Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture

Memorandums

TLDR

This executive order mandates that new federal buildings must follow traditional and classical architectural styles, be visually recognizable as civic structures, and obtain presidential approval for any design deviations, marking a significant shift away from modern architectural approaches in government construction.

This memorandum focuses on federal architecture policy and represents a significant shift in how government buildings will be designed and approved.

The memorandum instructs the GSA Administrator to submit recommendations within 60 days that would ensure federal buildings are visually recognizable as civic structures and align with traditional and classical architectural styles.

Policy requirements:

  • Federal buildings must be identifiable as civic buildings
  • Designs must respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage
  • The goal is to “uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States”

The GSA Administrator must notify the President through the Domestic Policy Assistant if they plan to approve any design that deviates from these guidelines, with at least 30 days notice before rejection would incur substantial costs.

This memorandum effectively pushes for a return to classical and traditional architectural styles for federal buildings, potentially limiting modern or contemporary design approaches. This represents a significant departure from the diversity of architectural styles seen in recent federal projects.

Potential challenges:

  • May increase construction costs due to traditional materials and methods
  • Could limit architectural innovation and creative expression
  • May create conflicts with local building codes or sustainability requirements

The memorandum specifically requires consideration of community input in design selections, suggesting a more localized approach to federal architecture while potentially creating tension between local preferences and mandated classical styles.

Scope clarification:

  • This order applies only to new federal public buildings
  • It does not require immediate changes to existing structures
  • The policy allows for some flexibility through the notification process

The memorandum represents a significant shift toward traditional architectural styles in federal buildings while attempting to balance national identity with local input and practical considerations.

January 20, 2025

MEMORANDUM FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE GENERAL SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION

SUBJECT: Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture

I hereby direct the Administrator of the General Services Administration, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the heads of departments and agencies of the United States where necessary, to submit to me within 60 days recommendations to advance the policy that Federal public buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States and our system of self-government. Such recommendations shall consider appropriate revisions to the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture and procedures for incorporating community input into Federal building design selections.

If, before such recommendations are submitted, the Administrator of the General Services Administration proposes to approve a design for a new Federal public building that diverges from the policy set forth in this memorandum, the Administrator shall notify me, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, not less than 30 days before the General Services Administration could reject such design without incurring substantial expenditures. Such notification shall set forth the reasons the Administrator proposes to approve such design.