FEATURE: 

ONE TEAM, ONE ENERGY 

REDUCTION MISSION

5 ORIGINAL 

OLMSTED TREES

MEIGS’ MINIATURES: 

THE STORY OF 

THE TINY DOORS 

IN THE U.S. CAPITOL

VOLUME 2 SUMMER 2016
In This Issue

1 ARCHITECT’S NOTEBOOK 

 2 BEHIND THE SCENES

 e Library’s HVAC Aces

 4 AOC DOORWAYS

 Meigs’ Miniatures: 

e Story of the Tiny 

Doors in the U.S. Capitol

 7 WHAT'S HAPPENING

 USBG National 

Garden Turns 10 

11 COOL TOOLS

 U.S. Capitol Building 

Sheet Metal Shop

 12 FEATURE

 One Team, One Energy 

Reduction Mission 

 17 DOING GOOD

 Bridging the Gap

 20 BY THE NUMBERS

 5 Original Olmsted Trees

COVER: The Japanese Pagoda 

(Styphnolobium japonicum) is one of 

the original Olmsted trees on the Capitol 

campus. Photo by Susanne Bledsoe

4

DOING GOOD:

Greg Smith helps D.C. youth 

bridge the gap to adulthood 

through his organization, 

Kaizen Life Skills.

FEATURE:

The AOC achieved an 

extraordinary goal in 2015 by 

reducing energy consumption 

more than 30 percent from 

our 2003 baseline. 

12

AOC DOORWAYS:

What is behind the 

Capitol's tiny doors?

17

7 WHAT'S HAPPENING: The Rose Garden is a showcase of our nation's 

floral emblem in the USBG's National Garden, which celebrates 10 years 

since its beginning this fall. Photo by Susanne Bledsoe
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 1

We are all an assembly 

of parts, pieces and life 

experiences, and we bring 

those experiences to 

the things we do every day. It’s what 

makes us who we are! I’ve come to 

learn that my childhood, education and 

travels influence my dreams, desires 

and decisions. My love of history and 

traditional architecture certainly stems 

from my studies, experiences and travels. 

I often think about what experiences 

others have had which influence their 

decisions. This sense of wonder and 

curiosity struck me this spring as I 

walked up Capitol Hill from the west. 

On first sight, the ornate lanterns 

Frederick Law Olmsted designed and 

placed along the U.S. Capitol’s west perimeter wall are 

puzzling and slightly out of character. To me, they have 

an Asian-inspired look. To others, they emulate funeral 

lanterns used in ancient times.

What inspired Olmsted’s decisions? Could it be 

from his travels, like mine? Before becoming landscape 

architect of the Capitol Grounds, Frederick Law Olmsted 

was a surveyor, a seafarer, a farmer, a journalist and a park 

superintendent. The influences from these chapters of his 

life certainly manifest themselves somehow in his work.

I wonder, why are these particular lanterns only on that 

one approach of the Capitol and not the others? Perhaps 

Olmsted decided to let his hair down a bit on the West 

Front as we all do in our own backyards. My own front 

yard is rather formal and plain, but my backyard is quite 

different, even fanciful. It includes several birdfeeders and 

my beloved hammock.

I like this seemingly playful side of Olmsted. 

Personally, I think that he aspired to contrast the Capitol’s 

more formal East Front Plaza and principal entrance 

ARCHITECT’S NOTEBOOK

Influences at Work and Play

with a more playful, peaceful and restful area on the west. 

I think he envisioned visitors and travelers in need of a 

restful spot after trekking from the other end of the city 

on their journey to the Capitol.

As I pass by Olmsted’s lanterns, they tell me that I am 

entering a special place... a place to relax and renew my 

spirit. The intricate stone carvings slow me down for an extra 

few seconds to take in their beauty. The detailed and ornate 

iron fencing does the same as my eyes trace over the gentle 

curves. It momentarily takes my mind off of the trials and 

tribulations of the day... I think this is what he wanted.

It’s refreshing. 

Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP

Architect of the Capitol

Photo by Susanne Bledsoe
2 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

BEHIND THE SCENES

The Library’s HVAC Aces

J

ust below the main floor of the Thomas Jefferson 

Building at the Library of Congress, the cellar 

level is home to the Architect of the Capitol’s Air 

Conditioning (AC) Shop for Library Buildings 

and Grounds.

A spectrum of parts and tools — from very small 

pieces to a 150 horsepower motor that weighs 

approximately 2,000 pounds — can be found inside 

the shop. They are used for maintaining the Library 

of Congress’ heating, ventilating and air conditioning 

(HVAC) systems.

Work areas within the buildings include mechanical 

spaces, kitchens and offices. “We do a little bit of 

everything,” said Richard Wolfe, Supervisor. “In addition 

to HVAC, our shop also does abatement work, insulation 

repairs, and electrical and plumbing repairs.”

“Dealing with old equipment and tight crawl space 

areas can sometimes be a challenge,” said Jonathan 

Wilson, Work Leader. Access to the equipment itself, 

like heating and cooling valves, humidifiers, vacuum 

systems and exhaust fans, can be found in unique places. 

For example, the mechanical space for the Coolidge 

WRITTEN BY SARAH BUBLITZ • PHOTOS BY CHUCK BADAL

John Lamberton, Assistant 

Supervisor, selects the proper 

copper pipe size for a job.
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 3

Auditorium is at the top of a tall spiral staircase.

In addition to maintenance and repair, the Library’s 

AC Shop is involved in upgrade projects to replace 

outdated equipment and keep up with modern 

technology. “We use direct digital controls and 

specialized equipment, like X-ray fluorescence analyzers 

to check paint for any potentially harmful materials,” said 

John Lamberton, Assistant Supervisor.

One tool that this shop’s team always has at the 

ready is the thermometer. “It helps us measure the room 

conditions when we arrive to a service call and allows 

us to make adjustments to bring the room back to the 

proper temperature range,” said Wolfe.

While the most frequent calls from building occupants 

are related to climate, being successful in this line of work 

is about more than overcoming hot and cold conditions. 

“Knowledge of the trade is important,” said Wolfe. “So 

is being motivated and willing to learn.” Something the 

shop has mastered to the highest degree. 

Cornell Ford, HVAC 

Equipment Mechanic, 

troubleshoots using direct 

digital controls. 

HVAC employees climb this 

spiral staircase to access the 

mechanical space for the 

Coolidge Auditorium. 

Randy Shontz, HVAC 

Equipment Worker, uses a 

wrench to fabricate a pipe.
4 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

Meigs’ 

Miniatures

THE STORY OF 

THE TINY DOORS 

IN THE 

U.S. CAPITOL

WRITTEN BY ERIN NELSON • PHOTOS BY JAMES ROSENTHAL
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 5

T

he correct explanation for their existence begins 

with a fire on Christmas Eve 1851. At that time 

the Library of Congress was housed in the Capitol 

Building. That morning as John Jones, a guard, 

was walking on the Capitol Grounds he noticed a flicker 

through the Library windows. Jones had no key to the 

room, so he was forced to break the door down. Once 

inside, he discovered a small fire. Water was not readily 

available in the building, so Jones had to run downstairs 

to find some. By the time he returned, the fire had spread 

throughout the two-story Library. Seven fire stations 

responded to the alarms. Firefighters worked all day and 

night and into Christmas morning to extinguish the flames. 

The fire devastated the Library’s collection: thirty-five 

thousand volumes were destroyed. Approximately twothirds of the books purchased from Thomas Jefferson 

were gone. Manuscripts, maps and other artwork had been 

consumed by the fire, which was later determined to have 

been caused by a spark from the fireplace in the room below 

the Library.

During the investigation, Jones testified that the 

fire could have been easily extinguished had there been 

water nearby. The fear of future fires motivated Congress 

to fund a critically needed reliable water supply for 

Washington, D.C.

Captain Montgomery C. Meigs of the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers was assigned by the War Department to 

manage the project. Meigs had a remarkable career. He 

helped build many D.C. landmarks, including Arlington 

National Cemetery, the Capitol Building extension and the 

modern Dome of the Capitol Building. Arguably his most 

significant engineering achievement was the Washington 

Aqueduct. The elaborate system brought fresh water from 

the Potomac River at Great Falls into the federal city and 

into the pipes hidden behind the Capitol’s small doors. 

