2019.07.12_LBJ_BPP 100% Submission.pdf

Lyndon B. Johnson Building

Building Preservation Plan

Final Submission

July 12, 2019

Building Preservation Plan July 2019

Lyndon B. Johnson Building

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Building Preservation Plan

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Building Information

2.1. Building Information

2.2. Coordinates

2.3. Attributes

3.0 Building History

3.1. Site History

3.1. Building History

3.2. Construction History

3.3. Faulkner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse

3.4. Chatelain, Gauger & Nolan

3.5. Collins, Simonds & Simonds

3.6. Construction/Alteration Matrix

4.0 Historic Designation

4.1. National Register

4.2. GSA Determination

4.3. Local Designation

5.0 Inspections

6.0 Architectural Description

6.1. General

6.2. Site

6.3. Exterior

6.4. Interior

7.0 Integrity and Significance

7.1. Integrity

7.2. Significance

8.0 Zones

8.1. Zoning Criteria and Definitions

8.2. Zone 1: Restoration

9.0 Elements and Materials

9.1. Zone 1: Restoration Zone

10.0 Images

11.0 Documents and References

Acronyms and Abbreviations

BPP ........................................................................................................................ Building Preservation Plan

DOE ........................................................................................................................ Department of Education

FOB ..............................................................................................................................Federal Office Building

GSA ................................................................................................................ General Service Administration

HEW ..................................................................................... Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

HHS ............................................................................................. Department of Health and Human Services

LBJ .............................................................................................................................. Lyndon Baines Johnson

NASA ................................................................................... National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NCPC ................................................................................................... National Capital Planning Commission

1.0 Introduction

A Building Preservation Plan (BPP) is a tool used by the General Services Administration (GSA) that serves as the principal repository of building-specific documentation and guidance on historic buildings.

The BPP fulfills the GSA’s responsibility under Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of

1966 which mandates that all federal agencies establish their own historic preservation programs for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties. The BPP provides the means for the

GSA to understand existing building conditions, record current and new conditions, understand significant spaces in the building, and access guidance on the restoration, repair, and alteration of building elements.

In 2017, the GSA reinstituted the BPP Program and developed a new web-based site, the BPP Portal, to input the information. The following report, executed by EHT Traceries and DLR Group, is the summary of the data that will ultimately be uploaded to the BBP Portal for the Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ)

Department of Education (DOE) Building. This submission includes a 75% progress report, to be updated accordingly with comments from the GSA. The BPP includes all relative building information, a building history, building alterations and conditions, preservation zoning, element and material conditions, as well as photographic documentation. The information will eventually be uploaded to the BPP Portal, but without current access, it is being provided to the GSA in written format at this time.

The format and organization of this report is based on the GSA Building Preservation Plan (BPP) User

Guide dated February 8, 2018.

2.0 Building Information

2.1. Building Information

Building Name: Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building

Building Number: DC0010ZZ

Address: 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington D.C. 20202-0001

County: District of Columbia

Type: Office Building

Region: Region 11 (National Capital Region)

Complex Name:

Complex Map:

Figure 2-1: LBJ Federal Building Map (Google Maps, 2018)

Complex Aerial:

Figure 2-2: 2018 Aerial of LBJ Federal Building (Google Maps, 2019)

2.2. Coordinates

GIS Latitude: 38.887006

GIS Longitude: -77.019106

2.3. Attributes

Gross Floor Area: 643,000 gross square feet

Rentable Floor Area: None

Stories of Levels: Ten; Seven and Rooftop Penthouse above ground; Two below ground

Perimeter: 1,349 feet

Depth: 133’ 2”

Height: 100’ 9”

Length: 541’ 4”

3.0 Building History

Beginning Date: 1959

Ending Date: 1961

Cost: $14,000,000

Description: The rectangular-shaped, International style building was constructed of poured concrete, clad with limestone panels and anchored by granite-veneered pilotis. The building is ten stories, including a basement, sub-basement, and roof penthouse for mechanical systems.

