"The intent of the State Department is to establish a design andmodify it so it complies with the unique conditions on a site, suchas the geography and climate," URS DC office head Lou Robinsontells GlobeSt.com. URS Corp.'s SED calls for a complex to belocated on a 10-acre site and to consist of several structurestotaling 195,000 sf. The structures include a New Chancery OfficeBuilding, an office building for use by USAID, a residentialstructure to house Marine guards, and compound access controlbuildings.

The goal is to locate new embassies away from the street and insuburban areas of capital cities when possible. Security, ofcourse, plays a great role in the compound design. A security wallsurrounds the complex, which has three entrances, but that is justfor starters. "Along with September 11 came a heightened awarenessand concerns about chemical-biological attacks," URS principalGerald Briggs explains. The plan for an SED, however, was a resultof the Oklahoma City tragedy and the bombings of two US embassiesin Africa. "The walls are designed to withstand the effect of ablast and do not contain large expanses of glass," he continues."And there are [specially designed] mechanical, ventilation andfiltering systems." URS reiterates the goal is to adapt the SED toparticular sites.

As for construction cost, Robinson estimates that an embassycompound based on the SED model could cost as much as $400 to $500per-sf. "The typical office building in DC would cost no more than$100 per-sf to build," Briggs says, "and that would be a class Abuilding. Currently these SED guideline documents are being issuedto potential design-build contractors for the new embassies.