Urge your members to contact the Architect of the Capitol Commission members and their Congressional representatives regarding the selection process for the next Architect of the Capitol.  Use the talking points below to frame the message sent to elected officials. 

Please direct any questions to Paul Mendelsohn, pmendelsohn@aia.org, 202-626-7388 or Phil Simon, psimon@aia.org, 202-626-7463.

Why a licensed professional architect should be the next Architect of the Capitol

“Only architects have the education and training to take the disparate elements of a building and bring them together to work in a holistic manner!” --Paul Mendelsohn

The AIA strongly believes that only a licensed professional architect possesses the skills required to be a successful Architect of the Capitol. Architects are responsible for the safety and health of the people within the structures they design, construct and oversee. This responsibility cannot be taken lightly. Someone without professional licensure, who has not passed standardized testing requirements and fulfilled the necessary experience and education requirements, will not have the qualifications necessary to make the critical decisions affecting the building occupants.

In the next ten years, the Architect of the Capitol will be required to manage a nearly 15 million square foot campus. In addition to this, the Architect of the Capitol will also be charged with overseeing major renovations to the existing historic structures while assuring that the Congressional activities in these buildings are not disrupted by the necessary work that will go into these endeavors.

The public interest requires that the design all structures primarily intended for human habitation or use be done by a professional architect. This is because architects have received comprehensive education, on-the-job training, and professional experience in integrating critical design, structural and technology elements into structures in order to assure their usefulness for their particular purpose while assuring the security and safety of the occupants. In addition, the Architect of the Capitol must protect the historic nature of the Capitol complex.

The AIA believes all viable candidates for the position should possess a number of attributes in order to receive serious consideration. While professionals in other fields have the abilities to meet some of these characteristics, only licensed professional architects possess all of these necessary skills.


Any successful candidate for the Architect of the Capitol must have:

• Knowledge in managing large scale construction projects with an ability to oversee complex schedules and tight budgets
  
  Architects coordinate the entire building process. They work with the client/owner to design and construct structures that are safe, secure, cost-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing. Once the design of the structure has been decided, it is then the architect’s responsibility to successfully oversee the construction process, ensuring that the countless elements that are needed to build a structure are in line with the structure’s blueprints (or plan) as well as the owner’s desires.
  
  
  
• Significant skills in diplomatically resolving issues presented by elected officials
  
  Architects are the primary individuals who work with building owners to ensure that a structure is constructed to the owner’s preferences. The architect must be able to understand and handle the building owner’s needs and desires, and then communicate them to the subcontractors responsible for the actual construction of the structure. Architects are the sole professionals that are able to balance cost, safety, security, and design requirements to produce a structure that is satisfying to the building owner.
  
  
  
• Consummate design/architecture skills
  
  Without question, the Capitol and its campus are one of our national treasures. Any future renovations or new construction by the Architect of the Capitol must consider the national significance of the structure (in the case of renovation) or surrounding structures (in the event of new construction). Only a licensed architect possesses the education, training, and experience to design renovations or new construction in the National Capitol Complex.
  
  
  
• Detailed knowledge of the most recent advances to building security and safety technologies
  
  In order to design successful, cost-efficient structures that meet the approval of the owners, architects are required to have a thorough understanding of the current building technologies that are integrated in any successful construction project. Architects are required to complete continuing education requirements on a regular basis and many of these courses focus on advanced technologies and the most up-to-date security features available.
  
  
  
• Knowledge of the science and preservation of historic structures
  
  Architecture is the preeminent profession that handles historic preservation. Everyday, architects across the country are working to preserve our historic structures through the use of proper design techniques in order to make these structures habitable for the 21st Century.