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Senate Office Moves

Every two years, the Senate Office Buildings jurisdiction takes on one of its biggest responsibilities, the Senate election-year office moves.
By Elizabeth Yoder | February 6, 2019
        
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    Senate Move Coordinator Bonnie Holod, who is also the supervisory architect in the Senate Office Buildings jurisdiction, works with Michael Gass and Paul Bosch, wood crafters with the Senate Wood Crafting Branch, to hang artwork in a senator's office.

Senate Move Coordinator Bonnie Holod, who is also the supervisory architect in the Senate Office Buildings jurisdiction, works with Michael Gass and Paul Bosch, wood crafters with the Senate Wood Crafting Branch, to hang artwork in a senator's office.

The jurisdiction, in partnership with the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Senate Sergeant at Arms, works diligently behind the scenes to renovate office suites for senators and committees of each new Congress.

The Superintendent of the Senate Office Buildings, Takis Tzamaras, describes the Senate moves as "our opportunity to make a great first impression on new members, strengthen our relationships with existing members and create contemporary office spaces which carefully preserve the historic fabric of the Senate buildings."

During the election-year moves, the Senate jurisdiction demonstrates that it is truly a trusted partner of Congress — providing exceptional design, planning, execution and craftsmanship while working under tight deadlines to meet the needs of the Senate community.

Throughout the moves process, the Senate jurisdiction follows a comprehensive quality system procedure focused on safety and high client satisfaction, as well as excellent communication, timely drawings, accurate scope of work, and quality construction for each and every Senate move.

Selecting the Suite

Office suites in each of the three Senate buildings vary in style, from the Russell Building's historic fireplaces and soaring 20' windows to the Hart Building's contemporary two-story offices with modular furniture.

After the fall election in even-numbered years, senators have the opportunity to relocate their staff and operations to the office suites of outgoing members. The selection process is determined by seniority, with senators assigned a four-hour time window to select a new suite, if they desire.

Senators and staff use the Architect of the Capitol's online selection tool, Senate Suites, to learn more about available suites and select their new offices. Senate Suites is an online program developed through tremendous collaboration between the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the Senate Superintendent's Office, the AOC Information Technology Division, and the AOC Photography Branch. The application, which is similar to online real estate property search engines, allows users to search for preferred suite attributes, mark and track favorites, take 360-degree virtual tours, schedule suite walkthroughs, and officially select a new suite.

Designing the Space

Once a suite has been selected, the Senate Superintendent's Office assigns a Senate move coordinator to act as the single point of contact for the senator's office and facilitate all aspects of the move.

Senate safety specialists review hazmat documentation and perform a detailed site survey to incorporate important safety features into the construction drawings and work site so that everyone involved with the project understands potential safety concerns.

Luis Aquino, an upholsterer with the Senate Upholstery Branch, hangs draperies on a large office window in the Russell Building.
    Lowell McCain, Jr., of the Senate Upholstery Branch, works on a historic chair in the Senate upholstery shop.
    Brady Fleming, electrician leader with the Senate Electrical Branch, stands on a lift to adjust large lights in the Russell Building.
    
Luis Aquino (Senate Upholstery Branch) hangs draperies on a large office window; Lowell McCain Jr. (Senate Upholstery Branch) works on a historic chair; Brady Fleming (Senate Electrical Branch) stands on a lift to adjust large lights.


An AOC designer works with the senator and staff to plan the layout of the new suite within a one-week timeframe. Based on eligibility requirements, the office may choose paint, carpet, window treatments and furniture from the Senate jurisdiction's inventory for the new space.

Once the senator has approved the plan, the Senate move coordinator distributes detailed construction drawings to the various trade shops which will renovate the suite. Drawings are also provided to the Senate Sergeant at Arms for installation of IT and telecom equipment.

Renovating the Suite

The Senate Superintendent's Office determines the renovation schedule based on efficiency and the complexity of the project, which typically includes necessary deferred maintenance work, important infrastructure upgrades, and possible abatement of asbestos and/or lead hazards from the area, with the AOC Construction Division assisting the jurisdiction on larger abatement projects.

Senate jurisdiction staff also use the opportunity to correct any Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility issues and Office of Congressional Workplace Rights findings; perform needed plaster repairs, HVAC maintenance and plumbing upgrades; and install sprinklers and other fire and life safety features, as needed, to bring the suite up-to-date with current building codes.

During the construction process, the senator continues to work from his or her former office or temporarily works from a new member suite which is accessible immediately after the election and accommodates the new senator and up to 15 staff.

Senate Move Coordinator Alyssa Perron, who is also the energy engineer in the Senate buildings, discusses the suite’s furniture layout with Jerry Coats, material handler leader with the Senate Furniture Branch.

Tim Steadman, a painter with the Senate Painting Branch, prepares office walls in the Dirksen Building for new paint.

Senate Move Coordinator Alyssa Perron discusses the suite's furniture layout with Jerry Coats (Senate Furniture Branch); Tim Steadman (Senate Painting Branch) prepares office walls in the Dirksen Building for new paint.


During the suite renovation process, numerous Senate trade shops closely collaborate to build partition walls to better serve the needs of office staff; repaint the space, often using striping and other decorative painting techniques; install energy-efficient lighting and new carpeting; hang coordinating blinds and custom draperies, particularly for the large windows in the Russell Building; and craft woodworking projects and custom millwork for specific parts of the space.

Once construction is complete, the Senate Day Labor, Night Custodial and Floor Care Sections thoroughly clean the suite in preparation for the move.

Completing the Move

The move itself takes less than 12 hours and begins just after midnight. The Senate Furniture Branch moves in the larger furniture items first; then, as light dawns, material handlers transport packed moving boxes from the former Senate office to the new space.

By 1 p.m. that afternoon, the move is complete, the office is fully functional, and the senator and his or her staff can resume their work in the new suite.

Once the move is complete, the Senate move coordinator transfers the office to the care of the Senate Service Center — which serves the Senate community 24 hours a day, seven days a week — and a Senate building inspector assigned to assist the Senate office with any office-related needs.

The Senate Superintendent's Office is dedicated to sustainability throughout the Senate moves, with the goal of reducing, reusing and recycling 90 percent of construction and demolition debris each year. The Senate jurisdiction also maintains a Recycle and Reuse Center to enable Senate offices to donate unneeded office supplies, maximize Senate resources and minimize unnecessary waste.

According to the Assistant Superintendent for Tenant Services, Paul Kirkpatrick, "The Senate office moves involve tremendous collaboration between the Senate trade shops, other AOC divisions, and Senate committees and support offices. They truly show the AOC working as one team, one mission to create awe-inspiring facilities, deliver extraordinary service and preserve the priceless buildings entrusted to our care."
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