British Embassy

The 3,800 m² scheme is designed over three levels and is located on a 1.5 hectare site in central Jakarta.  The project is due to complete in 2011.

The design, expressed in a spiraling form, folds around a central protected courtyard and twists up and outwards to form the Embassy’s public entrance invoking a sense of calm assurance.  Sustainability is a key design consideration and challenge: Jakarta is in a highly seismic zone with excessive humidity levels; rain falls for eight months a year. Currently the design has been assessed as Excellent under the BREEAM rating. Site security has also influenced the scheme and is the logic to the centrally located building footprint.

The public and private functions within the building are separated with public services located on the ground floor and private Embassy functions located above.  The public courtyard brings the tropical landscape into the heart of the building with a contained and controlled environment, very different in character to the lush landscape around the building. Water recycling is important: all rain water falling on the structure will be collected, stored and used for irrigation and grey water purposes; this will also reduce the burden on the City’s water systems.  To help eliminate solar gain, the Embassy is designed on an east-west axis.

HOK are using Revit Architecture throughout the design process. BIM exchanges are made by the design team, Ramboll Whitbybird Structures are producing the structural BIM model using Bentley structure - this model is saved as IFC and imported into the HOK model. Ramboll Whitbybird Services are using REVIT MEP to detail the services for this project and likewise linked to the HOK model.

HOK are currently detailing the building, with the combined BIM approach which provides greater accuracy in coordination and more dynamic communication with all of the project team prior to construction.