Abstract -U.S. diplomatic facilities must balance many priorities; integrating non-negotiable security requirements while expressing the openness and transparency of our democracy, and respecting and reflecting the context of the host country. Over the past decade, through multiple administrations, the Miller Hull Partnership has designed seven new embassies or consulates in locations across the globe, developing an approach to design that is responsive to local context, expressive of environmental stewardship, and representative of the U.S. diplomatic mission.
Sian Roberts, FAIA, is a partner with the Miller Hull Partnership based in Seattle, Washington. With over thirty years at Miller Hull, she has led design teams working on higher education academic buildings as well as civic and infrastructure facilities for both state and federal government clients. An advocate for improved integration across built environments disciplines, her projects have won local and national AIA awards for design and sustainability. Roberts has led the firm’s projects with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) for over a decade.