Public Space and 
 Modern Architecture: 
 
 Design Guidelines for the 
 Plazas Surrounding the 
 U\S. Department of Housing and 
 Urban Development Headquarters 
 washington, dc 
 
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Background Facts 
 AND Historical Notes 
 
 The Design Challenge 
 
 The Charrette Response 
 
 Fundamental Design Principles 
 
 Master Planning and 
 Long-Range Design Guidelines 
 
 Immediate Recommendations 
 
 Three Conceptual Schemes 
 
 Management and Process Guidelines 24 
 
 Appendix 1 : 
 
 Summary of the Guidelines 
 
 Appendix 2: 
 
 Agency Participants 
 
 Appendix 3: 
 Charrette Agenda 
 
Public Space and Modern Architecture: 
 
 Design Guidelines for the 
 Plazas Surrounding the 
 U.S. Department of Housing and 
 Urban Development Headquarters 
 Washington, DC 
 
 Prepared tor the 
 Department of Housing and 
 Urban Development and the 
 General Services Administration 
 
 Prepared by the 
 
 Design Program of the 
 
 National Endowment tor the Arts 
 
 Thomas Walton, Ph.D. 
 
 Rapporteur 
 
 School of Architecture and Planning 
 
 The Catholic University of America 
 
 Washington, DC 
 
 October 1 994 
 
Background Facts and Historical Notes 
 
 It is a classic example of Modern architecture - 
 a powerful building sitting like a piece of sculp- 
 ture on a vast plaza. In this case, the edifice in 
 question is the U.S. Department of Housing 
 and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters 
 in Washington, DC. Located at 451 Seventh 
 Street, SW, it was designed between 1963 and 
 1965 by the highly acclaimed Modern archi- 
 tect, furniture designer and theorist Marcel 
 Breuer. The H-shaped plan with concave fa- 
 cades articulated as bands of rectangular cast 
 stone window modules was typical of Breuer's 
 aesthetic and representative of a philosophy of 
 design referred to as New Brutalism. To em- 
 phasize the building's structure and open up 
 the ground plane, perimeter bays were lifted 
 off the ground by massive Y-shaped piers or 
 "pilotis." This created a covered arcade along 
 the edge of the structure but left entrances 
 recessed and largely hidden from view. 
 
 As was common in the Modern style, the 
 building and elements surrounding it were 
 sited as if they were components of an abstract 
 composition. The building was placed as a 
 dynamic object in the middle of a grand plaza. 
 A freestanding, multistory pylon was used to 
 carry the name of the agency and accentuate 
 the main public entrance. Ramps and low walls 
 on the east edge of the site hallmarked the 
 entry and exit to the garage. And the plaza 
 itself was treated as a continuous plain of blue- 
 stone pavers, the neutral background for a 
 monumental work of art. 
 
 To some extent, this sense of grandeur might 
 be attributed to the fact that the HUD project 
 was the first large commission designed in 
 
 response to President Kennedy's 1962 Guiding 
 Principles for Federal Architecture, a mandate 
 that called for "an architectural style which is 
 distinguished and which will reflect the dignity, 
 enterprise, vigor and stability of the American 
 national government... (and) embody the 
 finest contemporary American architectural 
 thought. " Fulfilling this vision, when President 
 Johnson dedicated the structure on September 
 9, 1968, he exploited it as a message "to create 
 a Nation that will always be like this building - 
 bold and beautiful. " 
 
 HUD is also a landmark from an urban 
 design perspective as it was a key element in 
 the master plan for the District of Columbia's 
 Southwest Washington Redevelopment Area, 
 a post- World War II effort to revive an area 
 of the capital that most people perceived as a 
 slum. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, land 
 was purchased, old structures were demolished, 
 and parcels resold to create a mixed-use enclave 
 of new apartments, townhouses, government 
 offices, commercial spaces, parks, schools and 
 churches. Symbolically, by taking the lead in 
 building on a site within this project, HUD 
 demonstrated its commitment to urban re- 
 newal across the nation. 
 
 Today, the Breuer design is one of several 
 large federal offices in the area. It is accessible 
 by Metro (L'Enfant Plaza Station) and the 
 Virginia Railway Express commuter line. Its 
 eastern boundary - Seventh Street, SW - has 
 been designated a "Special Street" in the Com- 
 prehensive Plan for the National Capital pre- 
 pared by the National Capital Planning Com- 
 mission, a "major street" in the Streetscape 
 
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 Symbolically, by taking 
 the lead in building on 
 a site within the southwest 
 Washington Redevelopment 
 Area, HUD demonstrated 
 its commitment to urban 
 renewal across the nation. 
 
Background Facts and Historical Notes, Continued 
 
 Manual prepared by an interagency group 
 composed of federal and District of Columbia 
 agencies, and holds the potential of becoming 
 a major pedestrian route connecting the Mall 
 to Southwest Washington's Potomac River 
 waterfront. 
 
 Programmatically, the HUD building is ten 
 stories tall, contains about 1.16 million square 
 feet of space and is home to some 3800 federal 
 employees. There is cramped underground 
 parking for approximately 400 cars beneath the 
 east plaza; 95 above-ground spaces - including 
 several for van pools - in the north plaza; and 
 105 at-grade spaces shoehorned into the south 
 
 plaza (many of these are assigned to agency 
 VIPs). Inside, most of the ground floor is 
 used as a cafeteria with seating that looks out 
 through a window wall to a landscaped west 
 plaza. There is a daycare center in the north 
 basement with access to a play area on the 
 north side of the west plaza. Almost all of the 
 remaining space is given over to offices. There 
 are only a few meeting rooms, the largest of 
 which holds 175 people. 
 
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The Design Challenge 
 
 Now REDEVELOPMENT HAS 
 TO RESPECT AND NURTURE 
 EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, 
 ENCOURAGE A MIX OF 
 DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, AND 
 INVITE A CROSS-SECTION OF 
 
 THE American population 
 
 TO MAKE A HOME WITHIN 
 THE BOUNDARIES OF ANY 
 PARTICULAR PROJECT. 
 
 Since the design of the HUD building was 
 begun in 1963, many things have changed. 
 Philosophically, the design and aesthetic prin- 
 ciples of Modern architecture have been called 
 into question. In one facet of this debate, the 
 heroic ideal of buildings as elegant sculptures 
 located in ideal settings independent of other 
 structures has been criticized as undermining 
 the necessarily dense fabric of the city and the 
 vitality that density nurtures along the street. 
 From a distance, a building like the HUD 
 headquarters might distinguish itself as an 
 impressive composition. But on closer inspec- 
 tion, it frequently appears isolated from the life 
 of the city, and the open space around it risks 
 becoming an unused wasteland or, as it has in 
 this case, a battleground of pedestrian and 
 vehicular uses. No one has seriously considered 
 tearing the Breuer building down, but clearly 
 there is a need to integrate the design more 
 effectively with the surrounding neighborhood 
 and the monumental core of the capital. 
 
 The goals and strategies used by HUD have 
 also changed. In the 1960s, the basic model for 
 improving the urban environment encouraged 
 slum clearance and the rebuilding of entire 
 sections of cities. As the decades passed, how- 
 ever, it became clear that more sensitive and 
 subtle approaches were needed. Now redevel- 
 opment has to respect and nurture existing 
 neighborhoods, encourage a mix of different 
 
 functions, and invite a cross-section of the 
 American population to make a home within 
 the boundaries of any particular project. Re- 
 flecting these ideals, under the leadership of 
 President Bill Clinton and Secretary Henry 
 Cisneros, HUD's mission is "to help people 
 create communities of opportunity," a task it 
 supports with five Community Empowerment 
 Principles: 
 
 i:' A Commitment to Community 
 
 I A Commitment to Support Families 
 
 A Commitment to Economic Lift 
 
 A Commitment to Reciprocity and to Bal- 
 ancing Individual Rights and Responsibilities 
 
 A Commitment to Reducing the Separations 
 by Race and Income in American Life 
 
 Given the shift in focus from large scale projects 
 to a more human and value-oriented mission, 
 it seems worthwhile to explore the possibilities 
 that some dimension of the Community Em- 
 powerment Principles might be evident in the 
 design of the agency's headquarters. 
 
 With an emphasis on improving the exterior 
 spaces around the HUD building, more spe- 
 cific recommendations for change have emerged 
 from various user groups. Secretary Cisneros 
 takes advantage of the east plaza as a forum for 
 greeting important visitors as well as announc- 
 ing major programs and policy initiatives, and 
 his office would like the space to more easily 
 
The Design Challenge, continued 
 
 and gracefully accommodate those events. Staff 
 comment on the need for more greenery and 
 the desire for a people-friendly environment 
 with alternative places to sit and perhaps even 
 hold informal meetings. Safety and access for 
 persons with disabilities are concerns. Creating 
 places for vendors, exhibits and artwork would 
 also be valued improvements and provide a 
 chance to express the cultural diversity of 
 HUD's workforce and the nation-at-large. 
 Finally, the nearby community and District 
 of Columbia government would be open to 
 options for using the HUD plazas for local 
 events and generating a better civic presence 
 for the building and the agency. 
 
