The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) required a Nairobi headquarters that could serve simultaneously as a functioning diplomatic workplace and as an ambassadorial expression of Italy's development mission across sub-Saharan Africa.
The brief demanded spaces that could host formal government delegations, UN partners, NGO collaborators, and internal teams — all within the same address. Every space had to speak the language of institutional credibility while feeling modern, welcoming, and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals that guide AICS's mandate.
Our concept for the AICS Nairobi office was "Institutional Warmth" — a deliberate tension between the formal gravitas expected of a diplomatic headquarters and the human warmth that characterises Italy's development cooperation ethos.
The reception area sets the tone for the entire office. A monolithic white terrazzo counter runs the full width of the reception wall, its speckled finish echoing Italian marble traditions. Behind it, the 3D-mounted AICS logotype and dove icon are precision-cut in black acrylic — bold enough to photograph, refined enough to sit quietly in the room.
Flag protocol required careful spatial planning: the Kenyan, Italian, EU, and AICS flags needed to stand with equal prominence and proper diplomatic spacing without dominating the reception aesthetic. This was resolved through a dedicated flag alcove with brass pole fixtures.
The principal meeting room was designed to host formal bilateral meetings between Italian government representatives and African counterparts, as well as regular meetings with UN bodies headquartered in Nairobi.
A warm-oak conference table for 14 anchors the room. Black leather task chairs signal formality. The walls are cool white with a recessed LED ceiling providing even lighting for video conferencing. A full-wall display screen supports presentations and calls.
The most distinctive element of the project is the lobby SDG wall — a freestanding black industrial pipe-frame structure carrying all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goal tiles alongside photography panels documenting AICS's work in the field.
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