Architect: Faulkner, Kinsbury & Stenhouse and Chatelain, Gauger & Nolan

Style: Modernist Movement / International Style

Function or Use: Office Building

Historic Name: Federal Office Building 6

Name Beginning Date Ending Date Comments Action

Federal Office Building 6

1961 2007

Department of Education Building

1979 Active

Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building

Active

3.1. Site History

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building, previously known as Federal Office Building No. 6 (FOB 6), was constructed between 1959 and 1961 to house the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The office building is located at 400 Maryland Ave, SW, in Square 492, Lot 116 on a rectangular shaped lot bound by Independence Avenue, SW, to the north, Fourth Street, SW, to the east, C Street, SW, to the south, and Sixth Street, SW, to the west. The building is sited directly west of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal

Building, north of Federal Center, south of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, and east of the Capital Gallery Building and the Wilbur Wright Federal

Building (FOB 10B).

Prior to its construction, the site of FOB 6 was occupied by residential buildings. These buildings were demolished as a part of the urban renewal of Southwest D.C. which started with the Redevelopment Act of 1945. The location of FOB 6 was the result of the first cooperative response by the federal government to the National Capital Planning Commission’s (NCPC) 1950 Comprehensive Plan for the

District of Columbia and the removal of temporary federal buildings from the National Mall.

As originally conceived, the FOB 6 site is significant as an early example of a Modernist designed landscape in Washington, D.C. It embodies the seminal efforts of the newly created General Services

Administration (GSA) to implement the Construction Program, Federal Buildings, Washington, D.C., &

Vicinity, 1956-1966, a master plan for the design, construction, and funding of federal office buildings in the District of Columbia. The location of FOB 6 and its associated site was the result of the first cooperative response by the federal government to the National Capital Planning Commission’s (NCPC)

1950 Comprehensive Plan for the District of Columbia and the removal of temporary federal office buildings from the National Mall. The FOB 6 Site also reflects the direct participation of the federal government in the redevelopment plans for Southwest Washington, becoming the first federal office building constructed specifically as part of the Southwest Urban Renewal Plan. Its Modernist design, which represented a dramatic stylistic change for federal government buildings, prompted a significant shift towards the expression of modern architecture and its placement in the Monumental Core.

Constructed from 1959 to 1961, FOB 6 was designed jointly by the local architectural firms of Faulkner, Kingsbury and Stenhouse and Chatelain, Gauger and Nolan with landscape architecture by Lester Collins of Collins, Simonds and Simonds. Significant to its mid-century aesthetic was the holistic treatment

(hardscape and landscape) of the trapezoidal site, a character-defining aspect of Modernist design. The tripartite plaza with sunken courtyard united the building to its planned site, respected the angle of

Maryland Avenue (a L’Enfant Plan street), and acknowledged the hierarchy of the Monumental Core.

3.1. Building History

FOB 6 was constructed between 1959 and 1961, and upon its completion, occupants included the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Health, Education, and

Welfare (HEW). In 1979, HEW split to form the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the

DOE. HHS moved to the Hubert H. Humphrey Building at 200 Independence Avenue, SW, while occupancy of FOB 6 was given over to the newly formed DOE.

Funding for FOB 6 was authorized by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Public

Works under the Public Buildings Purchase Contract Act of 1954 and was constructed as part of the 1956

GSA Proposed Federal Buildings Construction Program, Washington and Vicinity, 1956-1962. The 1956 plan called for the construction of twenty-two buildings in three different stages in the Washington area. FOB 6 was part of the first phase of the program which also included FOBs 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Later iterations of the plan outlined five goals:

1) to remove the temporary office buildings from downtown;

2) to fill the gaps left by earlier construction programs;

3) to participate in the redevelopment of the city’s Southwest quadrant;

4) to weigh economic and traffic problems; and,

5) to account for costs to avoid a burdensome addition to the federal debt.

Its Modernist design represented a dramatic stylistic change for federal government buildings and prompted a significant shift towards the expression of modern architecture in Washington, D.C.

Completed in 1961, FOB 6 was designed jointly by the local architectural firms of Faulkner, Kingsbury and Stenhouse and Chatelain, Gauger and Nolan with a landscape design by Lester Collins of Collins, Simonds and Simonds. Significant to its mid-century aesthetic is the holistic treatment of the trapezoidal site, a character-defining aspect of Modernist design. The plaza and sunken courtyard on the north side unites the building to its planned site, respecting the angle of Maryland Avenue (a L’Enfant Plan street).

With period of significance reflecting its construction, 1959 to 1961, FOB 6 holds both local and national significance in the areas of politics/government, landscape architecture, architecture, and community planning/development.

