Morgan, and the firm of Delano and 
Aldrich. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘classical ar-
chitecture’’ encompasses styles such as Neoclas-
sical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux- 
Arts, and Art Deco. 
(7) DECONSTRUCTIVIST
ARCHITECTURE.—The 
term ‘‘Deconstructivist architecture’’ means the style 
of architecture— 
(A) 
generally 
known 
as 
‘‘deconstructivism’’; and 
(B) that emerged during the late 1980s 
that features fragmentation, disorder, disconti-
nuity, distortion, skewed geometry, and the ap-
pearance of instability. 
(8) GENERAL
PUBLIC.—The term ‘‘general 
public’’ means members of the public who are not— 
(A) artists, architects, engineers, art or ar-
chitecture critics, instructors or professors of 
art or architecture, or members of the building 
industry; or 
(B) affiliated with any interest group, 
trade association, or any other organization 
whose membership is financially affected by de-
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cisions involving the design, construction, or re-
modeling of public buildings. 
(9) PREFERRED
ARCHITECTURE.—The term 
‘‘preferred architecture’’ means the architecture de-
scribed in section 3(3). 
(10) PUBLIC
BUILDING.—The term ‘‘public 
building’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 3301(a) of title 40, United States Code. 
(11) TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE.—The term 
‘‘traditional architecture’’ means— 
(A) classical architecture; and 
(B) the historic humanistic architecture, 
including— 
(i) Gothic; 
(ii) Romanesque; 
(iii) Second Empire; 
(iv) Pueblo Revival; 
(v) Spanish Colonial; and 
(vi) other Mediterranean styles of ar-
chitecture historically rooted in various re-
gions of America. 
SEC. 3. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES. 
It is the policy of the United States that— 
(1) applicable Federal public buildings should— 
(A) uplift and beautify public spaces; 
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(B) inspire the human spirit; 
(C) ennoble the United States; 
(D) command respect from the general 
public; 
(E) be visually identifiable as civic build-
ings; and 
(F) as appropriate, respect regional archi-
tectural heritage; 
(2) building designs should be selected with 
substantial input from the local community; 
(3) architecture, particularly traditional and 
classical architecture, that meets the criteria de-
scribed in paragraph (1), is the preferred architec-
ture for applicable Federal public buildings; 
(4) in the District of Columbia, classical archi-
tecture shall be the preferred and default architec-
ture for Federal public buildings absent exceptional 
factors necessitating another kind of architecture; 
(5) where the architecture of applicable Federal 
public buildings diverges from the preferred architec-
ture set forth in paragraph (1), great care and con-
sideration must be taken to choose a design that— 
(A) commands respect from the general 
public; and 
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(B) clearly conveys to the general public 
the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability 
America’s system of self-government; 
(6) when renovating, reducing, or expanding ap-
plicable Federal public buildings that do not meet 
the criteria described in paragraph (1), the feasi-
bility and potential expense of building redesign to 
meet those criteria should be examined; and 
(7) where feasible and economical, such rede-
sign should be given substantial consideration, espe-
cially with regard to the building’s exterior. 
SEC. 4. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR FEDERAL ARCHITEC-
TURE. 
Agencies shall, to the extent practicable, adhere to 
the following Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture: 
(1) Provide requisite and adequate facilities in 
an architectural style and form that is distinguished 
and will reflect the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and 
stability of the American National Government, in-
cluding through the use of the following: 
(A) By their proven ability to meet these 
requirements, classical and traditional architec-
ture are preferred modes of architectural de-
sign. This preference does not exclude the pos-
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sibility of alternative styles in appropriate cir-
cumstances. 
(B) Major emphasis should be placed on 
the choice of design that embody architectural 
excellence. 
(C) Specific attention should be paid to the 
possibilities of incorporating into such designs 
qualities that reflect the regional architectural 
traditions of that part of the Nation in which 
buildings are located. 
(D) Where appropriate, fine art should be 
incorporated in the designs, with emphasis on 
the work of living American artists. 
