-By Stacy Straczynski

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is "in the know" when it comes to design and business. The San Francisco-based firm’s design of the new U.S. Embassy Complex in Beijing was recently awarded the 2010 Good Design is Good Business China Award in the Best Public Project category. The third bi-annual award, hosted by Architectural Record and McGraw-Hill Construction now, recognized a total of 17 projects for designs that support the advancement of business and civic objectives.

The U.S. Embassy, Beijing (August 2008) lies on a 10-acre site capital city's Third Diplomatic Enclave, as previously reported by Contract [http://www.contractmagazine.com/contract/content_display/news/e3id0839a35f93f4784f7d8a9663dc242ac?imw=Y]. At 500,000 sq.-ft., it is the second largest U.S. Embassy ever created. The design, which features a series of modern stone, glass, and concrete low- and mid-rise buildings dispersed within a collection of more traditional Chinese gardens, creates a welcoming space that portrays American culture and values—both social and political—while simultaneously staying respectful to China’s local traditions.

“Wrestling with tough security requirements, the architects used the Beijing traditions of walled compounds and garden design to create a place that represents American values of transparency and cultural diversity,” comments the awards jury, which includes editors from Architectural Record, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Time+Architecture, in a statement.

SOM design partner Craig Hartman, FAIA will present the project at a gala event and conference in Shanghai on March 12, where the Embassy and the other projects will be honored. Department of State design manager Jay Holleran will also attend the event and participate in a panel discussion.

All winners of the 2010 “Good Design is Good Business” China Award will be published in the June issue of Architectural Record China and on-line at ArchitecturalRecord.com and BusinessWeek.com.