3.2. Construction History

Construction of FOB 6 began in 1960. The builder was McCloskey and Company whose construction business was based out of Philadelphia. Other major construction efforts by McCloskey and Company in the city included the construction of the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in 1961.

3.3. Faulkner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse

The architectural firm of Faulkner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse was established in Washington, D.C., in 1941 by Waldron Faulkner (1898-1979) and Slocum Kingsbury (1893-1987). John Warn Stenhouse (d. 1984) joined the practice by 1946. Faulkner worked in the greater Washington area for almost thirty-five years and received national awards for his work on institutional buildings. His partner, Kingsbury, was an authority on hospital design, leading the firm on projects at Bethesda Suburban Hospital (1963), among others. Faulkner, Kingsbury, and Stenhouse designed several high school buildings and buildings on university campuses in and around Washington, including Procter Hall (1956) at the National Cathedral

School, additions at St. Alban’s School, and numerous buildings at The George Washington and

American Universities. Private, commercial projects included the National Geographic Society Building

(Sixteenth and M Streets, NW, 1949) and the WTOP Broadcast House (Fortieth and Brandywine Streets, NW, 1953). When the firm worked on FOB 6 in the late 1950s, Stenhouse was an active member of the design team, representing both architectural firms in extensive meetings with NCPC and the U.S.

Commission of Fine Arts. Kingsbury retired in 1964, but Faulkner’s final project in 1968 was at the Old

Patent Office Building, transforming it into the National Portrait Gallery. Faulkner’s son, Avery C.

Faulkner, was also a well-known Washington architect and worked with Lester Collins, the landscape architect of FOB 6, on several projects for the Smithsonian Institution, including the Smithsonian

National Zoological Park.

3.4. Chatelain, Gauger & Nolan

The architectural and engineering firm of Chatelain, Gauger & Nolan was formed in 1956 by noted

Washington architect Leon Chatelain, Jr. (1902-1979) with partners Earl V. Gauger (1900-1986) and

James A. Nolan, Jr. (1938-1976). Both Chatelain and Gauger were prominent local architects, who had practiced in the Washington, D.C., area for many years prior to creating the partnership. Nolan, who had worked with Chatelain since 1950, was a mechanical engineer, specializing in heating, ventilating and air conditioning. The firm was known for its institutional buildings, especially those for Georgetown

University, and commercial office buildings. They also worked on several churches and facilities for the armed services. Major projects in addition to FOB 6 in 1959 included the Equitable Life Insurance

Company (subsequently Federal National Mortgage Association Headquarters, 1957), the national headquarters of the Associated General Contractors of America (1958), the International Monetary Fund

Bank Buildings (1960-1961), the Retail Clerks International Association (Suffridge Building, 1969), and the Group Hospital Insurance Headquarters (1969). In 1970, after Gauger retired from the firm, Chatelain merged the firm with another Washington architectural firm under a new name. The new partnership, called Chatelain, Samperton & Nolan, specialized in institutional designs, for banks, churches, hospitals, and office buildings.

3.5. Collins, Simonds & Simonds

The site, plaza, and landscape design were completed by Lester Collins of Collins, Simonds & Simonds.

Originally founded as Simonds and Simonds by brothers John and Phillip Simonds circa 1939-1940, the firm grew from a small, residential practice based in Pittsburgh to a nationally respected landscape architecture firm. Beginning in 1952, the firm was known as Collins, Simonds & Simonds, until it was changed to EPD: The Environmental Planning and Design Partnership in 1970.

Lester Albertson Collins (1914-1993) practiced in the Washington, D.C., area for nearly three decades and executed landscape designs that spanned the East Coast. Collins provided extensive garden and landscape design for residential clients, but also worked on public projects and large-scale designs with major architects. His large-scale work included an array of natural settings and uses: Innisfree Garden, covering 1,000 acres in Millbrook, NY; campus designs at The George Washington University, the U.S.

Naval Academy, the Virginia Military Institute, and the Goddard Space Flight Center; and Master Plans for Roanoke, VA, and Miami Lakes, FL, his self-proclaimed magnum opus. Collins also completed several high-profile projects in Washington, D.C., including several Smithsonian Institution projects: the Enid A.

Haupt Garden in collaboration with Jean Paul Carlhian and Sasaki Associates (1987); the redesign of the

Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden (1981); and the Master Plan for the Smithsonian National

Zoological Park (ca. 1970s) in collaboration with the architectural firm of Faulkner, Fryer and

Vanderpool.

