Australian High Commission

Australia has been diplomatically represented in India since 1947. The original Chancery, built in 1966 and extended in 1991, no longer provided suitable or secure accommodation to support the operations of the High Commission in New Delhi.
The redevelopment included the provision of an interim Chancery for staging and the construction of a new permanent Chancery, two new townhouses, and another existing house converted into three apartments. Constructed on the existing site, the design resolved contextual, security and cultural challenges of the site.

The redeveloped High Commission compound retains its serene character of elegant staff houses, apartments set within manicured lawns and gardens. The new chancery building compliments built form clear design principles. The new Chancery is an impressive symbol of Australia's fast-expanding relations with the growing Indian nation.

The placement of the new Chancery building required significant setbacks from the site boundaries at the north and west (due to authority requirements and threat assessment), and is bounded by existing buildings and landscape to the south and east.
New Delhi’s extreme climate conditions and the security requirements have influenced the buildings development and the use of external spaces.
The building form and façade configuration draws on historical and local climate precedence whilst also responding to functional requirements. The courtyard provides a secure outdoor place for users, also providing shade to increase useability throughout the harsh summer months. The glazing is shaded, thus reducing heat load on the building and reducing the capital and running costs of mechanical air conditioning and minimizing impact on the environment.

Materials to minimise energy consumption, reliance on artificial lighting, and a water harvesting strategy are all sustainability design aspects that have been incorporated.
The Australian High Commission is the formal representation of Australia within India, as such the High Commission building presents a collaboration of Australian and India culture. The redevelopment respects the local context, being sympathetic to the neighbouring historic parliamentary precinct, in both form and materials.
The contemporary façade features two local sandstones, sourced from the Rajistan desert, cream and classic Delhi-red sandstone, blending in with nearby government buildings. The stones are selected for their thermal efficiency and strength in addition to their overall aesthetic and cultural significance. The form of the windows respects and borrows from the aperture detailing used Sir Edwin Lutyens and also resolves specific security requirements.

The overall outcome is peaceful working environment representing world class workplace conditions presenting as welcoming presence for Australia emersed in the Indian cultural context.

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