 A last arena of change has to do with the 
 physical state of the HUD structure. Since it 
 was completed in 1968, there have been several 
 modifications to the exterior areas that have 
 deviated from Breuer's original design. En- 
 closed vestibules replaced the revolving doors 
 on the north and south lobbies. A curb cut 
 driveway was substituted for a vehicular 
 dropoff that maintained the continuity of the 
 paving and was level with the rest of the plaza, 
 simply delineating the roadway with pyramidal 
 bollards. Gutters have been added above the 
 pilotis in front of exterior entrances. Security 
 cameras have been mounted on the facades of 
 the building. Single-bulbed street lights have 
 been installed in place of Breuer's multi-bulbed 
 fixtures. And a variety of miscellaneous planters 
 
 have been installed to provide more green on 
 the plaza. Together, these and other changes 
 have eroded the integrity of the Breuer design 
 without really improving the environment 
 around the HUD building. 
 
 Fortunately, a soon-to-be-implemented 
 U.S. Cjeneral Services Administration (GSA) 
 waterproofing and paving replacement project 
 for HUD's east and north plazas has created 
 an opportunity to re-examine the design and 
 future development of the exterior spaces. The 
 interesting thing is that, although this effort is 
 modest in scale and budget, it still provides a 
 unique opportimity to address the broad spec- 
 trum of issues discussed above. The redesign 
 of the HUD's plazas can reflect emerging phi- 
 losophies of urban design, the agency's value- 
 oriented mission, the specific aspirations of 
 various user groups and the general desire to 
 have the spaces around the building serve as 
 a model of design excellence, respectful of 
 Breuer's original design but open to change 
 and innovation. 
 
 Bring the daycare center out 
 of the basement and into the 
 plaza to express that family is 
 part of your workday. " 
 
 - Debra Mitchell ■ 
 
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 The redesign of the 
 hud's plazas can reflect 
 emerging philosophies of 
 urban design, the agency's 
 value-oriented mission, 
 the specific aspirations of 
 various user groups and 
 the general desire to have 
 the spaces around the 
 building serve as a model 
 of design excellence. 
 
The Charrette Response 
 
 Since, in terms of schedule, the GSA water- 
 proofing and paving effort was imminent, there 
 was a need to sohcit design advice expeditiously 
 in order to get the most out of expanding the 
 GSA project to include a response to the 
 broader range of issues involved in the redevel- 
 opment of the HUD plazas. The good news 
 was that both agencies were willing to go the 
 extra mile and immediately sought advice from 
 the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) 
 Design Program as to the best course of action. 
 At this point, Thomas Grooms, manager of 
 NEAs Federal Design Improvement Program, 
 recommended convening a "charrette." 
 (Charrette comes from a French phrase describ- 
 ing the hectic rush oi students at the Ecole des 
 Beaux-Arts to complete their architectural 
 drawings, and today, refers to a concise but 
 thorough study of any particular design prob- 
 lem.) From experience, Grooms knew that the 
 outcome from this intense meeting would be a 
 design vision for the plazas — not a final pro- 
 posal but a valuable set of guidelines for anyone 
 chosen to develop the project in detail. 
 
 Things started to happen quickly once the 
 GSA and HUD agreed to the charrette strategy. 
 June 29-30, 1994 were chosen as the dates for 
 the event, and a multi-disciplinary team was 
 invited to participate in the two-day event. 
 M. David Lee, vice president of the Boston 
 architecture and planning firm Stull and Lee, 
 Inc. and adjunct professor at Harvard Univer- 
 sity was selected to head the design team. The 
 other members of the charrette teams were 
 
 Michael Alexander, artistic director of Califor- 
 nia Plaza, the central public space of a Los 
 Angeles mixed-use redevelopment site managed 
 by Metropolitan Structures West, Inc.; Peter 
 Blake, architect, professor of architecture, au- 
 thor and renowned critic of the Modern move- 
 ment; Reginald W. Griffith, Executive Director 
 of the National Capital Planning Commission; 
 Pamela G. Holt, Executive Director of the 
 District of Columbia Commission on the Arts 
 and Humanities; Nora Jaso, architect and prin- 
 cipal of Studio Jaso, her Seattle-based design 
 firm specializes in cultural and artistic expres- 
 sion; Debra Mitchell, landscape architect and 
 senior principal and director of the mid-Atlan- 
 tic office of the Johnson Johnson & Roy/inc. 
 landscape architecture firm; Robert Peck, 
 Group Vice President, External Affairs, for the 
 American Institute of Architects and a member 
 of the Commission of Fine Arts in Washington, 
 DC; and Jay S. Willis, a three-dimensional 
 artist and professor of Fine Arts at the Univer- 
 sity of Southern California. HUD, GSA, and 
 NEA each selected appropriate members of 
 their agencies to participate. NEA also asked a 
 representative from the U.S. Department of 
 Transportation, which has its headquarters 
 across the street from HUD, to participate. 
 
 When this diverse group of experts gathered 
 in a HUD headquarters conference room at the 
 end of June, they had a full agenda. There were 
 presentations on Breuer and the history of the 
 HUD design; an overview of planning and 
 urban design issues related to the HUD site 
 and surrounding areas; a tour of the building 
 and plazas; and input concerning priorities 
 related to the redesign of the plazas from 
 people representing such constituencies as 
 
 
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 "The design team started as a 
 new set of eyes in Washington — 
 coming to look at our charge, 
 the HUD Plaza. We saw this 
 project not as a problem but as 
 an opportunity for improvement 
 and new uses. " 
 
 - Alan Brangman 
 
Functional Issues 
 
 I How can the 7th Street 
 plaza's utility be enhanced for 
 employees? 
 
 I How can the 7th Street plaza 
 design help support the urban 
 setting of the neighborhood? 
 
 I How can the activity of 
 contemplation occur on the 
 7th Street plaza? 
 
 ] How can user access to the 
 building be maintained across 
 the 7th Street plaza? 
 
 I How can the amenity of 
 food be added to the 7th 
 Street plaza? 
 
 I How can the plaza design 
 respond to comprehensive 
 plans for the National Capital? 
 
 How can a performing arts 
 space be integrated into the 
 7th Street plaza? 
 
 How can security issues be 
 addressed? 
 
 "I he idea of capturing these 
 pockets of opportunity all the 
 way around the building is 
 very important. " 
 
 - Debra Mitchell 
 
 Aesthetic Issues 
 
 I How can the front door to 
 HDD's headquarters portray a 
 stronger image of the agency 
 mission? 
 
 I How can the design make 
 a positive statement about 
 HUD's goals relating to the 
 creation of livable and attrac- 
 tive urban environments? 
 
 J How can Marcel Breuer's 
 design intent be respected as 
 a significant architectural 
 achievement? 
 
 Technical Issues 
 
 I How can the structural 
 integrity of the new surfacing 
 be maintained? 
 
 How can employee parking 
 needs be managed without 
 causing structural damage 
 to the waterproofing? 
 
 Blacks in Government, the Disabled in Gov- 
 ernment, the HUD 'Women's Policy Commit- 
 tee, the Asian Pacific employees group, the Gay 
 and Lesbian Organization, the Neighborhood 
 Advisory Commission, and the District of 
 Columbia Commission on Arts and Humani- 
 ties. There was a viewing of the William Whyte 
 film City Spaces, Human Places, and over a 
 day and a half, there was extensive and lively 
 debate on problems and opportunities as well 
 as general strategies for implementing design 
 solutions. 
 
 Part of the discussion was influenced by a 
 list of questions prepared in advance for the 
 charrette team (listed to left). 
 
 In the end, the charrette team responded to 
 most of these concerns, but believed it was 
 critical to place them in a context that empha- 
 sized developing a master plan for the entire 
 HUD site. In essence, the conclusion of the 
 team was that the details and implementation 
 of a design solution for the east plaza were 
 inextricably linked to long-term proposals for 
 the other plazas and spaces around the build- 
 ing, the HUD mission, and the relationship 
 of the HUD site to the city and the adjoining 
 neighborhood. Based on this conviction, they 
 put forth guidelines in these areas: 
 
 ' Fundamental Design Principles 
 
 I Master Planning and Long-Range Design 
 Guidelines 
 
 Immediate Recommendations 
 
 Management and Process Guidelines 
 
 In the pages that follow, these become headings 
 for elaborating on the specific guidelines them- 
 selves. 
 
 j^i^ 
 
Fundamental Design Principles 
 
 The members of charrette team identified 
 several design principles they felt should be 
 evident throughout the HUD site independent 
 of any particular master plan for the area or 
 detailed project for the east and north plazas. 
 With no ranking in terms of priority, these are 
 discussed in this section ol the report. 
 
 Humanism should be the guiding force 
 in the redevelopment of the hud plazas. 
 
