The firm Mason & Hanger declared one of the 2020 Engineering Excellence Award winners for their explementary work in engineering at the new U.S. Embassy, Pristina, Kosovo.
To ensure the embassy campus can be maintained at all times, Mason & Hanger performed detailed planning and simulations to achieve a resilient, self-sustaining campus and ensure each design strategy contributed to multiple program objectives. The embassy is centered around a large water feature which serves as a collection reservoir for site stormwater as well as effluent from the site’s wastewater treatment plant. The same pond serves a source for site irrigation water and gray water used within the buildings. Also, the water serves as a large heat sink for the central plant’s highly-efficient ground-source heat pump system. The pond acts as a thermal battery allowing the building’s HVAC system to extract heat in cold months and reject waste heat in warmer weather. The combined effects result in the site being nearly net-zero on annual water use, almost 40% more than typical, code-compliant buildings, all the while providing a quiet, pleasing environment, a home for native plant and animal species, and reduced operating and maintenance costs. While Mason & Hanger receive the accolades, we at the embassy are the fortunate team to be able to work in this beautiful addition to Pristina’s landscape.
Read more here to learn about this award and other recipients.
