented architects won’t bother with OBO work for fear of its complexity, and they are reluctant to be sidelined in the overall process.” Muniz wants them “on board,” and she wants them to see OBO as a “good client.” OBO is also thinking about modifying the Industry Advisory Panel to create more opportunities for peer review. Building a Constituency If the Design Excellence initiative is to succeed and future embassies are to function effectively in a rapidly changing diplomatic landscape, OBO will have to build a constituency that extends far beyond architects. That is a daunting challenge. At Embassy Beijing, left, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP integrated American hi-tech design with Chinese landscape tradition. The 10-acre walled compound, completed in 2008, features a 15-story office tower. Art in Embassies has installed Jeff Koons’ sculpture, “Tulips,” in the water garden. The embassy reflects precepts of the “Design Excellence” program, as does U.S. Consulate Guangzhou, also by SOM and shown, below, in the rendering of a view from the street. The consulate is due for completion in 2013. SOM | © Timothy Hursley PhotoscourtesyofSkidmore,Owings&MerrillLLP