 This is not seen as a statement about aesthetics 
 but rather a comment on a key general at- 
 tribute that should be present throughout the 
 site. In terms of overall concept and detail, 
 designs for the plazas should engage, that is, 
 elicit a positive and compelling response from 
 the many groups that might use the spaces. 
 Regardless of style - the forms, materials and 
 activities on the HUD block should satisfy 
 users intellectually and emotionally. 
 
 The plazas should primarily be designed 
 to serve pedestrians. cars should only 
 be a secondary consideration in the 
 
 PROJECT. 
 
 Presently, cars and vans have overwhelmed the 
 HUD site. With its curb ciu driveway, much of 
 the east plaza is dedicated to vehicular drop-off 
 as well as the garage entry and exit. On the 
 west plaza, the current design of the roof and 
 vents over the service bays leave that space 
 largely unusable. In addition, extensive parking 
 on the north (about 95 spaces) and south pla- 
 zas (about 105 spaces) makes those areas unin- 
 viting, creates a sense of clutter and chaos, and 
 contradicts the original design of the building. 
 The charrette team did not feel the cars had to 
 be eliminated. Rather, the design for the out- 
 door space has to make pedestrian uses the 
 highest priority, controlling and minimizing 
 the impact of automotive traffic. 
 
 Art SHOULD BE A COMPELLING AND INTEGRAL 
 ASPECT OF ANY DESIGN PROPOSAL. 
 The charrette did not allow time or the depth 
 of analysis to make specific recommendations 
 regarding art for the HUD plazas, but there is 
 no doubt that art has to be a significant and 
 inherent component of the master plan and 
 proposals for the current project. Paving seems 
 an almost unavoidable medium for artistic 
 expression, but there are many other possibili- 
 ties - lighting, the back walls of L'Enfant Plaza, 
 the vents over the service area, and more dy- 
 namic commissions including video displays, to 
 name just a few. And since it is possible that 
 the recommended design might not be accom- 
 modated within the present budget and phas- 
 ing of the plaza development, the master plan 
 should specify how art, in its scope and charac- 
 ter, is an integral part of the design, making it 
 clear that without this dimension the project is 
 incomplete. 
 
 The design should embody "HUD-iness," 
 creating an appropriate image for the 
 agency and helping to generate a strong 
 self-image for hud employees. 
 
 HUD can be proud of many accomplishments 
 as its programs have reshaped the American 
 landscape. In particular, the charrette team was 
 especially excited by the most recent HUD 
 mission statement and wants to see it inter- 
 preted in the design solution. Without specify- 
 ing how this might be accomplished, the mas- 
 ter plan and cietails for the outdoor space 
 should reflect HUD's commitment to commu- 
 nity, family, inclusiveness, and economic and 
 social vitality in a way that creates an effective 
 public image for the agency and a profile that 
 reconfirms the importance of the work done by 
 HUD employees. 
 
 In TERMS OF OVERALL 
 CONCEPT AND DETAIL, 
 DESIGNS FOR THE PLAZAS 
 SHOULD ELICIT A POSITIVE 
 AND COMPELLING RESPONSE 
 FROM THE MANY GROUPS 
 THAT MIGHT USE THE SPACES. 
 
 10 
 
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 There should be provisions in the design 
 concept to include demonstrations of 
 what hud is about. 
 Several employees described their work as 
 "pushing papers ' or "making grants." The 
 charrette team, on the other hand, conceived of 
 HUD's work as the reality of the many build- 
 ings, communities and projects it underwrites. 
 In the design of the open spaces, this three- 
 dimensional reality needs to make itself known. 
 This could take many forms but two that were 
 mentioned were exhibits ("a museum of the 
 American community" is the way one team 
 member put it) and on-going demonstration 
 projects (a garden, a house or some other model 
 or mock-up of a HUD-supported effort). 
 
 
 The design should be a "theatre of 
 
 CONTRAST" reflecting THE DIVERSITY OF 
 HUD'S CONSTITUENTS AND ITS STAFF. 
 Having heard from African Americans, 
 Asian Pacific Americans, the disabled, women, 
 gays and lesbians, and other employees, the 
 charrette team was impressed with what was 
 inevitably a much broader spectrum of groups 
 that made up the HUD workforce and its 
 constituency. Again without stipulating an 
 approach, the team hopes that this breadth 
 of cultures, talents and energies - what was 
 described as a "theatre of contrast" - can some- 
 how be expressed in the design of the HUD 
 plazas. 
 
 To THE EXTENT THAT DESIGN ELEMENTS 
 REFLECT HUD'S MISSION, THE PROJECT 
 SHOULD SENSITIVELY INCORPORATE EVOLUTION- 
 ARY ADDITIONS TO THE PLAZA ACKNOWLEDGING 
 BREUER'S ORIGINAL VOCABULARY BUT 
 PERHAPS, AT TIMES, CONTRASTING WITH IT. 
 This is an issue that requires thoughtful and 
 subtle judgment calls. Certainly the integrity 
 and beauty of Breuer's original design needs to 
 be respected and in some cases restored. At the 
 same time, many of the guidelines discussed in 
 
 "The paving itself can become 
 artwork. . . the original idea of 
 this building as a large object 
 on a field is not compromised 
 but strengthened by having that 
 artwork be responsive to all the 
 HUD goals." 
 
 - Norajaso 
 
 11 
 
Fundamental Design Principles, continued 
 
 12 
 
this report would never have been part of the 
 1963 project. What should be defined are crite- 
 ria and boundaries that clarify the extent to 
 which Breuer's scheme for the exterior spaces 
 and ground floor might be modified to better 
 suit the changing HUD mission, its constitu- 
 ency, and the building's urban context. With- 
 out abandoning any of the essential features of 
 the project as an example of Modern architec- 
 ture, the structure and its site should be re- 
 garded as a working headquarters of an impor- 
 tant government agency rather than as an arti- 
 fact to be preserved. 
 
 The design should avoid "trendy" 
 solutions. 
 
 The principle here is to develop the site in as 
 timeless a manner as possible, spurning details 
 that could later be interpreted as dated or fad- 
 dish. 
 
 Reflecting HDD's mission, the design 
 
 SHOULD strive TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR 
 responding to THE NEARBY COMMUNITY 
 AND THE CITY AS WELL AS TO THE STATUS 
 OF THE BUILDING AS A FEDERAL AGENCY 
 HEADQUARTERS. 
 
 The urban context of the HUD building has 
 changed significantly since it was completed 
 in 1968. The adjacent Southwest Washington 
 Redevelopment Area is largely complete. 
 Seventh Street, SW - HUD's front door - 
 has been designated a "Special Street ' by the 
 National Capital Planning Commission and 
 clearly holds the potential of becoming a major 
 link between the Mall and the Potomac River 
 
 waterfront. And the city seeks to foster better 
 relationships with the federal institutions 
 within its boundaries. For all these reasons, the 
 design of the HUD plazas should respond to 
 local priorities and needs of the neighboring 
 community. 
 
 The DESIGN SHOULD RESPOND TO THREE 
 DISTINCT USER GROUPS: 
 
 I Employees and those coming as HUD guests 
 or on HUD business (the Sam to 5pm crowd). 
 
 i Local residents and those who come to the 
 area after 5 pm 
 
 I Daily, weekend and out-of-town visitors. 
 
 It is clear that the HUD plazas should be devel- 
 oped to serve many needs. The highest priority 
 should be given to satisfying agency and gov- 
 ernment employee requirements. Local resi- 
 dents and those attracted to the area after 5 pm 
 also deserve consideration - the students that 
 pass through the site on the way to Jefferson 
 Junior High School, neighborhood groups that 
 might want to use the plazas for outdoor activi- 
 ties, people that come to Southwest Washing- 
 ton to dine or go to the theatre, and others 
 constituencies. Finally, the outdoor space could 
 be designed to have some meaning for tourists, 
 individuals that use Seventh Street as a route to 
 other destinations, and those that are drawn to 
 this part of the city for weekend events. 
 
 13 
 
Master Planning and Long-Range Design Guidelines 
 
 Having a master plan for the entire HUD site 
 is the basis for and a crucial prelude to develop- 
 ing detailed proposals for the east and north 
 plazas. This master plan should be reviewed by 
 all the appropriate agencies and constituent 
 groups. It should embody the Fundamental 
 Design Principles just outlined. It also should 
 respond to the more specific concerns listed 
 below. 
 
 Movement to, through and around the 
 hud site should be clear and gracious. 
 Circulation on the HUD site is complex. There 
 are separate entrances for employees and visi- 
 tors. Commuters come out the back door of 
 the L'Enfant Plaza complex and walk through 
 or around the building. Neighborhood users 
 crisscross the block in a variety of ways. And 
 taxis and private cars use the east, north and 
 south plazas for drop-off and parking. Given 
 this situation, it is no surprise that, at present, 
 pathways to the entrances and around the 
 HUD building are confusing, unattractive, 
 possibly unsafe. This issue requires careful 
 study and analysis, after which the design 
 team should prepare a master plan that clarifies 
 the circulation options and develops each as a 
 thoughtfully designed passage to, through or 
 around the site. 
 