3.6. Construction/Alteration Matrix

Beginning Date

Ending Date

Cost Description Architect Style Action

1959 1961 Original Construction

Faulkner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse;

Chatelain, Gauger & Nolan;

Collins, Simonds and Simonds

Modernistic

1960 1961 Office space and conference rooms on first floor altered to serve as demonstration area, auditorium, and classroom

Faulkner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse;

Chatelain, Gauger & Nolan

1964 1964 Replacement of aggregate concrete pavers in plaza.

Replaced with cast-in-place concrete. Began in 1964 and continued as required

1964 1964 Granite coping and curbing repaired and replaced-in-kind as needed due to water damage and breakage

Cir. 1964 cir. 1996 Installation of flagstone paving over planting beds at northeast corner of eastern terrace and west end of western terrace; Removal of concrete benches and fountains in sunken courtyard

1967 1969 Replacement of 708 original concrete pavers

M.K. Taher & Associates

1971 1971 Dining room and kitchen renovated to serve as daycare.

GSA

1971 1971 Cafeteria constructed on first floor in area devoted to office space and conference rooms

1971 1971 Transformation of sunken courtyard into playground for daycare center

1972 1972 Replacement of limestone exterior panels

GSA

Cir. 1973 Cir. 1973 Security booths added at southwest and southeast corners of property

1976 1976 Renovation of NASA Control Center

GSA

1979 1979 Restrooms and elevators upgraded and modernized

1979 1980 ADA ramps and curb cuts

McGaughan & Johnson

1980 1980 Renovation of fitness facility and locker rooms

1980 1980 Automatic door installation and building ramps

1985 1985 Roof replacement with new aggregate.

Concrete walls and floor of garage repaired

1986 1986 Single-pane glass of exterior windows and curtain walls replaced with insulated double-pane. Aluminum frames also replaced in-kind

1989 1989 All doors and thresholds replaced-in-kind;

included roll-up garage doors

Cir. 1989 Cir. 1989 Planter box in center terrace replaced by a school bell

1990 1990 Steel balusters and bronze handrail surrounding sunken courtyard replaced with aluminum balustrade

1990 1990 Replacement of granite veneering on pilotis

Vincent Chan & Associates

1995 1996 Extensive interior renovation – upgrade to elevators and restroom facilities; removal of offices on first

HTB, Inc.

floor; terrazzo flooring and marble walls retained

1995 1996 Removal of concrete screens from windows of building; first story converted to public spaces with cafeteria;

original windows replaced

1996 1996 Daycare renovated to serve as library

2005 2008 Limestone panels on façade were replaced

Architrave P.C.

Architects;

Grunley Construction Company

Unknown

4.0 Historic Designation

4.1. National Register

Name: Historic Name: Federal Office Building No. 6

Other Names: Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building

Date: N/A

National Register Designation: 2-NR Listed May 8, 2017

National Register Number: 100000956

4.2. GSA Determination

Determined Eligible: March 5, 2011

GSA Date:

4.3. Local Designation

Designation Name: Federal Office Building No. 6

District Name: N/A

Date: March 23, 2017

Jurisdiction: Washington, D.C.

5.0 Inspections

None.

6.0 Architectural Description

6.1. General

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building was designed in the International Style of the Modernist

Movement, stripped of ornamentation, with large expanses of glass and windows, smooth wall surfaces, and the expression of cantilevered floors, all typical elements of the style. The building is seven stories with a basement, sub-basement, and roof penthouse for mechanical systems. The building is constructed of poured concrete and faced with limestone panels and anchored by granite-veneered pilotis. The building’s austere, clean lines, created by limestone-and-glass curtain walls on the first floor, were designed to harmonize with the rigorous geometry of the granite and aggregate concrete hardscape and low-lying, dispersed landscaping of the site.

6.2. Site

The site description has been divided into a description of the site as originally designed and as modified to accommodate the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial currently under construction.

FOB 6 is located in the Southwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C., bounded by Independence Avenue, SW, to the north, C Street, SW, to the south, Sixth Street, SW, to the west, and Fourth Street, SW, to the east. Along the property’s east and west sides, the planting is minimal, with the office building nearly abutting the property line and public sidewalk. On the west side, a small lawn area is located between the planting bed and the public sidewalk. Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) trees extend along the public sidewalks of each side.