These small doors and the water sources they housed, 

AOC DOORWAYS

Throughout the Capitol Building, visitors and staff often pause to imagine 

what is behind the building’s smallest doors. Their guesses are as varied as 

the architectural details that encompass the Capitol campus. 
6 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

T

he Library of Congress suffered three fires (1814, 

1825 and 1851) before moving out of the Capitol 

Building. Over the years as technology improved, 

the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) introduced new lifesafety features across the Capitol campus, including 

the Library buildings. Recently, five AOC plumbers 

were honored with The Craftsmanship Award from the 

Washington Building Congress for their work on the 

Thomas Jefferson Building sprinkler system. 

The grandeur of the Jefferson Building in its size, 

scale, use of materials, level of craftsmanship and detail 

is considered one of America’s greatest architectural 

achievements. Preserving this building, along with 

all of the other iconic structures on campus, is at the 

center of the AOC’s mission. Sprinkler systems are paramount to reducing the loss of valuable items and lives in the event 

of a fire, but installing one in such an architecturally significant space was quite challenging. 

The facility welcomes thousands of visitors each day, so AOC plumbers worked at night removing existing conduit and 

exposed wiring to accommodate new lighting devices, sprinkler piping and associated utilities. To visually conceal the new 

sprinkler piping, it was marbleized by Library Building and Grounds decorative painters to match the adjacent surfaces. 

The work took a coordinated effort between the AOC’s Historic Preservation Officer, Project Manager, Fire Marshal, 

Curator, Construction Division and Library Buildings and Grounds. The collaborative team successfully achieved its goal to 

provide sprinkler protection with minimum impact to the historic space, and all were honored to serve a role in preserving 

the majestic building for generations to come. 

found in several places in the Capitol Building, were multipurpose. They stood ready to provide water to prevent any 

future fire from spreading, but they also ensured the mud 

tracked in from Washington’s dirt streets and footpaths 

could be easily cleaned from the Capitol’s floors. That is 

why the doors stand only about 30 inches tall: they conceal 

low, shallow closets where workers filled pails of water to 

mop the floors. 

Over the years Meigs’ water system has undergone 

many upgrades, but it still carries water into the city today. 

The Capitol, too, has also undergone many renovations 

over the years, including more accessible water fixtures 

and modern fire-suppression systems. Although the small 

doors are no longer necessary for their original purpose, 

they are still very much a part of the Capitol as visitors 

stop to admire their tiny size and imagine what could 

possibly be behind them. 

The AOC team including Je Benac, John Yeatts, John Burroughs, 

David Holmes and Carroll Gayle (not pictured) was awarded the 

prestigious Washington Building Congress Star Award, recognizing 

special achievement in visual excellence. Photo courtesy of 

Roshelle Brooks
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 7

WRITTEN BY DEVIN DOTSON

PHOTOS COURTESY OF U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN, 

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

This fall, the National 

Garden at the United States 

Botanic Garden (USBG) 

turns 10 years old. Opened 

to the public on October 1, 

2006, the National Garden is 

a key element of the USBG, 

along with the Conservatory 

and Bartholdi Park. 

TOP: The U.S. Capitol can be seen over the wetlands area of 

the National Garden. 

BOTTOM: The Rose Garden celebrates the national floral 

emblem. Photo by Susanne Bledsoe

WRITTEN BY DEVIN DOTSON

PHOTOS COURTESY OF U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN, 

USBG 

National

Garden 

Turns 

WHAT'S HAPPENING
8 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

A

fter the rose was declared 

the national floral emblem 

in 1986, the supporters of 

this proclamation began an 

effort to construct a rose garden near 

the U.S. Capitol. In 1989, Congress 

authorized construction of the 

National Garden to provide visitors 

a place to experience “the diversity 

of plants, including the rose, our 

national flower.” The National 

Garden is the result of a successful 

collaboration between the U.S. 

Congress, the Joint Committee on 

the Library, the National Fund for 

the U.S. Botanic Garden, the U.S. 

