For more than sixty years, the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture have successfully steered federal building design. The AIA points out that those principles produced federal projects that are “functional, economical, and appropriate to their surroundings while maintaining design excellence.”
The new order, however, upends this flexible framework. It establishes classical and traditional styles as the preferred approach nationwide, with Washington, D.C. facing the strictest rules: classical design becomes the mandatory default. Any alternative would require presidential approval, a requirement that the AIA warns “adds bureaucratic hurdles that will delay projects, increase costs, and create an unnecessary barrier that eliminates many meaningful design options.”
AIA Pushes Back
The American Institute of Architects opposes the Administration’s executive order, ‘Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,’ which effectively mandates the use of classical architectural styles in the design of federal buildings. This directive would replace thoughtful design processes with rigid requirements that will limit architectural choice.
The Stakes: Cost, Creativity, and Community Voice
The order specifies that classical and traditional designs are to be prioritized for federal buildings, while any other style would need direct presidential approval. This notification process adds extra bureaucracy that could slow down projects, raise expenses, and limit viable design choices. In Washington, D.C., the rule goes further by making classical architecture the default, effectively cutting out local decision-making.
The AIA emphasized the importance of architectural evolution: “Each era of America’s architectural legacy has honored the past while addressing contemporary needs through diverse design solutions. Restricting federal architecture options to styles from antiquity ignores this natural evolution and limits our freedom to create buildings that truly serve modern communities.”
The statement emphasized that federal design has long been shaped by an established framework: “The GSA’s Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture have successfully steered federal building design for six decades, resulting in buildings that are functional, economical, and appropriate to their surroundings while maintaining design excellence.” The AIA urged the Administration to withdraw the order and instead concentrate on strengthening and modernizing those principles so they remain effective in addressing today’s priorities and future challenges.
Looking Forward
The AIA underscored what is at stake: “Federal buildings should reflect the community and regional character while maintaining high design standards. America deserves federal buildings that inspire and serve our communities through excellent design that respects both our heritage and our future. Local input must remain central to federal building design decisions, allowing communities the freedom to shape structures that will serve them for generations.”
With this statement, the AIA has drawn a clear line: federal architecture should be guided by enduring principles, not rigid stylistic mandates.
For more articles on Federal Policy and Architecture and Design, see: Back to the Future? and Designing Democracy.