Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture
Headline: Federal Buildings Directed to Favor Classical and Traditional Design
What it does: Agencies that build or manage federal public buildings must prefer classical and traditional designs and follow new public‑input, review, and Presidential‑notification procedures.
- Major federal courthouses, agency headquarters, and $50M+ buildings will favor traditional designs.
- The agency that manages federal buildings must seek input from local users and the general public before selecting designs.
- Approving non‑preferred designs requires a 30‑day Presidential notification with cost and alternatives comparisons.
Summary
This order directs the government to prefer classical and other traditional architecture when designing major federal public buildings. It defines “applicable” buildings as federal courthouses, agency headquarters, all federal buildings in Washington, D.C., and other federal buildings costing over $50 million, and says designs should uplift public spaces and be visibly civic.
The order creates a President’s Council to recommend updates to building policies, requires the agency that manages federal buildings to seek local input, and requires advance Presidential notification before approving divergent designs.
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