The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has announced the names of three firms that have “pre qualified” to bid for the contract to construct the new U.S. embassy in Mexico City.
The successful companies are B.L. Harbert International, Walsh Global and W.G. Yates and Sons Construction Company. The contract will be awarded next year with construction scheduled to start in 2015.
In June 2012, OBO selected the firms Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Davis Brody Bond to design the new embassy compound. According to a press release, the Mexico City project falls under OBO’s Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities initiative and will “demonstrate the value of an integrated design that balances aesthetics, cost, constructability and reliability.”OBO says its 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.”