Update Jan. 23: AIA chief lobbyist Jim Brewer tells ARCHITECT, "AIA has been asked by Congress to assist in the search for the next Architect of the Capitol. Right now, we’re asking architects that are interested in applying for the position to send a copy of their resume to AIA for review and consideration of the Institute’s endorsement. We’ll provide Congress with a list of highly-qualified candidates that AIA endorses for their consideration. We believe candidates for this prestigious role need to have specific attributes. Licensed architects are a natural fit as they possess all of the skills required of this position."
Architects interested in applying for the AIA’s endorsement as well as the position, email your resume as a Microsoft Word document to [email protected] and [email protected].
According to a report in Roll Call, the Senate has began its search for a new Architect of the Capitol. The previous architect to hold the position, Stephen Ayers, FAIA, stepped down in November.
A 14-person team lead by Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri and the chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, agreed to hire Rockville, Md.–based executive search firm JDG Associates to select candidates that will be presented to the president. According to a job posting on nonprofit Construction Management Association of America's website, candidates must have at least 20 years experience in facilities and construction management; architectural training; and understanding and/or training in historic preservation among other requirements.
“We hope to do this as quickly as we can," Blunt told Roll Call, likely referencing the three year period from 2007 to 2010 when no Architect of the Capitol was confirmed. "My understanding is that we are ahead of where this process was at this time last time. I hope we wind up with nominees that are actually all willing to take the job, which didn't happen last time.”
Once appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the Architect of the Capitol is tasked with overseeing the preservation and maintenance of the Capitol, the House and Senate office buildings, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, among other historical facilities in and around the Washington, D.C. over a 10-year term. The office of the Architect of the Capitol oversees approximately 2,200 employees and manages an annual budget of approximately $720 million.
The office is currently in charge of a 10-year, $752 million renewal of the Cannon House Office Building, as well as restoration of the U.S. Botanic Garden's roof and façade among other projects.
Editor's note: This story has been updated since its original publication.
