EYP-designed U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway celebrates groundbreaking

Oslo, Norway U.S. Ambassador Barry White, along with other honored guests and foreign dignitaries, celebrated the groundbreaking of the EYP-designed U.S. Embassy in Norway. Situated on a 10-acre site, the multi-building complex will include a chancery, underground support annex, three entry pavilions, and Marine security guard quarters. When completed in the spring of 2015, the new facility will provide a workplace to 200 employees. The new Embassy will incorporate numerous sustainable features, including a restored stream that will become a key landscape feature and contribute to storm water management. Other sustainable features include a green roof on one building, use of natural daylight for energy savings, and a ground-source heat exchange system that will allow the Embassy to meet nearly 100% of its heating load. The new site is also located within 300 meters of public transportation and includes more than 45 bicycle parking spaces. The facility is targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification by the Green Building Certification Institute. The northeast corner of the building is truly its public face, visible from the adjacent prominent roadway, Sørkedalsveien, and containing a two-story cafeteria that doubles as an events space. Traditional tall Norwegian windows will take full advantage of the abundant summer sun while capturing as much light as possible during the dark winters. Metal fins further emphasize this verticality at significant locations. Combining landscape planting with linear stone paving as used in the landscape, a roof terrace directly above the main entry space will be accessible from the cafeteria during the summer months. The main façades are to be clad in white Norwegian granite with grey fieldstone encircling its base, giving the impression that the building grows organically from the rocky site. Each of the above ground buildings will have a copper cornice, with the Marine Residence having extensive grey fieldstone and copper roofing. Copper becomes a design thread that both connects all of the elements of the compound and expresses a special bond between America and Norway - the copper for the Statue of Liberty was mined near the Norwegian town of Visnes. Commented EYP Federal Government Sector Leader Ed Kohlberg, "This impressive building will serve as a symbol of the strong diplomatic relationship between the United States and Norway. We are thrilled for the opportunity to showcase our extensive government design expertise in producing this sustainable, forward-thinking U.S. Embassy." EYP Lead Designer Paul King, AIA, LEED AP, said, "Norway is home to some of the world's most advanced sustainable design. Both the Oslo civic government and the local neighborhood are holding us to a very high environmental standard. We wanted the building not to command the site but to exist in deep harmony with the site." EYP Architecture & Engineering is the expertise-based, integrated architecture and engineering firm that specializes in sustainable design for government, higher education, and corporate clients. EYP Energy is a division of EYP that delivers comprehensive energy and sustainability services. Located in Albany, Boston, Greenville, New York City, Orlando and Washington, D.C., the firm is ranked among the largest A/E firms in the nation by Building Design & Construction magazine and recently ranked in The Architect 50, Architect Magazine's annual ranking of top architecture firms. ###