U.S. Embassy Compound
Lusaka, Zambia

Design/Build
Civil Engineer & Landscape Architect of Record: Cowen Design
Design-Builder: BL Harbert International
Architect of Record : EYP Architecture & Engineering

Cowen Design Group served as the Civil Engineer and Landscape Architect of Record for the U.S. Embassy Compound in Lusaka, Zambia. The project included a private staff garden, outdoor recreational facilities, lush native plantings along with a myriad of new facilities and site elements.

The U.S. Embassy Compound in Lusaka, Zambia was designed to convey American values and create an environmentally sensitive landscape along with sustainable and functional infrastructure. The local climate necessitated harvesting rain water to sustainably maintain the landscape through long periods of drought. Cowen Design Group worked together with the design team to create a reliable and efficient landscape and civil engineering design for the rain water harvesting.

In order to establish a culturally sensitive design, extensive research of local culture, tribal customs, and traditional crafts informed the hardscape paving patterns for pedestrian walks and vehicular drives. Plant selection and utility design was sensitive to the local climate and weather conditions, setting a precedent through the extensive use of native, non-irrigated grasses to save scarce water. The landscape and civil design played a large role in attaining LEED Silver for the project.