Following last week’s look at an opening for Visiting Faculty Fellowships in Design for Spatial Justice at the University of Oregon, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Technical Architect - US Government Work at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

The role, based in Washington, D.C., calls for an individual “responsible for the technical innovation, integration, documentation, and execution of the architectural and engineering design intent.” Among the responsibilities for the role will be contributing technical innovations to aid the design process, reviewing applicable codes, and tracking metrics such as energy, water, and carbon use in projects.

Why the role interests us

The open role at SOM offers us the opportunity to highlight some of the significant recent developments reported by our editorial involving U.S. government projects and initiatives. In February, it was announced that the Pentagon would install an array of solar panels as part of a $55 million Department of Defense clean energy initiative while last month, the EPA banned the last commercially used asbestos product in the United States.

Late last year, meanwhile, the US General Services Administration announced that it would spend $2 billion on low embodied carbon construction projects nationwide. Several courthouses and other federal facilities, including the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in Lower Manhattan, will be targeted for a range of building efficiency upgrades.

Elsewhere, 2024 has seen the U.S. government publish a definition of zero emissions building to target all new buildings not owned by the federal government, while the White House separately announced initiatives to boost manufactured housing.

Further reading for interested candidates

• EPA bans the last commercially used asbestos product in the United States (March 2024)
• White House announces initiatives to boost manufactured housing (March 2024)
• Biden-Harris administration defines future of zero emissions buildings (February 2024)
• The Pentagon will install solar panel array as part of $55 million DOD initiative (February 2024)
• U.S. General Services Administration will spend $2 billion on low embodied carbon construction projects nationwide (November 2023)
• White House announces new guidebook to funding office conversions nationwide (October 2023)
• Archinect's ongoing coverage of the U.S. government
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's Archinect profile
• Archinect Tips: Employment Edition

Job Highlights is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Meet Your Next Employer series profiles and interviews interesting studios with open positions currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.