 PLACES OF ENTRY SHOULD BE WELL DEFINED. 
 
 The recessed lobbies and the fact that certain 
 entrances can only be used by HUD employees 
 and government workers leave first-time visi- 
 tors wandering in a bewildered fashion around 
 the building. The pylon at the south end of the 
 
 east plaza was meant to announce the "front 
 door" but does not adequately fulfill that pur- 
 pose. The conclusion of the charrette team was 
 that the main public entrance should to be 
 more richly celebrated and distinguished from 
 secondary entry points. 
 
 The development of a quality environment 
 that is universally accessible should be 
 a high priority. 
 
 This goes beyond simply providing accessibil- 
 ity. The point, here, is to devise a master plan 
 and detailed proposals that provide equally 
 compelling and pleasurable outdoor experi- 
 ences for all users. 
 
 As A LONG-RANGE GOAL, STRATEGIES SHOULD 
 BE DEVELOPED TO ALLOW THE REMOVAL OF THE 
 VAST MAJORITY OF AT'GRADE PARKING ON THE 
 
 SITE. 
 
 In the interim, the aesthetics of parking 
 
 should take precedence over capacity. It is 
 
 clear Irom Breuer's plans that a modest number 
 of automobiles were to be accommodated at 
 the entrance level of the HUD building. The 
 present situation, however, goes well beyond 
 anything he envisioned and has a detrimental 
 effect on the integrity of the building's design 
 and, more significantly, on the pedestrian use 
 of the various plazas. Getting rid ot the cars 
 and vans is lundamental to improving the qual- 
 ity of the open space, and the charrette team 
 unanimously endorsed the development of a 
 plan to remove all, or almost all, of the at-grade 
 parking in a phased program that would imme- 
 diately minimize the negative aesthetic impact 
 of any vehicles that might temporarily be 
 permitted to continue parking around the 
 building. 
 
 "If this is going to become the 
 sort of building that symbolizes 
 what HUD does, the building 
 has to be thought ofii< <i qoiera- 
 tor of activities. " 
 
 - Robert Peck 
 
 14 
 
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 The East Plaza should 
 be developed as a 
 "ceremonial" space 
 but flexible enough for 
 informal uses and events. 
 
 U^sAm^ 
 
 Paving, color and lighting should be 
 carefully considered aspects of the 
 
 DESIGN. 
 
 Both as art and as matter of detail, three of the 
 most important elements in the master plan 
 and current project are paving, color and light- 
 ing. They are inevitable components of any 
 effort and, if developed to their full potential, 
 can make major contributions to the success of 
 the HUD plazas. They do not necessarily need 
 to be used in complex or dramatic ways, but 
 they should enhance the unity and vitality of 
 the open space. It is also worth mentioning 
 that lighting under or along the pilotis arcade 
 was brought up by several users as an issue that 
 needed to be addressed. 
 
 The RELATIONSHIPS AMONG AND USES OF 
 THE PLAZAS SHOULD BE CLARIFIED. 
 
 As they are today, each of the HUD plazas has 
 its own distinct use and is perceptually isolated 
 from the areas next to it. One of the outcomes 
 
 of the master plan should be a vision for the 
 HUD site that deals with all the open space as 
 a single entity. This does not mean that the 
 character of the various plazas has to be uni- 
 form. Indeed, each can have its own identity, 
 but somehow they have to be visually and 
 aesthetically linked as parts of a larger, unified 
 composition. 
 
 The east plaza should be developed as 
 a "ceremonial" space. 
 
 The east plaza is clearly the main entrance to 
 HUD. It is also the area that the Secretary likes 
 to use to greet important visitors and announce 
 new programs and initiatives. Aesthetically and 
 functionally, then, it should have a ceremonial 
 profile and become a sort of three-dimensional 
 logo for the agency. It should also have the 
 infrastructure - staging, podiums, sound sys- 
 tems, access to power, etc. — necessary to sup- 
 port major public presentations (most of the 
 
 15 
 
Master Planning and Long-range Design Guidelines, continued 
 
 equipment might be stored nearby rather than 
 be permanently installed). The one caveat is 
 that this formal quality should not preclude 
 the possibility of exploiting the space or parts 
 of the space for more casual uses or events. 
 Ceremonial and flexible should be the two 
 key dimensions of the east plaza. 
 
 The west plaza should be redesigned to 
 better respond to its site conditions and 
 the various ways it is used by office 
 workers and commuters. 
 The west plaza is the more intimate, people 
 space on the HUD site. Commuters to and 
 from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station con- 
 stantly pass through the area. A large portion 
 of it is landscaped with trees and flowers. An 
 elevated section over the service bays is planted 
 with grass. A playground for the daycare center 
 currently fills the north corner of the site. 
 There is a long row of benches for smokers and 
 people who want to eat or take a break outside. 
 Glass walls along the ground floor of this side 
 of the HUD building visually tie the cafeteria 
 through the pilotis arcade to the outdoor space. 
 The trouble is that all these elements seem to 
 exist independently. The master plan should 
 outline a more coherent blending of landscape 
 and people-oriented features. It should suggest 
 ways the area could be used by vendors and for 
 employee events. It should propose strategies 
 for more effectively linking the various levels 
 and types of spaces in the plaza. 
 
 The DESIGN SHOULD INCORPORATE FACILITIES 
 FOR HUD'S DAYCARE OPERATION. 
 
 At this time, HUD's daycare operation is 
 located in the basement of the building and 
 access to the playground is restricted. The de- 
 sign team should explore alternative locations 
 for the center and its play area and include 
 recommendations regarding these functions 
 within the master plan and its more detailed 
 proposals for the site. 
 
 "Greenery" should be a theme in the 
 
 DESIGN, exploring NON-PLANT AS WELL AS 
 LIVING MATERIALS AS ALTERNATIVES FOR 
 SATISFYING THIS CRITERIA. 
 Almost all the users who made statements to 
 the charrette team about the plaza project com- 
 mented on the need for more "greenery." Obvi- 
 ously, the east plaza planters do not fill the bill 
 and the charrette team believes they should be 
 removed. As was just noted, the west plaza 
 landscaping should also be redesigned. More- 
 over, there might be opportunities for greenery 
 on the north and south plazas. The only advice 
 offered to the design team as it considers this 
 requirement is that non-plant as well as living 
 material be investigated as options for fulfilling 
 this need. Because of underground fiicilities. 
 
 16 
 
"The mission of HUD is to be 
 welcoming and inclusive. This 
 building must be a good neigh- 
 bor in how it responds to its 
 immediate context by creating 
 opportunities to be welcoming 
 and inclusive. " 
 
 - David Lee 
 
 only a few areas of the site will support large 
 trees. A combination of natural and man-made 
 media may be an ideal and necessary solution 
 to the greenery problem. 
 
 In addition to any permanent features, 
 the design should support a variety of 
 temporary uses and structures. 
 Mention has already been made about develop- 
 ing the ability to stage public presentations on 
 the east plaza, but other kinds of activities 
 might also make use of temporary structures. 
 Vendors are regularly invited to the site. Some 
 people remarked about the possibility of in- 
 stalling a seasonal capuchino stand. Employee 
 groups like to hold events on the plazas, and 
 neighborhood organizations might also like to 
 occasionally use the HUD site. The program- 
 matic dimensions of this issue warrant further 
 research, but clearly there is some demand for 
 a variety of spaces that can be created or taken 
 down on an as-needed basis. 
 
 As BICYCLES ARE AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF 
 COMMUTING, THEY SHOULD BE ACCOMMODATED 
 WITHIN THE DESIGN. 
 
 Bicycles are currently stored behind a locked 
 gate in an east plaza ground floor niche of the 
 building. This, however, may not be the best 
 or safest place for this function, and the design 
 team should explore other possibilities that 
 would not only better serve this use but also 
 encourage more bicycle commuting. 
 
 Safety should be a key element consid- 
 ered IN ALL aspects OF THE PLANNING AND 
 DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT. 
 
 Cameras, guards and patrols are all currently 
 ways the agency tries to assure the safety of 
 those who use HUD site. Such techniques will 
 
 still be needed after the plazas are redeveloped, 
 but the spaces and details of the design itself, 
 inchiding lighting, can greatly enhance the 
 safety of any outdoor environment. In this 
 context, the master plan and derailed proposals 
 for the plazas should specifically address safety 
 concerns and incorporate design as one aspect 
 of a larger safety strategy. 
 