On the south side of the property, two automobile ramps run parallel to C Street, SW, providing access to the below-grade parking garage. Beginning at the southeast and southwest corners of the site, the ramps lead to the center of the property as they descend. The openings to the parking garage ramps feature enclosed security booths, and the ramps are lined at either side with aluminum balustrades.

Above the ramps, at the center of the property, is a small plaza with two wide stairs that provide access to the building’s two south entrances. Large, raised, rectangular planting beds are located at the east and west ends of this small plaza. They are currently empty of plantings. At the east entrance and contemporary and temporary ADA ramp has been installed adjacent to the stairs. Like the north side, the south side of the property is divided from C Street, SW, by a narrow service drive and linear medians originally planted with Willow Oak trees.

The property originally included a tripartite plaza to the north, split by Maryland Avenue, SW, with a sunken courtyard on the north side that once united the building with the site and Maryland Avenue, SW. The building’s primary elevation faces north where this original plaza covered the remainder of the site between the FOB 6 and Independence Avenue, SW, encompassing approximately 96,000 square feet. Originally, the plaza was paved with precast concrete panels with an exposed aggregate finish and laid in a gridded pattern. The lot was encircled by a public sidewalk on all four sides.

The plaza as designed was separated into three distinct terraces on the central, west, and east sides.

These terraces shared a similar design vocabulary with granite curbs, coping, tree pits, and planting beds; cast-in-place concrete panels; and precast scum gutters. The terraces were divided by two parallel elevated walkways that directed pedestrians from the Maryland Avenue, SW, sidewalk to the building’s entry vestibules. The walkways terminated at short flights of granite stairs with aluminum handrails, connecting them to the sidewalk. Similar stairs connected the raised platforms with the terraces on either side. Because the site slopes downward to the south, with the levels of terraces followed this slope, these walkways were built up to maintain a consistent level, acting as platforms. They were edged on the east and west sides by granite benches, which extended continuously from the public sidewalk to steps at the sides of each entry vestibule, allowing access to the adjacent terraces. Both these benches and the short sides of the pilotis along the covered loggia surrounding the building employed the same type of granite.

The east elevated walkway, which extended from Maryland Avenue, SW, to the building’s east entrance, had three tree pits edged with granite and each planted with a Thornless Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) tree. The west elevated walkway, leading from Maryland Avenue to the building’s east entrance vestibule, had two tree pits, each planted with one Honey Locust. The building itself is elevated on a low plinth, encircled by linear planting beds along each elevation. The boxes are clad in granite and planted with perennial grasses. Openings in the planting beds provide access to the two elevated walkways.

The original plaza was demolished in 2018 to make way for the new Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial.

The memorial, currently under construction, is slated to open in 2020. Architect Frank Gehry designed the four-acre memorial that will have eight pillars, each eighty feet tall and ten feet wide. The six pillars to the south will hold a transparent stainless-steel woven tapestry that will depict the cliffs of Normandy in honor of Eisenhower’s time during World War II. At ground level, the memorial is designed to be an urban park that will have large bronze sculptures and stone bas reliefs throughout depicting

Eisenhower’s achievements. The new memorial will rejoin the two separate reservations that were originally divided by Maryland Avenue, S.W. To honor L’Enfant’s Plan, the landscaping and memorial will preserve the view of Maryland Avenue to the US Capitol Building. A new promenade in front of FOB 6 will afford views of the memorial.

6.3. Exterior

FOB 6 is a seven-story office building that is rectangular in plan. At its widest dimension, it spans 535 feet from east to west and 135 feet from north to south. It was constructed of reinforced concrete and predominantly faced with limestone veneer panels, joined in a fillet molding detail at the corners of the building. The fenestration is similar on the longer north and south elevations and on the shorter east and west elevations.

Each elevation of the Modernist-style building is symmetrical. The building is surmounted by a flat roof framed by low parapet walls. The middle six stories (second to sixth) project over the first story and are supported by rectangular piloti columns. The pilotis are faced with two different varieties of granite, which have been applied to create a recessed channel on the shorter sides. Somewhat mimicking the first story, the seventh story of the building is set back. Not fully visible from ground level, it is composed of an aluminum-framed glass curtain wall with a limestone frieze. The penthouse above the seventh story is set back even further; it is faced with limestone panels punctuated by fixed ribbon windows and double-leaf entry doors.

