The U.S. State Dept.’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations has awarded B.L. Harbert International LLC a $699-million contract to build a new U.S. Embassy compound in Islamabad.

Totaling 1.6 million sq ft, the project includes a chancery, an office building, U.S. Marines security-guard quarters and three housing blocks. It was designed by PageSouthlandPage. Construction is expected to begin in early 2011 and be completed in 2016.