 The RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE DESIGN 
 
 proposal for the hud plazas and the 
 surrounding cityscape - especially 
 Seventh Street as a "Special Street" 
 
 AND AS A MAJOR LINK FROM THE MALL TO 
 
 THE Potomac River waterfront - should 
 
 BE studied and DEFINED. 
 Context is a crucial issue in architecture, and 
 in this case, it is important that plans for the 
 HUD site complement the city's intentions for 
 the area and the public spaces around the 
 building. Before coming up with specific pro- 
 posals, designers should research Washington's 
 Comprehensive Plan, the Streetscape Manual 
 and the draft Monumental Core Framework 
 for information relevant to the development of 
 this sector of the District of Columbia. There 
 are, for instance, lighting and landscape stan- 
 dards that will eventually be implemented 
 along the public right-of-way of Seventh Street, 
 SW, and the design team should be aware 
 of and integrate its scheme with these plans. 
 There may even be an opportunity to imple- 
 ment city and GSA/HUD improvements 
 simultaneously or tap into other District 
 programs that might enhance the quality of 
 the plaza designs. 
 
Immediate Recommendations 
 
 Because the charrette team viewed the develop- 
 ment of the master plan for the HUD site and 
 detailed proposals for particular components 
 of that project - particularly schemes for the 
 east and north plazas - as a unified effort, all 
 its design guidelines have been discussed in the 
 Fundamental Design Principles and Master 
 Plan sections of this report. With respect to 
 immediate recommendations, the team wanted 
 to clarify the first steps it felt were essential 
 to actually implementing this GSA/HUD 
 endeavor. 
 
 Since many issues are involved, design 
 responsibility for this project should be 
 
 assigned TO A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM. 
 
 (See Management and Process Guidelines for 
 suggestions regarding the roles and talents that 
 should be represented on this team.) The 
 charrette team wanted to make it clear that the 
 scope of this undertaking is too broad to put in 
 the hands of any one designer or artist, however 
 respected. Since the development of the HUD 
 site touches on subjects as diverse as urban 
 design, architectural history, landscape archi- 
 tecture, public art and performance spaces, 
 experts in several areas will be needed. A few 
 key players should be committed full-time to 
 the project, while others can serve as occasional 
 consultants. 
 
 A THOROUGH SITE ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT 
 OF USER NEEDS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AS 
 GROUNDWORK FOR LATER PLANNING AND 
 DESIGN WORK. 
 
 In the course of the two-day charrette it be- 
 came clear that the redesign of the HUD plazas 
 is an interesting and complex design challenge. 
 The guidelines amplified in the previous two 
 sections are an attempt to distill issues that 
 merit particular attention, but there may be 
 
 additional needs and concerns that did not 
 surface in the charrette discussions. Before 
 design begins, a complete site analysis and 
 inventory of user needs should be prepared to 
 confirm or expand on the charrette findings. 
 
 As PART OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CURRENT 
 UNDERTAKING, THE DESIGN TEAM SHOULD BE 
 COMMISSIONED TO PREPARE A CONCEPTUAL 
 MASTER PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE SITE. 
 
 This assures that the current GSA/HUD 
 project is the most effective use of resources, 
 and establishes a clear direction and helps the 
 planning for future efforts. 
 
 Based on a master plan that has been 
 reviewed by the appropriate agencies and 
 constituent groups, a detailed design 
 should be developed and implemented to 
 include the surface treatment and 
 waterproofing of the east and north 
 plazas as well as other recommended 
 enhancements to the site. 
 As the project is budgeted, most of the funds 
 must be used for waterproofing and paving the 
 east and north plazas. In this part of the work, 
 the design energy should obviously be focused 
 on the materials and details of the paving itself. 
 Money for other enhancements, however, is 
 not earmarked for particular amenities or for 
 particular areas of the HUD site. The design 
 team should take advantage of this flexibility to 
 implement features in this first phase of the 
 redevelopment program that will improve the 
 quality of the outdoor environment at HUD 
 regardless of location, and simultaneously en- 
 courage investment in later stages of the master 
 plan vision. One member of the charrette team 
 summarized this last strategy in these terms: 
 "Sometimes the best way to make sure the 
 whole bridge will be built is to build half a 
 bridge." 
 
IIUD building is in the 
 foreground with the Mall in 
 the upper portion and the 
 Southwest Expressway in the 
 lower portion. 
 
 19 
 
Three Conceptual Schemes 
 
 With no intention of limiting or prescribing 
 particular solutions, the charrette team divided 
 itself into three groups, each of which prepared 
 a conceptual scheme for the HUD site to illus- 
 trate the guidelines and breadth of options the 
 design team should consider. Being simply 
 illustrative, there was no ranking or critique of 
 the schemes, although it is worth noting that 
 there are some remarkable conceptual similari- 
 ties among the three proposals. 
 
 The Red Team Proposal 
 This scheme is a study in contrasts where each 
 plaza is developed with a strong and unique 
 character. The proposal envisions activity-filled 
 spaces, with performances, farmers market, 
 formal gatherings and other events, and re- 
 quires very responsive and pro-active manage- 
 ment. 
 
 I The west plaza is dubbed the "employee 
 park." It is a green space with movable chairs. 
 The cafeteria offers indoor and outdoor eating. 
 There are commissions for public art using the 
 vents over the underground service area and 
 the back wall of L'Enfant Plaza. 
 
 I The north plaza is the performance and gath- 
 ering space. It is hallmarked by a sunken am- 
 phitheater cradled in the arc of the building. 
 The backdrop for the stage is a "water wall." 
 
 I The east plaza is a great pedestrian plaza. The 
 automobile drop off has been moved to the 
 south plaza and the presence of the garage has 
 
 been minimized by tightening the turning radii 
 into and out of that facility. The entire space is 
 paved as a work of art. There is a significant 
 amount of open space that can be used for 
 formal gatherings and performances. Movable 
 tables and chairs also encourage more relaxed 
 uses. To enclose the space. Seventh Street is 
 treated as a strong green edge and above certain 
 columns of the parking garage trees are planted 
 to introduce a touch of green within selected 
 areas of the plaza itself 
 
 !l The south plaza is dedicated to parking and 
 dropoff There are designated spaces for per- 
 sons with disabilities and van pools. And the 
 arcade of the building is used as a porte-cochere 
 for the discharge of visitors and employees. 
 
 The Blue Team Proposal 
 Overall, there is a hard quality to the design of 
 the open space in this scheme. Softness emerges 
 in the landscape and the variety of human 
 activities that fill the spaces. 
 
 I The west plaza is developed as an intimate 
 employee space. It is used for daycare, staff 
 events and weekend activities. Comfortable 
 seating that complements the aesthetic of the 
 building is provided to encourage conversation, 
 informal meetings and a more intimate atmo- 
 sphere. Creatively designed ramps and stairs 
 
 Garage Entrance/Exit 
 7th Street. SW 
 
 20 
 
Blue Team Diagram 
 
 21 
 
Three Conceptual Schemes, continued 
 
 provide access to the green space over the un- 
 derground service area. Finally, the north end 
 of this area is redesigned, perhaps with a new 
 paving pattern and different lighting, to recog- 
 nize that part oi the west plaza as a major link 
 to the CEnfant Plaza Metro station and a path- 
 way for employees and the general public. 
 
 I The north plaza is shaped by several uses. 
 Surface parking is to be eliminated, and the 
 area under the arcade recaptured for pedestri- 
 ans and integrated with the unenclosed space. 
 The arcade might also be developed as a "de- 
 signed " bicycle parking location. The open 
 space itself is intensely planted with trees or, as 
 an alternative, developed as an amphitheater. 
 And a path for the general public, including 
 junior high school students, is devised continu- 
 ing the procession from the west plaza going to 
 and from Metro and around the building to 
 and from Seventh Street. 
 
 I The east plaza is designed as a ceremonial and 
 pedestrian activity area. Modifications to the 
 paving, bollards, and pylon (which might be 
 highlighted with lighting, signage and color) 
 are coordinated to announce the south lobby as 
 HUD's front door. A canopy might be added 
 to further emphasize this entry, and the lobby 
 glazing is extended into what is now the bike 
 parking niche to open up the space and create 
 room for exhibits. Also along the building 
 edge, the wall behind the central portion of the 
 
 arcade is animated with a mural, a video ex- 
 hibit or some seating and access to the cafete- 
 ria. On the plaza itself, the design explores 
 options for relocating the garage ramps and 
 develops the area for agency ceremonies as well 
 as a regular schedule of public performances 
 and outdoor markets. Movable tables and 
 chairs and temporary stages are available nearby 
 to accommodate these and other more informal 
 and impromptu activities. Along Seventh 
 Street, a line of trees and/or flags is installed in 
 furtherance of the city's plans for this "Special 
 Street" and establish an edge for the plaza. 
 
 I The south plaza is reconfigured as the prin- 
 ciple automobile dropoff for VIPs, hopefully 
 eliminating the need for a driveway on the east 
 plaza. There is also limited parking in this area. 
 The major design feature is a carefully detailed 
 procession, including lighting, paving and 
 bollards, bringing people from their cars to the 
 main entrance on the east plaza. 
 
