Downtown Africa
The new U.S. Embassy in Niamey, Niger has been certified LEED Platinum by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). USGBC’s LEED green building program certifies the design, construction, maintenance, and operations of high-performance buildings. This certification marks the first Platinum project in western Africa and is the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ (OBO) third Platinum certification in its diplomatic portfolio. Niamey joins 55 U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide with LEED certifications, including 2 other Platinum projects, 18 Gold, 20 Silver, and 14 Certified.
The Miller Hull Partnership of Seattle was the design architect for the project. B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama was the construction contractor with Page as architect of record. Working closely with OBO, the team employed exemplary levels of performance with rigorous energy- and water-saving techniques.
Photovoltaic arrays produce up to 712 KW, more than half of the facility’s needs, while consumption is minimized with finely tuned screens and canopies that reduce solar heat gain by nearly 60 percent. By responding to the local climate, many of the energy and water-saving measures are integrated into the project’s design and construction. Additional proven, future-forward technologies are incorporated to reuse water or capture wasted energy, such as waste-water treatment, stormwater detention, and energy recapture systems.
Since the start of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program in 1999, OBO has completed 171 new diplomatic facilities. OBO currently has more than 50 active projects either in design or under construction worldwide.
OBO provides safe, secure, functional, and resilient facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and that support U.S. diplomats in advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad.
This article was from a press release distributed by APO Group. You can start earning money by becoming our Independent Reporter or Contributor. Contact us at IR@downtownafrica.com
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