The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Breaks Ground on New U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe

Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) —In an important symbol of enduring friendship with Zimbabwe, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe D. Bruce Wharton, alongside local officials, broke ground today on the new U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The new Embassy will be located on a 16-acre site in the Bluff Hill Township area, approximately 6.2 miles northwest of the city center. The campus will include an office building and associated support facilities. Completion of the project is anticipated in 2018.

AECOM of Washington, D.C., is the design architect, and Page of Washington, D.C., is the architect of record. B.L. Harbert, International of Birmingham, Alabama, is the construction contractor. The project will incorporate numerous sustainable features, including energy efficient lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and rainwater harvesting.

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 121 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 46 projects in design or under construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.