Archinect - News

Congress appoints engineer Thomas Austin as the next Architect of the Capitol

2024-05-24T14:22:00-04:00

The appointment of military engineer Thomas Austin as the next Architect of the Capitol has been announced by a 12-member bipartisan commission of lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

Austin, a retired Army veteran and the former Director of Engineering at Arlington National Cemetery, will assume the office beginning on June 24th and serve a ten-year term, which soon could be subject to direct congressional oversight after the controversy surrounding predecessor Brett Blanton’s abuse of office.

“The Architect of the Capitol plays a vital role in welcoming millions of visitors to our Capitol and ensuring it is a functional workplace. Thomas Austin has managed construction projects and facilities of all sizes, maintained one of our nation’s most hallowed landmarks, and served our country in the military. We are confident that with his extensive experience, Thomas Austin will be an adept and capable Architect of the Capitol,” the committee’s public statement reads.

Previously on Archinect: ...

New bipartisan Architect of the Capitol provision could grant congressional oversight for the first time

2023-12-19T17:02:00-05:00

Proactive measures to prevent a repeat of the recent misconduct saga that led to the firing of former Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton have been introduced in Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the upcoming fiscal year.

Under the new bipartisan legislation, Congress would have the sole power to fire any future officeholders for the first time. Its language provides for the establishment of a special oversight commission that would both hire and remove permanent appointees, who currently serve at the pleasure of the sitting president. Advocates say it could potentially help fill the vacancy left in the wake of Blanton’s dismissal earlier this year and help buck an even longer trend of successive appointment delays that dates to the mid-90s.

New York representative Joseph D. Morelle said it “just seemed as though the system needs to be designed to protect the interests of the people here — members, staff … and everyday Americans who come to the...

Congress' search for the new Architect of the Capitol continues

2023-06-09T12:30:00-04:00

A nationwide hunt is underway for a new architect of the Capitol, the federal official in charge of the operations and maintenance of the Capitol complex — the heart of American democracy and in more recent years, dysfunction. A special congressional commission is searching for potential candidates on university campuses and museum boards, and in the military, major transit systems and even theme parks.

Congress has retained Reffett Associates to aid in its candidate search for the low six-figure position, which sufficed to say, they see as a “unicorn.” The firm has apparently selected more than twenty candidates thus far, with further help from the AIA. Whoever is hired will oversee 18.4 million square feet of facilities (in addition to a yet-remade Union Station) and more than 2,000 employees.

2023 AIA President Emily Grandstaff-Rice says: “This job requires the skills of an architect, especially in terms of space planning. [But] because you have great access to many decision makers within the government, it’s a people-facing position as well.”

Thomas J. Caroll, who served in an acting role before Brett Blanton's tenure, told the New York Times, “Getting away was a great break.”

New bill seeks to re-mandate Trump's classical architecture order for federal buildings

2023-05-30T15:35:00-04:00

A new bill introduced by Republican Indiana representative Jim Banks has once again returned the years-old debate around Classicism and the design of federal government buildings first begun by Donald Trump during the final year of his Presidency.

Banks’ proposed new H.R. 3627 bill — titled the "Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act" — expands on the Trump era executive order to "make federal buildings beautiful again" via the establishment of a new President's Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture and advocacy for styles of "traditional architecture" including Gothic, Romanesque, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Colonial, and Mediterranean that Banks feels are endemic to the United States.

Previously on Archinect: Trump signs executive order promoting 'traditional and classical architecture' for America's federal buildings

The bill also denounces the Brutalist style espoused by Paul Rudolph and others at midcentury in deference to the neo-classical designs used in the Supreme ...

AIA gets involved in the search for the next Architect of the Capitol

2023-05-24T17:16:00-04:00

With disgraced former Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton now facing punishment for his misuse of office, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced their involvement in the Congressional search process to find a new permanent head for the over 2,000-person office.

The Institute says it has representatives working with both Congress and the executive search firm that was hired to aid in the search for the new AOC position, which is currently held on an interim basis by Chere Rexroat.

Blanton was fired by President Biden in mid-February after a three-month investigation into his alleged wrongdoings, which reportedly entailed the use of government-owned vehicles and an incident where he deliberately misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official, among a choice of actions labeled as “fraud, waste, and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer” by the federal Inspector General.

Other key staffers were let go last month as a product of their involve...

Acting Architect of the Capitol fires key former Blanton era staffers

2023-04-07T17:56:00-04:00

Several members of the Architect of the Capitol’s leadership team were fired Thursday, according to an internal email obtained by CQ Roll Call and two aides familiar with the matter, in a further shakeup at the agency after the February removal of its head, J. Brett Blanton. The AOC’s general counsel, chief financial officer, chief administrative officer, CEO for visitor services and chief of staff were removed Thursday, one senior congressional aide said Friday.

Each staffer had been overseen by the now-former disgraced Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, who was finally fired in early February after being accused of using his office inappropriately. The new Acting Architect of the Capitol Chere Rexroat was immediately appointed in his absence. She holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and Architecture from Texas A&M University and is a licensed Architect in California.

According to Roll Call, the employees cited were named in a follow-up Inspector General's report that outlined their apparent failures to act on tips alerting them to Blanton's abuse of privileges while in office.