(E) Designs shall adhere to sound con-
struction practice and utilize materials, meth-
ods, and equipment proven dependability. 
(F) Buildings shall be economical to build, 
operate, and maintain, and should be accessible 
to the handicapped. 
(2) Design must flow from the needs of the 
Government and the aspirations and preferences of 
the American people to the architectural profession, 
and not vice versa, including through the use of the 
following: 
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(A) The Government should be willing to 
pay some additional cost to avoid excessive uni-
formity in design of Federal buildings. 
(B) Competitions for the design of Federal 
buildings should be held where appropriate. 
(C) The advice of distinguished architects 
practiced in classical or traditional architecture 
ought to, as a rule, be sought prior to the 
award of important design contracts. 
(3) The choice and development of the building 
site should be considered the first step of the design 
process, including through the use of the following: 
(A) This choice should be made in coopera-
tion with local agencies. 
(B) Special attention should be paid to the 
general ensemble of streets and public places of 
which Federal buildings will form a part. 
(C) Where possible, buildings should be lo-
cated so as to permit a generous development 
of landscape. 
SEC. 5. GSA REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall adhere to 
the policy of the United States described in sections 3 and 
4 and shall expeditiously update GSA policies and proce-
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dures to incorporate such policies and principles and ad-
vance the purpose of this Act. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator shall— 
(1) ensure that GSA architects whose duties in-
clude reviewing, assisting with, or approving the se-
lection of architects or designs for applicable Federal 
public buildings have formal training in, or substan-
tial and significant experience with, classical or tra-
ditional architecture; 
(2) create the position of senior advisor for ar-
chitectural design, for an individual with specialized 
experience in classical architecture, to help develop 
GSA procedures, advise on architectural standards, 
and provide guidance during design evaluations or 
design juries; 
(3) where the design of an applicable Federal 
public building is selected pursuant to a design-build 
competition under section 3309 of title 41, United 
States Code, list experience with classical or tradi-
tional architecture as specialized experience and 
technical competence in the phase-1 solicitation, and 
give substantial weight to these factors when evalu-
ating which offerors will be advanced to phase 2; 
and 
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(4) consistent with sections 4302 and 4312 of 
title 5, United States Code, make advancing the pur-
poses and implementing the policies of this Act a 
critical performance element in the individual per-
formance plans of the GSA Chief Architect and ap-
propriate subordinate employees in the GSA Public 
Buildings Service involved in selecting designs for 
applicable Federal public buildings. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGN COMPETITION.— 
Where GSA intends to select a building design pursuant 
to a design competition, the Administrator shall— 
(1) actively recruit architectural firms and, as 
applicable, designers with experience in classical and 
traditional architecture to enter such competition; 
and 
(2) to the extent practicable, ensure that mul-
tiple design modes are advanced to the final evalua-
tion round of such competition. 
(d) NOTIFICATION.—In the event the Administrator 
proposes to approve a design for a new applicable Federal 
public building that diverges from the preferred architec-
ture, including Brutalist or Deconstructivist architecture 
or any design derived from or related to these types of 
architecture, the Administrator shall notify the President 
through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy 
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not less than 30 days before GSA could reject such design 
without incurring substantial expenditures. Such notifica-
tion shall set forth the reasons the Administrator proposes 
to approve such design, including— 
(1) a detailed explanation of why the Adminis-
trator believes selecting such design is justified, with 
particular focus on whether such design is as beau-
tiful and reflective of the dignity, enterprise, vigor, 
and stability of the American system of self-govern-
ment as alternative designs of comparable cost of 
using preferred architecture; 
(2) the total expected cost of adopting the pro-
posed design, including estimated maintenance and 
replacement costs throughout its expected lifecycle; 
and 
(3) a description of the designs using preferred 
architecture seriously considered for such project 
and the total expected cost of adopting such designs, 
including estimated maintenance and replacement 
costs throughout their expected lifecycles. 
Æ 
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