Botanic Garden and the Architect of 

the Capitol.

In 1994, a National Garden Gala 

held on the site garnered national 

attention when it was attended by 

the sitting and five former First 

Ladies – Hillary Clinton, Barbara 

Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn 

Carter, Betty Ford and Lady 

Bird Johnson. All parts of the 

National Garden were completed 

in September 2006 – Rose Garden, 

Butterfly Garden, Lawn Terrace, 

Hornbeam Court, Regional Garden 

(a garden of Mid-Atlantic native 

plants), Amphitheater (created with 

salvaged marble steps from the East 

Front of the Capitol), and the First 

Ladies Water Garden, which is the 

only memorial recognizing First 

Ladies.

From season to season, more than 

half a million visitors explore the 

USBG’s outdoor gardens. In spring 

and fall, the Rose Garden draws 

large crowds to see the bountiful 

blooms. During summer, many 

visitors enjoy pollinators and flowers 

TOP: The Rose Garden with the Botanic 

Garden Conservatory in the background. 

BOTTOM: A buttery sundial in the 

Buttery Garden. Photo by Susanne 

Bledsoe
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 9

in the Butterfly Garden, while others 

love to see the carnivorous sundews 

and pitcher plants in the Regional 

Garden’s bog. Throughout fall, 

plants native to the Mid-Atlantic 

region put on a colorful display. 

Even in winter, bright berries attract 

both visitors and hungry birds. Yearround, the National Garden serves as 

a living classroom where thousands 

of students and other visitors learn 

about plants through class fieldtrips 

and USBG educational programs. 

At this 10-year mark, we celebrate 

the many opportunities the National 

Garden has given for the USBG 

to connect people with plants. We 

invite you to join us this summer and 

fall as we mark the anniversary with 

special tours and programs.

Find more details on the history, 

photos and even a full video of 

the 1994 gala at www.USBG.gov/

NationalGarden10.

TOP LEFT: The First Ladies Water Garden 

honors the contributions of our nation's 

First Ladies. 

MIDDLE LEFT: Flowers Stink, a world premiere 

musical created as a collaboration between the 

USBG and the John F. Kennedy Center for the 

Performing Arts. Photo courtesy of Teresa Wood

BOTTOM LEFT: A bridge over the wetlands 

in the Regional Garden leads to the 

Amphitheater.

TOP RIGHT: Colorful owers and foliage in the 

National Garden. 

BOTTOM RIGHT: The National Garden serves 

as a living classroom for children, students and 

visitors of all ages.
10 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

TOP PHOTOS: From simple turf grass to a comprehensive garden, the outdoor space west of the Conservatory changed dramatically with the 

creation of the National Garden. Photos by Chuck Badal BOTTOM PHOTOS: The Rose Garden continues to mature since its original creation (inset 

photo). Photo by Susanne Bledsoe, Inset Photo by Steve Payne. 

USBG NATIONAL GARDEN BEFORE & AFTER
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 11

COOL TOOLS

T

he Sheet Metal Shop introduced a new auto 

brake machine which offers an unprecedented 

capacity to bend metal that is integral to the 

many renowned projects around the U.S. Capitol.

What is an auto brake? It’s a metal folding machine 

that shapes flat metal into curved pieces and other 

elegant shapes with precision.

At 9,470 pounds, our auto brake is so large that it 

had to be dismantled to fit into the Sheet Metal Shop, 

where it was reassembled. The machine’s vast capabilities 

stems from our employees’ expertise. The profiles and 

dimensions of metal can be stored in the machine using 

a touch screen computer. This means our mechanics can 

instantly access an extensive catalog of designs.  

Electronically stored diagrams save precious time that 

was previously spent sorting through hundreds of paper 

U.S.CAPITOL BUILDING SHEET METAL SHOP

On the Cutting Edge

WRITTEN BY LISA MALTBIE • PHOTOS BY CHUCK BADAL

Everyone of us, in every job we do, uses tools to serve, preserve and inspire. Many of the tools

we use here are unique, historic and essential to our mission — in other words, they are cool 

tools! We asked employees to submit their coolest tool, and this feature represents our latest find.

copies and manually recalling historical diagrams.