 The Green Team Proposal 
 "Paving as art " is the central idea in this 
 scheme. This paving ties the entire site to- 
 gether, runs under the arcades and even into 
 the building. The paving is a garden. It can be 
 decorative. It can be didactic. It can indicate 
 areas of activities and events. 
 
 I The west plaza is a green, intimate, people 
 space. The basement edge of L'Enfant Plaza is 
 transformed into a green wall. Vents over the 
 underground service area are redesigned as a 
 work of art. The planting in and access to that 
 
 22 
 
higher area are dramatically improved. The 
 north end of this area is developed as a play- 
 ground next to the daycare center which is 
 moved to the ground floor. 
 
 I The north plaza is given over entirely to pe- 
 destrians. The open space is intensely planted. 
 And "paving as art" continues its movement 
 from the west plaza pathways under the shelter- 
 ing arcade. 
 
 I The east plaza is an intense space. Turning 
 areas into and out of the garage are made as 
 small as possible. Flags line Seventh Street on 
 poles of varying heights and heavily planted 
 triangles of land mark the north and south 
 boundaries of the plaza. An artwork canopy or 
 
 awning announces the south lobby as HUD's 
 main entrance. Vendors, who store their carts 
 in the ground floor niches, are invited to mar- 
 ket food and other goods in this area, and mov- 
 able tables and chairs allow employees and the 
 general public to reconfigure the space as suits 
 their needs and mood. The arcade has special 
 lighting and is defined as a venue for changing 
 exhibits. The paving is thought of as a mural, a 
 mosaic, a map, or a landscape that might even 
 incorporate in-ground TV monitors with im- 
 ages of flowing water on their screens. 
 
 I As a contrast to the green north space, the 
 south plaza has a hard surface and simply con- 
 tinues the "paving as art" theme including the 
 area under the arcade. 
 
 (irili Cm'IP Cut 
 
 Green Team Diagram 
 
 23 
 
Management AND Process Guidelines 
 
 The charrette team presented these guideUnes 
 as strategies that would help assure the highest 
 quality design outcomes. 
 
 This project should be assigned to a 
 racially and ethnically diverse design 
 team that includes these roles and 
 expertise (not all need to be full-time 
 members of the team): 
 
 I A landscape architect (team leader) 
 
 I An artist 
 
 I An environmental signage/graphic designer 
 
 I An urban designer 
 
 I Theatrical and architectural lighting 
 consultants 
 
 I A traffic consultant 
 
 I A theater production manager 
 
 I A festival consultant 
 
 Most of these recommendations are self ex- 
 planatory, but a tew words should be said about 
 the theater production manager and the festival 
 consultant. The charrette team did not propose 
 any specific guidelines regarding performance 
 spaces on the HUD site. It was, however, the 
 topic of a question prepared for the charrette, 
 and a theater was an idea presented in one of 
 the conceptual schemes summarized in the 
 preceding section of this report. If the design 
 team decides to explore this option, then it 
 should seek the counsel of the two professionals 
 just mentioned. Successful multi-use public 
 performance spaces have very precise require- 
 ments that must be carefully developed in any 
 design proposal. In addition, managing such 
 
 spaces involves significant expertise and effort 
 covering everything from scheduling to promo- 
 tion. HUD and GSA should be aware of these 
 commitments in advance. 
 
 Based on the premise that quality 
 requires good clients as well as good 
 designers, this project should have 
 an ombudsman representing the clients 
 (hud and gsa) who will serve as an 
 advocate for excellence, coordinate 
 feedback to the design team, and help 
 assure that decisions are made in a 
 timely fashion. 
 
 Every project requires a sort of "mayor" that 
 sees to it that the vision for the design is ful- 
 filled. This person remains focused on broad 
 goals, while keeping things moving in a pro- 
 ductive and positive direction. 
 
 In ADDITION TO THE OMBUDSMAN, THE CLIENT 
 TEAM SHOULD INCLUDE THESE ROLES: 
 
 Administrative representatives from HUD 
 and GSA who can facilitate and streamline 
 decision making 
 
 A small number of user representatives 
 who will coordinate input from both employ- 
 ees and the community 
 
 I Representatives from the District of 
 Columbia's Office of Planning, Department 
 of Public Works and the Commission on 
 Arts and Humanities 
 
 This client team combination should be able 
 to sort out programmatic priorities and provide 
 an effective review of the content and form of 
 various design proposals. 
 
 ". . . tj we had been involved 
 earlier on as the ultimate users 
 of the plaza, during the design 
 phase, we woidd have saved 
 money, and would be able to 
 coordinate more types of activi- 
 ties. What HUD has given us 
 the opportunity to do for them 
 today will open up their own 
 options in the future. " 
 
 - Michael Alexander 
 
 24 
 
The design group should 
 reflect hud's commitment 
 to racially and ethnically 
 diverse team building. 
 
 Beyond putting together the best design 
 and client teams, a process and work 
 program should be designed to assure 
 timely decision making and the well 
 managed use of financial and human 
 resources. 
 
 In any complex project - especially one that 
 involves bureaucracies and multiple agencies - 
 if the decision making process is not clear and 
 expeditious, efforts cannot only get bogged 
 down but the ultimate quality of the undertak- 
 ing risks being compromised. From the outset, 
 it has to be known where responsibilities lie as 
 well as who makes decisions and how they 
 intend to exercise that prerogative. 
 
 Within HUD, someone needs to be 
 
 GIVEN responsibility AND THE NECESSARY 
 RESOURCES FOR MANAGING THE PLAZAS 
 IN ORDER TO BE CERTAIN THAT USES AND 
 ACTIVITIES WILL OCCUR AS PLANNED. 
 Like buildings, successful outdoor spaces 
 require care and attention. As this project is 
 developing, the person at HUD who will ulti- 
 mately be responsible for the plazas should be 
 identified, involved in the design process, and 
 have a clear understanding of the design's in- 
 tent and the resources that will be available to 
 maintain the spaces. Over the long-term, this 
 individual is responsible for maintaining the 
 integrity of the design as "small" decisions 
 (trash cans, benches, painting, etc.) are made 
 in-house. 
 
 25 
 
Appendix 1 : Summary of the Guidelines 
 
 Fundamental Design 
 Principles 
 
 I Humanism should be rhe 
 guiding force in the redevelop- 
 ment of the HUD plazas. 
 
 I The plazas should primarily 
 be designed to serve pedestri- 
 ans. Cars should only be a 
 secondary consideration in the 
 project. 
 
 I Art should be a compelling 
 and integral aspect of any 
 design proposal. 
 
 I The design should embody 
 "HUD-iness," creating an 
 appropriate image for the 
 agency and helping to gener- 
 ate a strong self-image for 
 HUD employees. 
 
 I There should be provisions 
 in the design concept to in- 
 clude demonstrations of what 
 HUD is about. 
 
 I The design should be a "the- 
 ater of contrast" reflecting the 
 diversity of HUD's constitu- 
 ents and its staff 
 
 I To the extent that design 
 elements reflect HUD's mis- 
 sion, the project should sensi- 
 tively incorporate evolutionary 
 additions to the plaza ac- 
 knowledging Breuer's original 
 vocabulary but perhaps, at 
 times, contrasting with it. 
 
 I The design should avoid 
 "trendy" solutions. 
 
 I Reflecting HUD's mission, 
 the design should strive to be 
 a good neighbor responding to 
 the nearby community and 
 the city as well as to the status 
 of the building as a federal 
 agency headquarters. 
 
 I The design should respond 
 to three distinct user groups: 
 
 Employees and those 
 coming as HUD guests or 
 on HUD business (the Sam 
 to 5 pm crowd). 
 
 Local residents and those 
 who come to the area after 
 5 pm. 
 
 Daily, weekend and 
 out-of-town visitors. 
 
 Master Planning 
 AND Long-Range 
 Design Guidelines 
 
 I Movement to, through and 
 around the HUD site should 
 be clear and gracious. 
 
 I Places of entry should be 
 well defined. 
 
 I The development of a 
 quality environment that is 
 universally accessible should 
 be a high priority. 
 
 I As a long-range goal, strate- 
 gies should be developed to 
 allow the removal of the vast 
 majority of at-grade parking 
 on the site. In the interim, the 
 aesthetics of parking should 
 take precedence over capacity. 
 
 I Paving, color and lighting 
 should be carefully considered 
 aspects of the design. 
 
 I The relationships among 
 and uses of the plazas should 
 be clarified. 
 
 I The east plaza should be 
 developed as a "ceremonial " 
 space. 
 
 I The west plaza should be 
 redesigned to better respond 
 to its site conditions and the 
 various ways it is used by 
 office workers and commuters. 
 
 I The design should 
 incorporate facilities for 
 HUD's daycare operation. 
 
 I "Greenery" should be a 
 theme in the design, exploring 
 non-plant as well as living 
 materials as alternatives for 
 satisfying this criteria. 
 
 I In addition to any perma- 
 nent features, the design 
 should support a variety of 
 temporary uses and structures. 
 
 I As bicycles are an important 
 means of commuting, they 
 should be accommodated 
 within the design. 
 
