The range of work has included new construction as well as the renovation and rehabilitation of existing buildings, many of which are listed on the Secretary of State’s Register of Culturally Significant Properties. Our work under the current IDIQ has encompassed a breadth of relevant design and planning work, including Historic Structure Reports (HSRs) and Cultural Landscape Reports (CLRs) for culturally significant properties, site security upgrades and guard towers, site utilization plans and space requirement programs, accessibility studies, new office buildings and additions to existing office buildings, interior tenant fit-outs, coordination with local experts and government officials (historians, surveyors, code experts, zoning departments), and full design from Concept Design to Construction Documents.
U.S. Department of State Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Architecture and Planning
The US Department of State leased a five-story office building in the hills of Belo Horizonte, Brazil to expand consular operations and visa processing in the country. BBB was engaged by the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) to provide building assessment, space planning, and interior design services for this diplomatic post. The primary intent of the architectural design was to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing environment for both staff and visitors to amplify the values of the United States in Latin America.
BBB was tasked with preparing a Cultural Significance Study (CSS) for the US Chancery in Copenhagen, Denmark. Drawing from targeted archival research, interviews with local professionals and facility staff, and on-site evaluations of existing conditions, the report provides a background history and detailed building chronology and assesses the cultural and historical significance, guided by the National Register of Historic Places Criteria for Evaluation.
The CSS included photographic documentation and narrative descriptions of alterations to the building and grounds. The original design and features were identified and described. Zoning diagrams included in the report record the relative significance of the building to help inform recommendations for future treatment. The report directly informed the major renovation and modernization of the building to retain as much of the historic fabric and character-defining features as possible. BBB conducted archival research in the US and Denmark and met with local building review agencies to review and understand Danish heritage and zoning protections on the property.
Project Credits
Jennie Gwin