Where the London Plane meets the Bald Cypress

If sometimes you think British architects can get a little flowery with their prose, try the Yanks.

"As a pure geometry, the cubic form is an ancient signifier of solidity, strength and permanence, all qualities of our democracy

Its surface is given form through the interface between a faceted external solar shading and collection system and the blast resistant glazing.

This crystal-like ethylene-tetrafluroethylene (ETFE) scrim has been optimized to shade interiors from east, west and south sun while admitting daylight and framing large open view portals to the outside. Its pattern visually fragments the façade while it intercepts unwanted solar gain and transforms it into energy by means of thin film photovoltaics positioned in the ETFE foils. The design of this scrim works vertically, horizontally and diagonally to eliminate directionality from the building's massing. The scrim also renders the largely transparent façades visible to migratory birds to discourage bird-strikes".

Yes, it's a square building. There's plenty more from Kieran Timberlake Architects here, celebrating their win in the design competition for a new US Embassy at Nine Elms.