 I Safety should be an element 
 considered in all aspects of the 
 planning and development of 
 this project. 
 
 I The relationships between 
 the design proposal for the 
 HUD plazas and the sur- 
 rounding cityscape - especially 
 Seventh Street as a "Special 
 Street" and as a major link 
 from the Mall to the Potomac 
 River waterfront - should be 
 studied and defined. 
 
 26 
 
Immediate 
 Recommendations 
 
 I Since many issues are in- 
 volved, design responsibility 
 for this project should be 
 assigned to a multi-disciplin- 
 ary team. 
 
 I A thorough site analysis and 
 assessment of user needs 
 should be developed as 
 groundwork for later plan- 
 ning and design work. 
 
 I As part of the first phase of 
 the current undertaking, the 
 design team should be com- 
 missioned to prepare a con- 
 ceptual master plan for the 
 entire site. 
 
 I Based on a master plan that 
 has been reviewed by the ap- 
 propriate agencies and con- 
 stituent groups, a detailed 
 design should be developed 
 and implemented to include 
 the surface treatment and 
 waterproofing of the east and 
 north plazas as well as other 
 recommended enhancements 
 to the site. 
 
 Management AND 
 Process Guidelines 
 
 I This project should be as- 
 signed to a racially and ethni- 
 cally diverse design team that 
 includes these roles and exper- 
 tise (not all need to be full- 
 time members of the team) : 
 
 A landscape architect 
 (team leader) 
 
 An artist 
 
 An environmental signage/ 
 graphic designer 
 
 An urban designer 
 
 Theatrical and architectural 
 lighting consultants 
 
 A traffic consultant 
 
 A theater production 
 manager 
 
 A festival consultant 
 
 I Based on the premise that 
 quality requires good clients 
 as well as good designers, this 
 project should have an om- 
 budsman representing the 
 clients (HUD and GSA) who 
 will serve as an advocate for 
 excellence, coordinate feed- 
 back to the design team, and 
 help assure that decisions are 
 made in a timely fashion. 
 
 I In addition to the ombuds- 
 man, the client team should 
 include these roles: 
 
 Administrative representatives 
 from HUD and GSA who can 
 facilitate and streamline deci- 
 sion making. 
 
 A small number of user repre- 
 sentatives who will coordinate 
 input from both employees 
 and the community. 
 
 Representatives from the 
 District of Columbia's Office 
 of Planning, the Department 
 of Public Works and the 
 Commission on Arts and 
 Humanities. 
 
 I Beyond putting together the 
 best design and client teams, 
 a process and work program 
 should be designed to assure 
 timely decision making and 
 the well managed use of finan- 
 cial and human resources. 
 
 I Within HUD, someone 
 needs to be given responsibil- 
 ity and the necessary resources 
 for managing the plazas in 
 order to be certain that uses 
 and activities will occur as 
 planned. 
 
 27 
 
Appendix 2: the Charrette Team and Agency Participants 
 
 Charrette Team 
 
 M. David Lee 
 
 FAIA (Boston, MA) Team Chair 
 
 David Lee is Vice-President of the architectural 
 and planning firm of StuU and Lee, Inc. in 
 Boston and an adjunct professor in urban de- 
 sign at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 
 He served as principal-in-charge of urban de- 
 sign for Boston's award-winning Southwest 
 Corridor Transit Project and recently com- 
 pleted Biscayne Bay Apartment, a 438 unit 
 mixed use residential and commercial project 
 in downtown Miami, and the new Roxbury 
 Post Office in Boston. Current projects under 
 Mr. Lee's direction include the modernization 
 and expansion of the New York City Transit 
 Authority Main Street Station and the renova- 
 tion ot Harvard University's Pennypacker and 
 Hurlbut Dormitories. He also directs the firm's 
 participation in the coordinating architectural 
 team for Boston's $6.4 billion Central Artery 
 Reconstruction and Third Harbor Tunnel 
 Project. He is a Fellow of the American Insti- 
 tute of Architects and the Institute for Urban 
 Design. He has taught at the Rhode Island 
 School of Design, Massachusetts Institute of 
 Technology, and Harvard University. Mr. Lee 
 has served on the Presidential Design Awards 
 jury and as a faculty participant for the Mayor's 
 Institute for City Design. He received a Bach- 
 elor of Architecture degree from the University 
 of Illinois and a master's in Architecture and 
 Urban Design from Harvard University. 
 
 Michael Alexander 
 (Los Angeles, CA) 
 
 Michael Alexander is Artistic Director of Cali- 
 fornia Plaza for Metropolitan Structures West, 
 Inc. in Los Angeles. He is responsible for 
 designing and executing a year-round program 
 of arts and entertainment for the public in the 
 outdoor performance areas of the mixed-use 
 redevelopment Bunker Hill project. Previously, 
 he was the director of performing arts at the 
 Cultural Affairs Department of Los Angeles 
 where his primary focus was on issues affecting 
 local performing artists. Mr. Alexander was 
 also the general manager of the Aman Folk 
 Ensemble and worked for the San Francisco 
 Ballet. For several years, he was an independent 
 consultant and arts manager and served on 
 the boards for the California Confederation 
 of the Arts, the Association of American Dance 
 Companies, and the Western Alliance of Arts 
 Administrators. 
 
 Peter Blake 
 
 FAIA (Branford, CT) 
 
 Peter Blake has been a practicing architect since 
 1956 and Professor of Architecture at The 
 Catholic University of America since 1979, 
 including Chairman of the Department of 
 Architecture and Planning from 1979-1986. 
 He served as FAkor-'in-CWief of Architecture 
 P/its And Architectural Forurti magazines. He 
 also has served as curator of the Department of 
 Architecture and Industrial Design at the Mu- 
 seum of Modern Art. He has written numerous 
 articles and several books on architecture in- 
 cluding No Place Like Utopia, Form Follows 
 Fiasco: Why Modern Architecture Hasn't Worked, 
 God's Oivn Junkyard, and The Master Builders. 
 He received a Distinguished Designer Fellow- 
 ship from the National Endowment tor the 
 Arts and has been a Fellow of the Graham 
 Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine 
 
Arts and the American Institute of Architects. 
 He has been a speaker at and delegate to several 
 professional conferences in the U.S., Europe, 
 and India and is a past chairman of the Inter- 
 national Design Conference in Aspen. He 
 studied in the United Kingdom, and received 
 a Bachelor of Architecture with honors Irom 
 Pratt Institute, School of Architecture. 
 
 Reginald W. Griffith 
 (Washington, DC) 
 
 Reginald Griffith became the Executive Direc- 
 tor of the National Capital Planning Commis- 
 sion in May 1979, following four years as the 
 Commission's Vice Chair. The Commission is 
 the federal government's central planning 
 agency for the National Capital Region. In his 
 role as Executive Director, Mr. Griffith is the 
 administrative and technical head of the Com- 
 mission staff and is responsible lor managing 
 the Commission's day-to-day operations, for- 
 mulating and recommending policies and pro- 
 grams, and implementing those policies ap- 
 proved by the Commission. Prior to his ap- 
 pointment as Executive Director, he was princi- 
 pal of Griffith Associates, an architectural, 
 planning and community development firm in 
 Washington, DC; was a Vice President of the 
 American Institute of Planners and a Board 
 member of ASPO (now the American Planning 
 Association); and is past Chairman of the 
 Howard University Department of City and 
 Regional Planning. He has studied housing and 
 planning problems in Ghana and Nigeria as a 
 Traveling Fellow of the Institute of Interna- 
 tional Education, was a Visiting Scholar at 
 M.I.T., and a Professorial Lecturer in Urban & 
 Regional Planning at George Washington Uni- 
 versity. Mr. Griffith holds a master's degree in 
 city planning and a bachelor's degree in archi- 
 tecture, both from the Massachusetts Institute 
 of Technology. 
 
 Pamela G. Holt 
 (Washington, DC) 
 
 Pamela Holt is the Executive Director of the 
 D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities 
 and the Mayor's Advisor for Cultural Affairs. 
 She is currently the Vice Chair of the Associa- 
 tion of American Cultures, founding board 
 member and Vice Chair of Finance for the 
 National Cultural Alliance, and head of the 
 District of Columbia Steering Committee for 
 the National Capital Area Public Awareness 
 Campaign. Ms. Holt also serves on the Boards 
 of the D.C. Committee to Promote Washing- 
 ton, the National Association of Local Arts 
 Agencies, The U Street Theater Foundation, 
 U.S. Urban Arts Federation, the Cultural Alli- 
 ance of Greater Washington, D.C. Art/Works, 
 the African Theatre Continuum Coalition 
 Advisory Board, and represents the Mayor on 
 the Board of the Kennedy Center for the Per- 
 forming Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Music 
 Degree from Howard University and a Master 
 of Arts degree from The American University. 
 In addition, Ms. Holt has studied at the 
 Peabody Conservatory of Music, the University 
 of Minnesota and Georgetown University. 
 She received the first Outstanding Arts Man- 
 agement Alumna Award from The American 
 University and is a graduate of the 1 994 Lead- 
 ership Washington Program. 
 
