H.R. 5565 — Make Federal Architecture Beautiful Again Act

This section defines terms used in the Act, including “2025 dollars” (i.e., dollars adjusted for inflation using the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Gross Domestic Product price deflator with 2025 as the base year); “Administration” and “Administrator” (i.e., the General Services Administration and its head); “applicable Federal public building” (i.e., all Federal courthouses and agency headquarters, all Federal public buildings in the National Capital Region, and other Federal public buildings costing or expected to cost more than $50 million in 2025 dollars to design, build, and finish, excluding infrastructure projects and land ports of entry); architectural styles such as “Brutalist architecture” (i.e., massive, block-like style using exposed poured concrete), “classical architecture” (i.e., derived from Greek and Roman antiquity and encompassing Neoclassical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco), “deconstructivist architecture” (i.e., featuring fragmentation, distortion, and instability), and “traditional architecture” (i.e., classical architecture and historic humanistic styles such as Gothic, Romanesque, Second Empire, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Colonial, and other Mediterranean styles); “general public” (i.e., members of the public excluding artists, architects, critics, instructors, building industry members, and related interest groups); “preferred architecture” (i.e., as described in sec. 3(3)); and “public building” (i.e., as defined in 40 U.S.C. 3301(a)).

This section declares it to be the policy of the United States regarding applicable federal public buildings that (1) such buildings uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire the human spirit, ennoble the United States, command public respect, are visually identifiable as civic buildings, and respect regional architectural heritage as appropriate; (2) designs are selected with substantial local community input; (3) traditional and classical architecture meeting those criteria is preferred; and (4) in the District of Columbia, classical architecture is the preferred and default style absent exceptional factors. The section further states as policy that diverging designs must command public respect and convey the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of U.S. self-government; and that renovations of noncompliant buildings must examine redesign feasibility to meet the criteria, with substantial consideration given to feasible and economical redesigns, especially exteriors.

This section directs federal agencies to adhere, to the extent practicable, to three specified guiding principles for federal architecture. (1) It requires facilities in a distinguished architectural style reflecting the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the U.S. government, preferring classical and traditional architecture (without excluding alternatives in appropriate circumstances), emphasizing design excellence, incorporating regional traditions and fine art by living American artists where appropriate, adhering to proven construction practices, and ensuring buildings are economical to build/operate/maintain and accessible to persons with disabilities. (2) It requires design to flow from government needs and public aspirations (not vice versa), including willingness to pay added costs to avoid design uniformity, holding design competitions where appropriate, and routinely seeking advice from architects experienced in classical or traditional styles before awarding major contracts. (3) It requires considering building site selection as the first design step, in cooperation with local agencies, with attention to surrounding streets/public places and opportunities for landscape development.

This section requires the GSA Administrator to update agency policies to incorporate policies from sections 3 and 4 of the Act and to meet specified requirements for selecting designs for applicable federal public buildings, including (1) ensuring GSA architects have formal training or substantial experience in classical or traditional architecture; (2) creating a senior advisor position for an individual with specialized classical architecture experience to develop procedures and provide guidance; (3) in two-phase selection procedures under 41 U.S.C. 3309 (i.e., design-build competitions where phase-one proposals address technical approach and qualifications), listing classical or traditional architecture experience as specialized technical competence in phase-one solicitations and giving it substantial weight in advancing offerors to phase two; and (4) incorporating implementation of the Act as a critical performance element for the GSA Chief Architect and relevant Public Buildings Service employees. This section further requires GSA, for design competitions, to recruit architectural firms with classical or traditional experience and, to the extent practicable, advance multiple design modes to the final evaluation round. This section also requires the GSA Administrator to notify the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy at least 30 days before approving a design for a new applicable federal public building that diverges from preferred architecture (including Brutalist or Deconstructivist styles), providing a detailed justification, cost comparisons with classical or traditional alternatives, and lifecycle cost estimates.