Washington, DC (31 January 2011) – A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to dedicate the New Embassy Compound (NEC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The NEC is one of 17 U.S. embassy and consular projects designed by PageSoutherlandPage. B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama, under a design/build contract, constructed the $157 million NEC, which was completed in August 2010.

The new compound, which is the largest U.S. chancery in sub-Saharan Africa, consolidates in one facility the U.S. embassy to Ethiopia and the U.S. Mission to the African Union. Previously, U.S. government agencies operated in separate buildings and in four different locations around the city of Addis Ababa.

The building integrates green building techniques and was one of the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registered facilities in Ethiopia. It includes architectural features drawing on Ethiopian historical styles and incorporates stone features from Ethiopian architectural monuments in Axum and Lalibela. Located just below Entoto Mountain and overlooking Addis Ababa, the embassy was designed to maintain much of the plant and wildlife that has existed on the site for many years.

PageSoutherlandPage Washington, D.C. team members included: Honore Carmona, Hunter Cotterman, Anthony Alafriz, Ben Webne, Kristin Ward, Javier Rodriguez, Victor Olvera, Sarah Odom, Jameson Terry, Floyd Stoutt, Orisa Velasquez, Alison Corcoran, Elizabeth Hamilton, Nick Burgoyne, James Wright, Bill Brown and Thomas McCarthy.

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