Equally important, the old manual brake required two 

people to operate. The automated version can be operated 

by just one person. A foot pedal provides direct operation 

of the brake while drastically minimizing the likelihood of 

hand injuries.

“Thanks to the forward thinking of our staff, we can 

use new technology to replace the old way of working 

and do things more accurately,” said Capitol Building 

Deputy Superintendent Kristy Long.

The auto brake helps us reach new levels of 

productivity and reduces safety hazards and cost. It’s no 

surprise that we think the auto brake is a cool tool. 

To see this cool tool in action, visit www.aoc.gov/

cool-tool. 

Mark Focht, Capitol Building Sheet Metal Shop, shows a section of gutter he created with the auto brake and demonstrates its use.
12 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

One Team,

One Energy 

Reduction 

Mission WRITTEN BY LAURA CONDELUCI

The green roof in bloom at the Packard 

Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, a 

Library of Congress facility managed by 

the AOC. Photo by Chuck Badal
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 13

T

he Architect of the Capitol (AOC) achieved an 

extraordinary goal at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 

2015 — successfully meeting the mandate to 

reduce energy consumption more than 30 percent 

from our 2003 baseline. This 30 percent reduction is a 

major accomplishment on its own. But it’s even more 

amazing when you consider that the AOC is working 

with buildings designed without modern technologies in 

mind and that many of our buildings are used in some 

form or fashion nearly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Doug Helmann, former Deputy Chief Sustainability 

Officer in the AOC Energy, Sustainability and Water 

Conservation Division and now Assistant Superintendent 

at Library Buildings and Grounds, described the AOC’s 

formula for success, “Our approach to sustainability 

and energy on Capitol Hill is built upon three defining 

elements... buildings, infrastructure and people.”

Energy conservation measures have been installed 

in buildings across campus and are paid for through 

the energy savings generated. In 10 years, the energy 

conservation program has produced savings across the 

Capitol campus equivalent to $94 million.

The enhanced technology components of our 

infrastructure and building upgrades provided new tools 

to improve our energy use decision-making and efficiency.

And our people have adopted these new technologies. 

We use energy data and advanced control systems to 

solve complex issues and drive efficiency improvements. 

AOC jurisdictions are critical to the success of the 

agency’s sustainability and energy goals because of their 

on-the-ground access to stakeholders, staff, processes and 

building systems.

“We achieved a lot of our early savings through 

projects, but a substantial amount of recent savings has 

come from our operators figuring out how to make our 

buildings operate more efficiently,” said Helmann.

Our Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) 

projects include converting from pneumatic to direct 

digital heating; upgrading ventilation and air conditioning 

(HVAC) controls and building automation systems; 

replacing failing air handling units, steam traps and valves; 

retrofitting existing light fixtures with high-efficiency 

lamps, ballasts, controls and reflectors; installing LED 

lighting in hearing rooms and expanding the lighting 

control systems. The ESPC construction projects are now 

complete and the focus has transitioned into training, 

implementation and performance. 

THE NEXT 10 YEARS

We are very proud of this remarkable accomplishment 

of 30 percent energy reduction, but as stewards of the 

Capitol campus, we will continue to do our part to 

improve energy efficiency at the U.S. Capitol. 

As we continue to focus on saving energy, practicing 

sustainability and reducing costs, our next goal is to 

achieve energy savings of 2 percent per year over the next 

10 years.

“It’s an ambitious goal, but I know we are up for the 

challenge,” said Terry Watson, Acting Assistant Director 

for Energy and Sustainability. “When we achieve it, we 

will be 50 percent below our 2003 baseline.”

“...a substantial amount 

of recent savings has 

come from our operators 

figuring out how to 

make our buildings 

operate more efficiently,” 

said Doug Helmann, 

former Deputy Chief 

Sustainability Officer.

FEATURE
14 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

Buildings

Energy Savings Performance Contracts, which use private funding to accelerate investment in energy conservation 

measures, enabled the AOC to make significant upgrades to its infrastructure with minimal capital investment. The 

AOC entered into three ESPCs — in the Capitol, House and Senate jurisdictions — which were an important element 

in our strategy to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent within 10 years. 