The recessed first story of FOB 6 is predominantly glazed, with full-height window walls with a tripartite glazing configuration. These window walls, framed in aluminum, have a narrow band of glass near their top, with a wider transom pane above. Each set of triple windows has a continuous limestone sill and is flanked by wall segments clad in limestone panels. The window openings of the upper stories (second to sixth) are regularly spaced and slightly recessed within the structure. Each opening holds an elongated, one-light window set over a smaller square, one-light window. The fixed glass is framed by aluminum.

The openings are finished with narrow, slightly projecting limestone sills and, as is typical of Modernist architecture, lack molded surroundings. The limestone panels enframing the structure visually read as pilasters and spandrels around the window openings.

There are eight primary entrances to the building: four on each of the north and south elevations. The entrances consist of one-story glass-and-aluminum vestibules, which project from the first-story window walls, but not beyond the projecting upper stories. The vestibules on the north and south elevations each hold a double-leaf, aluminum-frame glass door flanked by single-leaf, aluminum frame glass doors.

The doors are capped by a two-light, aluminum-face transom. Like the triple window walls of the first story, elongated (single) aluminum-sash windows flank each vestibule. The one-light windows have narrow, aluminum architraves and fixed one-light aluminum-sash transoms. The vestibules lead to interior doors that mimic the doors on the exterior. In 1977, solar film was installed on all the original windows.

Metal lettering that reads “U.S. Department of Education” is mounted on the limestone spandrels below the second-story window openings, at the center of the building on the façade and south elevation. This lettering was likely added in the 1980s. Two stone plaques on the first story of the façade read “Lyndon

Baines Johnson Department of Education Building, 400 Maryland Ave, S.W.” Two more plaques, identical to those on the façade are located on the south elevation. These plaques were added when the building was renamed in 2007. A smaller concrete plaque located beneath the western stone plaque on the façade reads “United States of America, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President, 1959” and marks the construction of the building.

The original 1959 construction drawings indicate precast concrete screens with an exposed aggregate finish were located between the pilotis on all four sides of the buildings, except for the eight central bays on the north and south elevations. These aggregate concrete screens were set between the pilotis three feet from each elevation, creating a narrow promenade under the projecting upper stories. The screens extended from the concrete flooring to the soffit above but did not touch the pilotis. They were composed of precast units joined vertically with internal steel dowels, creating a repeating, decorative pattern with circular and hexagonal openings. The screens were removed circa 1996 when the first story of the building was being converted to public spaces, to allow for improved visibility. Also, in 1996, all original single-pane glass windows were replaced with aluminum-framed, double-pane, grey-tinted windows.

Between 2005 and 2006, limestone panels on the façade were repaired or replaced. This project included the replacement of all spandrels in kind. All pilasters were anchored, many limestone panels were repaired, all joints and sills were caulked, and the entire façade was cleaned and sealed. Again between 2006 and 2008, the exterior limestone was repaired.

6.4. Interior

The interior of FOB 6 reflects its original construction and continued use as an open-planned office building dating from the mid-twentieth century. Elevator banks divide the plan into three parts, creating west and east wings flanking a central core. The lobbies created by the elevator banks, which also include interior stairs, mechanical rooms, and some office space, are consistent on each floor. The office’s layout is open and flexible, allowing for changes as needed.

The first floor, entered through the eight vestibules, was originally divided into three lobbies. As the construction drawings from 1959 indicate, the main lobby (Lobby One) was located on the north side of the building, providing access to the plaza entry vestibules. The lobby extended nearly the full width of the building physically joining the four entry vestibules of the north elevation. Lobbies Two and Three on the first floor marked only their respective entry vestibules on the south elevation. These lobbies were originally separated by four offices that have since been removed. Consequently, the south lobby now serves as one long space, mimicking the configuration of Lobby One. Security scanning equipment was added at the two south entrances. The material of the lobbies comports with that of mid-century

Modernist design. Portions of the floors are covered in the original terrazzo and the walls are faced in marble panels. Columns extending the full height of the structure provide definition to the building’s open plan. On the first floor, these columns were originally square posts clad in marble, but have since been retrofitted with stainless steel to create large, cylindrical profiles.

The central core of the first floor holds an auditorium, the exterior of which has been faced with contemporary, angled wood panels. The area where the auditorium currently is located was originally reserved as office space, although it was likely built out as an auditorium early in the building’s history.

