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Standards for Building Sustainable Federal Buildings

July 31,2015

Paul-Lobe-Haus and Marie-Elizabeth-Luders Haus, Bundestag building complex, Berlin, Germany Sustainable architecture design and construction aims to reduce the environmental impact of human habitation on both local and global scales. The United States Federal Government is the largest consumer of land and energy in terms of building ownership. In an effort to reduce the environmental footprint of new and existing federal facilities, several standards have been put into place to improve the sustainability of government buildings. Standards for New Buildings During the design stages, new federal buildings must go through a process of integrated architectural design that…

History of Architecture and Government

July 16,2015

House of the Temple, Washington DC, USA As a significant driving force in innovation, construction, and building design, the government has frequently been a major player in the field of architecture as well. Government buildings have often been designed by leading architects as both functional facilities and long-standing monuments to the morals and goals embodied by each federal agency. Federal building design also frequently reflects the forward-thinking concepts of the time, from early elevator usage to modern-day sustainability practices. The Civil War and Architecture The Civil War played a pivotal role in American history; this event…