Architect of the Capitol

City within a city┬áPreparing the infrastructure for presidential inaugurations is just one of the responsibilities of the Architect of the Capitol. Come along as April Terreri discovers other roles that the Architect performs for our nationÔÇÖs Capitol. Most people in the US probably have never heard of the office of the Architect of the Capitol. But the world certainly is aware of the Architect and his staffÔÇÖs work, especially every four years, when they help implement presidential inaugurationsÔÇömost notably by building the inaugural platform at the US Capitol.This is just one of the many responsibilities of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), who manages the entire infrastructure owned and operated by the Legislative branch of the government, including 28 buildings, more than 16.5 million square feet of space, 450 acres of grounds, and a staff of over 2,500 people, including engineers, architects, and energy managers.The first Architect of the CapitolÔÇöDr. William Thornton, a Scottish-trained physicianÔÇöwas appointed by President George Washington in 1794, after Washington chose Dr. ThorntonÔÇÖs winning design in 1793 for the original Capitol Building in a national architectural competition. Since that time, there have been 10 Architects of the Capitol, each appointed by the president. Legislation enacted in 1989 provides that the Architect is to be appointed for a term of 10 years by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of three candidates recommended by a congressional commission.Today, Stephen T. Ayers, AIA, LEED AP, is the Acting Architect of the Capitol, having held this position since the retirement two years ago of the former Architect. Ayers, whose normal job is Deputy Architect and COO, will continue to act as the Architect until the president appoints someone to the positionÔÇöwhich could be Ayers.ÔÇ£The Architect manages what I call a ÔÇÿcity within a cityÔÇÖ,ÔÇØ says Ayers. This includes the maintenance, operation, development and preservation of the Capitol complex, encompassing the Capitol Building, the Congressional office buildings, the Supreme Court Building, the US Botanic Garden, and the Library of Congress, among others.The AOC operates with an annual budget of approximately $500 million to fund projects and programs. ÔÇ£We classify projects as design and construction work on a major scale, while programs involve initiatives such as energy conservation and sustainability efforts,ÔÇØ explains Ayers.A major programmatic initiative begun in 2005 involves a significant reduction in energy consumption in all federal buildings by 3 percent per year over 10 years, or 30 percent by 2015. Additionally, the Speaker of the House outlined a more aggressive goal for buildings used by the House of Representatives; this initiative has a goal of 5 percent reduction per year for 10 years, or a 50 percent reduction in energy usage. ÔÇ£Over the last three years we have met all these goals,ÔÇØ reports Ayers. ÔÇ£Sustainability and energy conservation are our biggest drivers on the programmatic side of our responsibilities.ÔÇØAyers notes that there are no true estimates currently as to the total cost of this endeavor, but lifetime cost analyses and ROIs are always calculated before the AOC undertakes any projects or programs.One creative financing mechanism the AOC uses for such projects involves public-private ventures under the Energy Savings Performance Contracts, or ESPCs. ÔÇ£We partner with a private entity that will make substantial energy upgrades to our buildings,ÔÇØ explains Ayers. ÔÇ£They are repaid, typically over a 20-year period, through the energy savings they generate, so there is a big incentive for them to really succeed. This model is run by the Department of Energy, as appropriated dollars are very difficult to come by, especially these days.ÔÇØAwards will soon be issued for contracts for energy upgrades for the House Office Buildings, the Senate Office Buildings and the Capitol Building. ÔÇ£These three projects will equate to nearly $150 million worth of private investments, which will be repaid through the energy savings they generate,ÔÇØ Ayers says.Ayers reports a dramatic reduction already in the lighting load, credited to ÔÇ£daylight harvesting systemsÔÇØ using light sensors placed on windows. ÔÇ£Sensors measure the amount of light coming through the window, and lights in the office will automatically dim accordingly.ÔÇØSome other endeavors include the replacement of 14,000 light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs and the installation of occupancy sensors in all offices and conference rooms, which automatically turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. This has resulted in saving hundreds of thousands of kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Investments of $100 million in the complexÔÇÖs central power plant aim to assure the equipment there operates at optimal efficiency. This plant produces steam for heating the complexÔÇÖs buildings and chilled water for cooling the buildings.Conservation initiatives require changes in behavior, notes Ayers. ÔÇ£We do this through demand-side management: managing the demand of electrical resources through an extensive educational campaign we call the ÔÇÿPower to SaveÔÇÖ campaign. We talk to people, distribute informational materials, and hold seminars.ÔÇØ One of the more interesting responsibilities of the AOC is preparing the Capitol for presidential inaugurations every four years. ÔÇ£We construct the inaugural platform, prepare all the infrastructure work, and place 30,000 chairs out on the west front of the Capitol Building,ÔÇØ Ayers says. This work usually begins in September. ÔÇ£We work under a very tight deadline, and there is no room for failure or delay because the nation will inaugurate a president by noon on January 20, period.ÔÇØAyers says he and his staff are currently critiquing the recent inauguration to discover strengths and weaknesses that will help them improve the operation for the next inauguration.Another responsibility on the projects side includes moving members of Congress after the elections every two years. ÔÇ£We move members from one office to another through a unique seniority and lottery system,ÔÇØ explains Ayers. Between November and December last year, his staff moved 182 members of Congress after the November election. In the House, with its 435 members, the staff moves between 150 and 200 members. An important role of the AOC staff in its day-to-day responsibilities is to serve the members of Congress and ensure their infrastructure is ready to enable them to do their daily work, reports Ayers. ÔÇ£We also have a broader mission of restoring and maintaining the national treasures of this nation, and we really take the historic preservation portion of our jobs very seriously,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£Obviously, the Capitol Building is our nationÔÇÖs icon and a symbol of representative democracy, and we are very committed to preserving it for generations to come.ÔÇØ  ÔÇô Editorial research by Vincent Kielty┬á