20 Federal Buildings Honored as Nation's Top in Design and Architecture

April 30, 2014

WASHINGTON -- Today the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and its private-sector partners honored 20 federal buildings that represent the agency’s best recent efforts in design and architecture at the GSA Design Awards ceremony, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. The GSA Design Awards are the hallmark of the agency’s Design Excellence program, and today’s event showcases top projects and sets new standards for future federal investment.

“We support the delivery of vital public services to the American people with buildings that are distinct and valued landmarks in their local communities,” said Norman Dong, Commissioner of GSA’s Public Buildings Service. “Our design efforts provide necessary tools to the nation’s federal workforce in high quality, cost effective spaces that help agencies achieve their missions. Today we honor the talents of federal employees and our private sector partners that brought these projects to fruition.”

GSA holds the program every two years to honor the accomplishments of talented federal employees, architects, engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, interior designers, artists, conservationists, and preservationists who create and preserve the nation's landmarks. The GSA Design Awards recognizes outstanding achievements in GSA buildings across the country.

A jury of private-sector professionals chaired by architect Henry N. Cobb reviewed more than 80 projects for this cycle of the GSA Design Awards. Projects were submitted in two categories—completed works and designs not yet realized—and jurors evaluated entries for quality in architecture, preservation, engineering, art, interiors, urban planning, graphic design, and landscape. Projects that were eligible for the awards were those with approved concept designs or construction completed between 2008 and 2013. The program is open to contract design professionals, artists, and organizations that completed projects for GSA.

The following is a complete list of GSA Design Award winners:

HONOR
U.S. Land Port of Entry, Van Buren, Maine

HONOR
Peace Arch Land Port of Entry, Blaine, Washington

HONOR
Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland, Oregon

HONOR
Jacob K. Javits Federal Building Plaza, New York, New York

HONOR
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, DC

HONOR
United States Courthouse, Austin, Texas

HONOR
Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse, New York, New York

CITATION Interiors
Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle, Washington

CITATION Architecture, Engineering, Landscape
Federal Office Building, Miramar, Florida

CITATION Architecture, Art Conservation, Interiors, Urbanism
11 West Quincy Court, Chicago Illinois

CITATION Urbanism
50 United Nations Plaza Federal Building, San Francisco, California

CITATION Architecture, Construction, Communication Design, Interiors, Urbanism
Dr. A.H. McCoy Federal Building, Jackson, Mississippi

CITATION Interiors
Federal Office Building, Andover, Massachusetts

CITATION Construction Management
IRS Enterprise Computing Center, Kearneysville, West Virginia

CITATION Art Conservation
Minton-Capehart Federal Building, Indianapolis, Indiana

CITATION Architecture, Urbanism
John M. Roll United States Courthouse, Yuma, Arizona

CITATION Architecture, Construction, Urbanism
United States Courthouse, Bakersfield, California

CITATION Architecture, Art, Communication Design, Interiors, Urbanism
United States Courthouse Annex, San Diego, California

CITATION Architecture, Engineering, Interiors, Preservation
Wayne N. Aspinall Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Grand Junction, Colorado

CITATION Architecture, Urbanism
United States Courthouse, Toledo, Ohio

The Design Excellence Program is the central advocate for design quality in GSA’s real estate portfolio. The foundation of the Design Excellence Program is the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, written by Daniel Patrick Moynihan and signed by President Kennedy in 1962. The program oversees procedures that seek the finest, most appropriate architects and artists for GSA projects, and which insert independent appraisal of project teams’ work to ensure best value to the American taxpayer. For more information on the GSA Design Awards, please visit: gsa.gov/designawards

Additional Resources

• 2014 Design Awards Book [PDF - 3 MB]
• Photo Map of 2014 Design Award Winners [Pinterest]

Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, DC

Federal Office Building, Andover, MA. Photo Credit: David Lena