Editors Note, April 8, 2023: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of fired staffers. This has been corrected.

President Biden fires Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton

2023-02-13T17:32:00-05:00

President Biden on Monday fired J. Brett Blanton, the federal official responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Capitol complex, amid bipartisan calls for his resignation, after an investigative report accusing him of misusing his position and revelations that he avoided the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

Blanton, who had faced calls for removal over accusations about abuse of government property while in office, was only recently revealed to have been in absentia on the afternoon of January 6th. Speculation had remained over the President’s willingness to remove the AOC from the 10-year appointment posting, the revised ability to do so by joint resolution being one of the would-be powers the past congress attempted unsuccessfully to elbow in at the last second. With his removal, no members of the Capitol Police Board who were working on January 6th are serving in the roles they occupied on the day of the insurrection.

Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton faces questions before Congress amidst calls for resignation

2023-02-10T14:09:00-05:00

Beleaguered Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton shocked members of Congress on Thursday by admitting he was not on Capitol grounds for the tumultuous January 6th attacks during a query into alleged ethics violations while in office.

At a special hearing called by members of the House Administration Committee, Blanton said he was “monitoring developments remotely” during the riots while declining to provide his specific whereabouts in what came as a surprise to committee members of both parties who also took offense to his apparent frequent tardiness from the grounds that continues to this day.

Blanton, who remains the only member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board not to resign in the wake of the incident, also answered questions about his misuse of government-provided SUVs and deliberate misrepresentation of himself as a police officer among other accusations which include giving private tours to “patriots” in the weeks leading up to January 6th, 2021.

Previously on Archinect:...

Congress moves to limit Architect of the Capitol following investigation into misconduct

2023-01-04T15:02:00-05:00

Embattled Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton could be getting one step closer to being forced out of his job after the outgoing 117th Congress finally proposed last-minute legislation that would make it easier for the Trump appointee to be removed from office following an Inspector General’s investigation into the abuse of his title while in office.

CBS News has the latest details on the effort to hold Blanton accountable for his actions, which reportedly included the misrepresentation of himself as a law enforcement official and multiple misuses of his government-provided SUV by him and his family.

Under the proposed new legislation, the formerly term-limited appointment would for the first time be subject to the conditional removal of its office holder via an impeachment or Congressional joint resolution finding either “permanent disability, inefficiency, neglect of duty, malfeasance; or a felony or conduct involving moral turpitude.”

Earlier on Archinect: Trump's Architect...

Trump's Architect of the Capitol is under investigation for ethics violations in D.C.

2022-11-03T12:56:00-04:00

The federal Architect of the Capitol is under scrutiny for ethics violations after apparently using his office to give “patriotic” private tours in the weeks leading up to the contentious elections of November 2020.

The Washington Post is reporting that Trump appointee J. Brett Blanton is now being investigated by the federal Inspector General’s office for allegedly using his office to give family members access to government-owned vehicles and areas of the capitol building that had been restricted due to Covid-19.

The office’s report identified “a significant amount of administrative, ethical, and policy violations as well as evidence of criminal violations throughout the investigation,” including several incidents where Blanton misrepresented himself as a police officer (a class misdemeanor under District of Columbia law) in addition to a campaign of “fraud, waste, and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer.”

Earlier on Archinect: Architect of the U.S. Capitol detai...

Former Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers is announced as the new interim CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences

2021-12-13T17:53:00-05:00

In an effort to fill its leadership void caused by the departure of former CEO Lakisha Woods, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) has announced that former Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA will be serving as the organization’s interim chief executive until such time as a permanent replacement to the AIA’s new EVP and CEO can be found.

The Washington, D.C.-based Institute appointed Ayers to provide a familiar and experienced hand that will now help guide the influential industry group as it searches for its next leader.

Ayers had previously served in the Capitol architect role under President Obama and made headlines in 2018 when he stepped down with two years yet to go in his decade-long appointment.

Prior to his position as the AOC head, Ayers held a number of junior administrative positions within the office beginning with his appointment assistant superintendent for Senate Office Buildings in 1997 and culminating in his official confirmation as the...

Architect of the U.S. Capitol details 'significant' damage from Jan. 6 attack

2021-02-26T17:03:00-05:00

The top operations and maintenance official of the United States Capitol told lawmakers on Wednesday that the costs of the Jan. 6 attack will exceed $30 million, as his office works to provide mental health services, increase security and repair historical statues and other art damaged in the riot.

Video via nytimes.com

Airport engineer nominated to be next Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

2019-12-10T13:49:00-05:00

President Donald Trump has nominated J. Brett Blanton as the next Architect of the Capitol.

Blanton would follow two acting directors, Christine Merdon and Thomas Carroll. If confirmed by the United States Senate, Blanton will serve a 10-year term as the official in charge of maintaining the Capitol complex, Roll Call reports. According to the report, Blanton has 25 years of experience in facilities operations and construction management, but is not a licensed or practicing architect. Rather, Blanton is a professional engineer licensed in the state of Georgia, according to Blanton's LinkedIn page.

Engineering News Record reports that Blanton was most recently a deputy vice president and senior engineering manager with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the entity that runs the city's two major international airports.

Blanton could oversee the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project. RebelAImage courtesy of Wikimedia user RebelAt.

According to Blanton's LinkedIn...