One of the key energy-saving initiatives in the Senate Oce 

Buildings is an emphasis on energy-ecient lighting. Over the past 

several years, nearly 44,000 lighting xtures in the Senate buildings 

have been retrotted with high-eciency lamps, ballasts, controls 

and reectors — resulting in an estimated annual savings of nearly 

$750,000. Photo by Susanne Bledsoe

The U.S. Capitol is one of the most familiar sights in the world. It’s a 

symbol of our democracy and it is filled with priceless art. It houses 

the Congress and has high-volume public access in addition to 

tight security. Those are just some of the challenges faced when 

trying to reach 21st century standards of energy and sustainability. 

Amazingly, the Capitol Building had a 29 percent energy reduction 

over a 10-year term. Upgrading the HVAC controls, converting the 

air handling units to direct digital control, switching to energyecient lighting and replacing steam traps are some of the major 

projects that helped us reach our energy reduction goals. Photo by 

Susanne Bledsoe

The Rayburn House Office Building needed a new roof, and in FY 

2011, the AOC took the opportunity to make the new roof a cool 

roof. A cool roong system helps reduce the amount of cooling 

needed in the summer because it reects light instead of absorbing 

it. This means that less heat is transferred into the building below, 

which helps keep the interior spaces cooler — and that equates to 

cost savings. Photo by Dewitt Roseborough
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 15

Infrastructure

The majority of the energy at the Capitol Power Plant (CPP) is used to create the steam and chilled water that heats and cools 

the buildings throughout the Capitol campus. A series of tunnels transports some of the steam and chilled water to locations 

as far out as Union Station and the Government Publishing Office. Small improvements to the production efficiency of steam 

and chilled water can have great energy conservation impacts.

During the summer of 2012, 

there was an unexpected 

increase in steam energy use, 

which risked the AOC’s ability 

to meet its FY 2012 energy 

reduction goal. We instituted 

a steam reduction challenge 

and jurisdictions came together 

to meet both the goal and the 

needs of the building occupants. 

The AOC’s web-control meter 

reading systems identied 

unseen issues and ideas and 

lessons learned were shared 

across the campus. Photo by 

Dewitt Roseborough

The CPP made dramatic 

performance improvements 

in the generation and delivery 

of chilled water and steam 

throughout our facilities. By 

revitalizing the refrigeration 

plant and installing new 

chillers, the CPP increased 

chilled water eciency with 

new chillers that are 20 

percent more ecient. These 

chillers aren’t small — one can 

use more electricity than the 

Rayburn House Office Building 

or Hart Senate Oce Building 

on the busiest day of the year. 

Photo by Dewitt Roseborough
16 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

People

AOC staff play a crucial role in utilizing the equipment and system upgrades to maximize energy savings, increasing 

occupant comfort and discovering additional energy-saving opportunities. The AOC, through its operations teams across 

the agency, continues to focus on streamlining operating procedures and sustaining energy savings.

The Supreme Court Building and Grounds jurisdiction 

continued modernizing its digital building control 

system to improve energy performance. With remote 

reporting, trending and scheduling of mechanical 

equipment, building ineciencies are identied and 

teams can proactively react to inadequate mechanical 

systems through a form of commissioning. Using the 

building automation system, the team can focus on 

irregularities and performance problems for numerous 

building systems. The team ne-tuned its equipment 

through smart actions on mechanical settings 

during periods of high energy consumption and by 

eliminating inecient operations. The building control 

system and retro-commissioning process helped the 

Supreme Court Building and Grounds jurisdiction 

develop ecient best practices. Photo courtesy of 

Joseph Dorsey, Supreme Court Building and Grounds

The AOC maintains the facilities for the Library of Congress. The Library Buildings 

and Grounds jurisdiction (LBG) was challenged to reduce energy usage, while 

still allowing the Library of Congress to meet its mission to conserve its varied 

