Umoja House by the Manser Practice

Umoja House, Tanzania, was presented at the AT Awards live finals on 20 September 2023 to a jury comprising Rab Bennetts, Juliette Morgan, Neil Thomas, Peter Bishop, Nana Biamah-Ofosu, and Chair Isabel Allen. Read about how the project has stood the test of time.

Completed
2004

Designed by The Manser Practice, Umoja House is the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for the British, French, Dutch, and German governments, the European Economic Community, and the Department for International Development – a pioneering project for this kind of co-location. A key challenge was obtaining consensus from all parties for each design decision.

An intermittent electrical supply reinforced the desire to deliver good air flow and ambient temperatures without air-conditioning, achieved through a combination of sunshades, a narrow floor plate and passive ductwork. This became particularly challenging when terrorist attacks in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam prompted a reappraisal of security measures and a stipulation that all glazing needed to be not just openable but bullet proof as well.

Initial ideas for a doughnut-shaped plan evolved into parallel blocks, housing bespoke spaces for each legation, either side of an atrium, with shared facilities at ground-floor level. The atrium is covered but not internal thereby contributing to the natural ventilation strategy. The project also employs freshwater storage, rainwater harvesting and solar water heating.

Working with local consultants, the insitu structure was delivered using indigenous materials and skills, an approach that saved time and money, as well as carbon through reduced air and shipping miles. This model has informed the approach to subsequent projects in Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

The building has provided the flexibility required by the various user groups and continues to function as an efficient diplomatic centre operating on minimum energy use.