 Nora Jaso 
 (Seattle, WA) 
 
 Nora Jaso, principal of Studio Jaso, her Seattle 
 design firm, has been practicing architecture 
 since 1982. Dedicated to cultural and artistic 
 expression. Studio Jaso serves diverse individu- 
 als, communities, public agencies and non- 
 profit groups. Current work centers on the 
 
 29 
 
Appendix 2: the Charrette Team and Agency Participants, continued 
 
 design of low-income and special needs hous- 
 ing, specifically housing for the homeless cli- 
 ents of CONSEJO, a Hispanic mental health 
 counseling center, and for the Northwest AIDS 
 Foundation. Among other of the firm's major 
 clients are the City of Seattle, El Centro de la 
 Raza and Food Markets NW. Ms. Jaso is a past 
 member of Seattle's innovative METRO Arts 
 Committee and a design review member of the 
 city's Pike Place Market Historical Commis- 
 sion. Ms. Jaso has received numerous honors, 
 including exhibitions, publication and design 
 awards. She appeared in the 1993 "Young 
 Architects " issue of Progressive Architecture in 
 collaboration with her colleagues of the Asso- 
 ciation for Women in Architecture. Ms. Jaso 
 earned her bachelor of arts degree from McGill 
 University in Montreal, studied at the Rhode 
 Island School of Design and received her mas- 
 ter of architecture degree from the University 
 of Washington in Seattle. 
 
 Debra L. Mitchell 
 ASAL (Washington, DC) 
 
 Debra L. Mitchell is senior principal and direc- 
 tor of the Mid-Atlantic office of the landscape 
 architecture firm Johnson Johnson & Roy/inc. 
 Her background in the natural sciences and 
 landscape architecture is coupled with an im- 
 pressive record of group facilitation and com- 
 munity leadership. Ms. Mitchell's experience 
 includes the design of major urban streetscapes, 
 large mixed-use developments and corporate 
 headquarters, including the Alamo Plaza 
 TriParty Transportation Improvement Project 
 and The Crossroads of San Antonio in 
 
 San Antonio, TX; Fair Park Link Phase II 
 streetscape. Maple Avenue Improvements, 
 Meadow Park Office Building, and University 
 of Texas Southwestern Medical Center roof-top 
 garden/plaza in Dallas, TX; Central Park Mall 
 East, Omaha, NE; and The American Rose 
 Center Master Plan, Shreveport, LA. She is 
 the imniediate past president of the American 
 Society of Landscape Architects and served as 
 vice chairman and chairman of the City of 
 Dallas Landmark Commission from 1987-1991. 
 Ms. Mitchell has taught at the University of 
 Texas at Arlington and has served on the profes- 
 sional advisory committee of the Department 
 of Landscape Architecture at the University of 
 Illinois since 1988. She received an B.S. from 
 Kansas University and a Master of Landscape 
 Architecture from the University of Illinois. 
 
 Robert Peck 
 (Washington, DC) 
 
 Robert Peck is Group Vice President for Exter- 
 nal Affairs at the American Institute of Archi- 
 tects and a member of the Commission on Fine 
 Arts. His previous experience includes chief of 
 staff to U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan 
 and associate counsel to the Senate Committee 
 on Environmental and Public Works. He helped 
 draft and secure passage of the Public Buildings 
 Cooperative Use Act, which encourages the 
 reuse of historic buildings as government offices 
 and permits commercial mixed-use in federal 
 buildings. Mr. Peck is a past president of the 
 D.C. Preservation League and has been a visit- 
 ing lecturer in art history at Yale University and 
 a Loeb fellow in Advanced Environmental Stud- 
 ies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 
 His writings include a chapter on 1920s and 
 
 30 
 
1930s government architecture in The Federal 
 Presence and a paper included in "Issues in 
 Supporting the Arts." He received his B.A. cum 
 laude in economics for the University of Penn- 
 sylvania and his J.D. from Yale Law School. 
 
 Jay S. Willis 
 (Pasadena, CA) 
 
 Jay S. Willis is a three-dimensional artist and 
 a Professor of Fine Arts at the University of 
 Southern California where he has taught since 
 1969. Since 1990, he has been the founding 
 director of Public Art Studies and was chair 
 of studio arts at USC from 1988-1989. Mr. 
 Willis' work has been exhibited nationally and 
 internationally with more than a dozen one- 
 person exhibitions in the U.S. His work is in 
 numerous private, corporate and museum 
 collections, including the Metropolitan Mu- 
 seum of Art, NY; Hirshhorn Museum and 
 Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, 
 Washington, DC; Moore College of Art, 
 Philadelphia; Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, 
 TX; Laguna Beach Museum of Art, Laguna 
 Beach, CA; and Walker Hill Art Museum, 
 Seoul, Korea. He has received commissions 
 from the Alcoa Foundation-University of 
 Southern California, Sculpture Garden Collec- 
 tion, Los Angeles; Pasadena Plaza, Ernest W. 
 Hahn Inc., Pasadena, CA; Pacific Enterprises, 
 Los Angeles; and numerous other corporations. 
 Recent honors include being a public art com- 
 petition finalist for the City of Irvine and for 
 the City of Thousand Oaks. Mr. Willis received 
 a B.F.A. in sculpture from the University of 
 Illinois, Urbana, and a M.A. in sculpture from 
 the University of California, Berkeley. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING 
 
 AND Urban Development 
 
 Marilynn A. Davis 
 
 Assistant Secretary 
 for Administration 
 
 Marie Kissick 
 
 Director, Office of 
 Administrative and 
 Management Services 
 
 Marianne Jentilucci 
 
 Director, Facilities 
 Operations Division 
 
 Department of 
 Transportation 
 
 Crawford F. Grigg 
 
 Chief, Real Property Division 
 
 General Services 
 Administration 
 
 Rolando Rivas-Camp, AIA 
 
 Supervisory Architect, 
 Arts and Historic 
 Preservation Division 
 
 Andrea Mones-O'Hara 
 
 Regional Historic Preservation 
 and Fine Arts Officer, 
 National Capital Region 
 
 Robert Andrukonis, RA 
 
 Architectural Section Chief, 
 National Capital Region 
 
 National Endowment 
 for the Arts 
 
 H. Alan Brangman, AIA 
 
 Acting Director, 
 Design Program 
 
 Thomas Grooms 
 
 Program Manager, 
 
 Federal Design Improvement, 
 
 Design Program 
 
 Rapporteur 
 
 Thomas Walton 
 
 Associate Professor, 
 School of Architecture 
 and Planning, 
 The Catholic University 
 of America 
 
 31 
 
Appendix 3: Charrette Agenda 
 
 Wednesday, 29 June 1994 
 
 8:45am Welcome 
 
 H. Alan Brangman, AIA 
 
 Acting Director, Design Program, 
 National Endowment for the Arts 
 
 Rolando Rivas-Camp, AIA 
 
 Supervisory Architect, 
 
 Arts and Historic Preservation, 
 
 General Services Administration 
 
 Marilynn A. Davis 
 
 Assistant Secretary for Administration, 
 Department of Housing and 
 Urban Development 
 
 9:00 am Briefing on the History of the Site 
 and Building, and Development of 
 Southwest Washington, DC 
 
 Andrea Mones-O'Hara 
 
 Regional Historic Preservation 
 
 and Fine Arts Officer, 
 
 General Services Administration 
 
 9:30 am Briefing on the District of 
 
 Columbia's Comprehensive Plan 
 
 Reginald W. Griffith 
 Director, National Capital 
 Planning Commission 
 
 9:45 am Tour of Site 
 
 Marianne C. Jentilucci 
 
 Director, Facilities Operations 
 Division, Department of Housing 
 and Urban Development 
 
 1 1 :00am Briefing on Community Interests: 
 
 District of Columbia Commission 
 on the Arts and Humanities 
 Advisory Neighborhood 
 Commission 2-D 
 
 St. Dominic's Catholic Church 
 
 (no representative attended) 
 
 Jefferson Junior High School 
 (no representative attended) 
 
 12:00 am Briefing by HUD Employees 
 and Union Representatives 
 
 12:30pm Lunch 
 
 1:30 pm Video: City Spaces, Human Places 
 
 by William Whyte 
 
 2:30pm Charrette Teams and Observers: 
 
 Charrette Convenes with 
 Discussion of Presentations and 
 Topics to Organize Agenda and 
 Charrette Format 
 
 David Lee, Chair 
 3:30 pm Break 
 3:45pm Cha rrette 
 
 Thursday, 30 June 1994 
 
 8:30am Charrette 
 
 12:00am Lunch 
 
 l:0()pm Charrette 
 
 3:30 pm Wrap Up and Preparation 
 for Presentation 
 
 4:30 pm Summary Design Guideline Presentation 
 (video taped) 
 
 32