collections. Over several years, LBG sta implemented energy-savings initiatives 

that reduced overall energy usage. Using new technology, including the utility 

metering enterprise system, the operations team was able to implement system 

changes and receive real-time feedback on overall energy usage. The team 

implemented the energy reduction plan with minimal impact to clients and 

collections. Photo by James Rosenthal

The Sustainability, Energy and Water 

Conservation Division is responsible for 

continuing the AOC’s sustainability and energy 

performance initiatives and addressing new 

challenges. The division produces an annual 

Sustainability, Energy and Water Conservation 

report to inform Congress and the American 

people of the progress on our resource 

eciency goals, as well as our sustainable 

program and initiatives. In addition, they 

collaborate with jurisdiction teams to determine 

building and site level commitments to support 

the agency’s overall goals. You can read the 

report at www.aoc.gov/energy-report.
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 17

Bridging 

 the Gap WRITTEN BY ERIN NELSON • PHOTO BY DEWITT ROSEBOROUGH

DOING GOOD
18 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

Kaizen is a Japanese word 

that means continuous 

improvement, and that 

is exactly what Smith 

hopes to achieve in the lives of those 

involved in his program. Kaizen Life 

Skills, based in Washington, D.C., 

provides area teenagers with the 

social and economic skills they need 

to succeed as adults. 

Many of today’s youth are not 

taught basic skills to help them face 

the challenges of everyday life. A 

significant number of kids in D.C. 

grow up in single-parent homes, 

where the parent works long hours. 

This leads to severely reduced 

family socializing time and forces 

children to acquire their social 

skills from television or their peers. 

The lack of proper social skills and 

self-awareness often manifests itself 

in poor decision-making, and the 

impacts can last a lifetime. 

Smith, Program Manager of the 

Architect of the Capitol’s Office 

Services Division, saw those impacts 

first-hand as he commuted to and 

from work on the Metro. “I saw 

a disparity between what today’s 

youth saw in their world and what 

was actually happening. When I 

decided to help I knew I couldn’t 

financially afford to help on my own. 

I felt I could do more by starting 

a non-profit. I wanted to make a 

serious impact — something beyond 

mentoring a kid here and there — 

that would help our teens transition 

into life as an adult and set them 

on a path toward success,” he said. 

Kaizen Life Skills became the bridge 

to fill that gap between youth and 

adulthood. 

The program helps close the 

gap by educating youth on topics 

such as money management 

and interviewing skills while 

also instilling in them a sense of 

self-respect and self-worth. Kaizen 

Life Skills has assisted more than 

100 kids since its inception in 2012. 

Smith devotes approximately 25 

hours a week to his cause. Most 

of his volunteer work happens 

on the weekends, but the nature 

of non-profit work does not lend 

itself to a 9-5 schedule. Smith 

spends much of his time talking to 

parents, mentoring youth from the 

program and networking with other 

Millions of Americans volunteer every year, but few feel 

compelled to form their own organization. Greg Smith saw a problem 

in his community that had no solution, so he created one by 

starting his own non-profit — Kaizen Life Skills.

Photos courtesy of Greg Smith
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 19

organizations during the week. And 

when he’s not doing volunteer work, 

he’s thinking about it. “Everywhere I 

go, I am constantly reminded of my 

calling,” Smith said. “It always comes 

back to my volunteer work and how 

I can help our youth.”

Smith was raised by a single 

mother after his father passed away 

when he was just 18 months old. She 

chose not to remarry, giving Smith 

an instant connection to today’s 

kids that are being raised by single 

parents. “I made some choices when 

I was a teenager that were not the 

best choices to make. I often wonder 

if I would have made better choices 

if I’d had a male influence at home,” 

he said.

Smith was fortunate to have a 

strong foundation to fall back on, 

one that was rooted in community 

service. Smith’s mother was a 

teacher, his father a Marine, so 

service was always a part of his life. 

“My mother always had me doing 

things for others. So when I made 

mistakes, I still had a foundation 

to return to. I realized that I was 

created to do more with my life. I 

believe that is key to developing 

youth who will become successful 

adults,” he said.

Smith teaches the value of service 

to kids in his program by providing 

opportunities for them to volunteer 

with D.C. organizations. Through 

its service in 2015, volunteers from 

Kaizen Life Skills provided more 

than 7,000 meals to the homeless. 

