US Census Bureau Headquarters is Situated on 80 wooded acres of in Suitland Federal Center near downtown Washington, D.C., the new 2.5 million square foot headquarters for the U.S. Census Bureau houses all the Bureau’s 6,000 employees. The Bureau’s previous workplace model was a 1930s ideal with offices arranged along long corridors – a model which was so highly codified for government workplaces that entire building typologies were created to accommodate the idea. SOM’s goal in designing this new Headquarters for Census, was to bring the very best and latest thinking of architecture and the corporate of workplaces from the business world and apply it to a government agency.
photography by © Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo
Every 10 years for the census taking, the U.S. Census Bureau’s staff headcount expands and then contracts by one-third. SOM’s award-winning design for the Federal Agency’s Headquarters accommodates this fluctuation in a large office building that nevertheless maintains an open, elegant feel. Given the size of the building and the need to update the Bureau’s organizational system, SOM had to develop a series of innovative techniques for architecture, space planning and way finding. Also, it was included in the program an assortment of amenities, such as medical facilities, a library, an auditorium, a dining area, a credit union and a gymnasium.
photography by © Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo
To minimize this necessarily large building’s presence in its natural setting, the design team limited the office program to eight stories in height and used a variety of other architectural and sustainable design strategies to reduce the real and perceived impact on the site. At the end, the large corporate campus explores an architectural expression that celebrates and heightens its relationship with the landscape. The design called for 16,000 curving wood fins in four custom shapes to be mounted on the precast concrete facade, thus creating a dramatic wood ‘veil’ around 2.5 million-sf and eight-story structure. The one-of-a-kind treatment would not only serve as a sunshade for the office space, but also help mask the massive concrete structure and create an unusual, daring aesthetic that would tie in with the heavily wooded parkland nearby.
photography by © Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo
Designed to meet LEED® Silver standards, the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters was ultimately awarded LEED® Gold. The building’s several green design features included a brise-soleil made of sustainable wood, a narrow floor-plate that maximizes daylight and views, energy-efficient building systems, green roofs with walking paths, a sustainable landscape plan and an excellent access to public transit. Ultimately, SOM produced an uplifting office complex that allows for concentrated individual work while fostering a kind of collaboration needed to assemble and process immense quantities of data, and when it comes to the U.S. Census Bureau, that’s what counts.
photography by © Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo
Project Info:
Location: Suitland, United States
Year: 2007
Photographs: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo
Civil Engineer: Wiles Mensch Corporation
Design & Build Contractor: Skanska USA Building Inc
Construction Manager: DMJM/Heery a Joint Venture
Lighting Design: Domingo Gonzalez Associates, Cline, Bettridge, Bernstein Lighting Design
Vertical Transportation: Lerch Bates
Associate Interior Architect: Metropolitan Architects & Planners (Programming and Space Planning)
Landscape: EDAW Inc.
Planning: EDAW Inc.
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Design/Build Architect: HKS Architects
Project Team: David Childs, FAIA / Gary Haney, AIA / Peter Magill, AIA / Elias Moubayed / Anthony Fieldman, AIA / Rod Garrett, AIA / Mark Igou, AIA / Aybars Asci, AIA / Kim Van Holsbeke / Takuya Yamauchi / Magd Fahmy / Noppon Psjutharnon / Devawongs Devakul Na Ayudhya / Joyce Ip / Michael Carline
Interior Design Team: Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Stephen Apking, Peter Magill, Nazila Shabestari Duran, Nestor Santa-Cruz, Donald Holt, Dale Greenwald, Nicholas Cotton, Mary Broaddus, Catherine Haley, Cynthia Mirbach, Elizabeth Marr, Amber Giacometti, Ya Ching Hsueh, Celine Jeanne, Jennifer Lee, Ashley O’Neill, Michele Pate, Jeremy Singer
Structural Engineers: Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Skidmore Owings & Merrill
Curtain Wall Consultant: CDC Inc.
Environmental Analysis: EDAW, Inc.
Mep Engineer: Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Skidmore Owings & Merrill
Design & Build Structural Engineer: Walter P. Moore & Associates
Design & Build Mep Engineer: Soutland Industries / GHT Limited
Design & Build Civil Engineer: A. Morton Thomas and Associates
Project Cost: $331 million (total of two phases)
Client/Owner: U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
Tenant: U.S. Census Bureau
Cost Estimating: Project Management Services Inc.
Security: Sako & Associates
Telecommunications: Shen Milsom & Wilke
Audio, Visual & Acoustical: Polysonics Inc.
Erda Dokaj is an experienced intern architect and dedicated editor for Arch2O. With a strong foundation in architecture and urban planning, she brings a blend of technical expertise and artistic vision to her editorial work. Erda is known for her meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to producing high-quality content. Holding an Integrated Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Tirana, she continuously strives for perfection and is passionate about learning and applying new skills to enrich her creative projects. Through her editorial contributions, Erda inspires and educates fellow architects and design enthusiasts.