LEED-Certified Embassies in Washington, D.C. Highlight Countries’ Cultures & Values

Excerpt: At the northwestern end of Washington’s Embassy Row, the stretch of Massachusetts Avenue between the National Cathedral and Dupont Circle where a majority of the 175-plus embassies in our nation’s capital are sited, the Royal Norwegian Embassy pays homage to its country while respecting the scale and aesthetic of its residential neighbors.

“Architecture can play a profound role in the diplomatic environment,” says LEED AP BD+C Laura Grafel, a principal at Fentress who served as project manager. “The renovated embassy promotes health, well-being, openness, transparency, craft, dignity and respect for the diplomats, staff and guests and ultimately has the power to shape diplomatic relationships in the future.”

Hosting an approximately 50-person staff, the embassy comprised the ambassador’s 1931 Italianate-style residence and a two-story limestone chancery added in the 1970s. Following a 2016 survey of the chancery’s conditions, Fentress Architects, a USGBC Silver member, collaborated with embassy representatives to design a 30,000-square-foot renovation and expansion in 2022 that earned LEED Gold certification.

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