The youth also collected socks and 

coats for the homeless and delivered 

Thanksgiving and Christmas 

dinners to families in need. 

Smith hopes the community 

service will help them build a strong 

foundation for their own lives. “I 

want our youth to feel like they 

belong and know that the world is 

not against them,” he said. “One of 

my main goals is to instill in them 

a sense of hope and the belief that 

they can make a difference.” 

Those goals help drive Smith’s 

vision. Within the next few years he 

plans to increase the enrollment of 

program participants to 50 or more 

each year and coordinate with D.C. 

public schools to begin after-school 

programs for middle and high school 

students. Part of that initiative also 

includes acquiring a facility to host 

the after-school programs as well as 

summer camps. 

Smith’s long term goal 

demonstrates the true motivation 

behind his service, “One day I hope 

someone is able to say, ‘I completed 

the Kaizen Life Skills program, and 

it made a difference in my life.’ That 

will make it all worth it.” 

One of my main goals is to instill 

in them a sense of hope and the belief 

that they can make a difference.
20 THOLOS • SUMMER 2016

BY THE NUMBERS

5 Original Olmsted Trees

WRITTEN BY ANDREW DENTAMARO • PHOTOS BY SUSANNE BLEDSOE

I

n June 1874, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) presented a plan for the U.S. Capitol Grounds for a 

sophisticated landscape that highlighted the building it surrounded. In his submission for the Architect 

of the Capitol’s annual report, Olmsted wrote that, “The ground is in design part of the Capitol, but in all 

respects subsidiary to the central structure.”

The expansion and landscaping of the area that was completed from 1874 to 1892 incorporated park-like 

edging, low walls, lamps, careful placement of trees and simple shrubs, and a series of curved walkways that 

afforded attractive views of the Capitol. Olmsted later added the brick Summerhouse to his design to provide 

visitors with a drinking fountain and a cool place to rest.

There are currently about 890 trees surrounding the immediate Capitol Building on Capitol Square and 

more than 4,300 trees throughout the entire 274-acre Capitol Grounds. Some of the most majestic and 

unmistakable trees on campus were planted during the Olmsted period. 
THOLOS • SUMMER 2016 21

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) 

Known for its fan-shaped leaves that 

turn from bright green in the summer 

to bright yellow in the fall, the Ginkgo’s 

earliest leaf fossils date back 270 

million years. The Ginkgo drops all of its 

leaves at the same time leaving a solid 

yellow carpet under the tree.

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) 

The Willow Oak is known for its narrow 

leaves that undergo color shifts 

throughout the year — light green in 

the spring, dark green in the summer 

and yellow bronze-orange, yellowbrown and russet-red in the fall. One 

of the largest trees on campus, this 

tree is often photographed with the 

Capitol Dome in the background or as 

a backdrop for members of Congress. 

Japanese Pagoda 

(Styphnolobium 

japonicum) 

Also called the Chinese 

scholar tree, the Japanese 

Pagoda can be identified by 

its oval leaflets, gray-brown 

bark and shiny green twigs. 

Shown here, this Japanese 

Pagoda has extensive 

cabling to provide stability.

Pecan (Carya illinionsis)

A tree for all uses, the Pecan tree 

serves as the nation’s most important 

commercial nut producer while its 

prized wood is also used for furniture 

and flooring. Our tree doesn’t produce 

fully developed pecans as the regional 

growing season is not long enough, 

but it is the tallest tree on campus 

standing at 115 feet.

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) 

A classic shade tree, the Pin Oak does not have heavy horizontal branches like 

most oaks, but instead has many slender branches that arch out. In 1913, this 

Olmsted original was dedicated to Pennsylvania Congressman Marlin E. Olmsted 

(no relation).

Would you like to see these trees in 

person? To find their locations and 

information about other trees on 

Capitol Grounds, visit 

www.aoc.gov/trees.
Communications and Congressional Relations

U.S. Capitol, Room SB-16

Washington, DC 20515

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Where is this?

Photo by James Rosenthal

Answer: Rayburn House 

Oce Building Foyer