The floors to the north and south of the auditorium have been recovered with slate tiles. Replacing former offices and conference rooms in 1971, the cafeteria is now located in the northeast corner of the first floor and spans three quarters of the east wing from north to south. The training and development center is located on the south side of the west wing.

Floors two through six are identical in plan and mimic the layout of the first floor with the three areas separated by elevator lobbies. The walls of the elevator lobbies are faced with marble as on the first floor. The central cores on these floors hold flexible office space flanked by conference rooms to the east and west. Restrooms are located to the east and west of the elevator lobbies. The elevator banks house the interior stairs and mechanical rooms, and some have office space. The east and west wings feature individual offices on the perimeter and flexible office space on the interior.

The seventh floor is similar in layout to the lower floors but has a smaller floor area created by the setback plan. The Secretary of the DOE has an office in the west wing of this floor; however, no historic materials have been retained. Individual offices are located on the perimeter of this floor as well as within the central core. The seventh floor originally held offices for NASA; Room 7002 originally served as the NASA Control Center. This space was renovated in 1976 and the control center operations were removed from the building when it was transferred to the DOE.

The basement floor is separated into thirds. The floor has a modified C-shaped plan and features a parking garage in the west third and to the south of the central core. The National Library of Education is in the northeast corner of the basement. This space was originally the dining room and kitchen; it was rehabilitated in 1971 to serve as a daycare center. As originally designed, the space in the northeast corner of the building included a dining room that stretched along the window wall overlooking the sunken courtyard. Mimicking the design created by the pierced concrete screens on the exterior of the building’s first story, the serving area on the opposite interior wall was divided from the dining room by suspended, laminated panels. The large dining room was interrupted by two rows of plaster-covered columns and appears to have been further separated by nine-foot-tall metal stud and drywall partitions.

Access to the courtyard was gained through double-leaf doors at either end of the room. At the time the former dining room was converted to a library, a desk and counter for the librarians was added to the southwest corner.

The sub-basement is accessed by the east elevator lobby only. The structure of the sub-basement is exposed concrete block with no exterior access or natural illumination. The National Library of

Education archives rare books and textbooks in the central core of this floor. The southeast corner of the sub-basement, originally dedicated to storage and reproduction space, was renovated at an unknown time to create a fitness facility and locker rooms. Otherwise, this floor, like the penthouse, is largely devoted to mechanical equipment and storage.

Currently, mechanical and utility use spaces located in the sub-basement consist of the building’s primary HVAC, electrical, and plumbing system equipment. The primary outdoor mechanical equipment is placed on the roof within a screened enclosure and accessible via stairway. Building systems include electrical, HVAC, plumbing, communications (IT), and fire protection. On the typical floors, localized distribution spaces for electrical and telecom systems serve each level. Throughout the building’s interior, system distribution is concealed within ceiling and wall assemblies. Based on observable conditions and discussions with the building’s maintenance staff, building systems are regularly maintained and are currently in good working order.

7.0 Integrity and Significance

7.1. Integrity

FOB 6 retains its integrity of location, association, feeling, and setting, as a Federal, mid-century office building that was the first federal office building constructed specifically as part of the Southwest Urban

Renewal Plan. , FOB 6 also retains its integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. The building retains many of its original modernist design elements. Key exterior materials dating from the period of significance, which reflects the property’s construction from 1959 to 1961, are substantially intact. On the 1959-1961 building, these included limestone and granite veneer, glazed window walls, and aluminum framed fixed windows on the first floor and terrazzo flooring and marble veneer on the interior. Replacement of materials has occurred over time as a result of deterioration, general maintenance, and improvements for energy efficiency and system modernizations. Importantly, most alterations have resulted in the replacement of materials similar to the original and without the loss of design, feeling or workmanship.

7.2. Significance

FOB 6 is locally and nationally significant under National Register Criterion A and Criterion C. The building embodies the seminal efforts of the newly created GSA to implement the Construction

Program, Federal Buildings, Washington, D.C., & Vicinity, 1956-1966, a master plan for the design, construction, and funding of federal office buildings in the District of Columbia. The location of FOB 6 was the result of the first cooperative response by the federal government to NCPC’s 1950

Comprehensive Plan for the District of Columbia and the removal of temporary federal office buildings from the National Mall. FOB 6 also reflects the direct participation of the federal government in the redevelopment plans for Southwest Washington, becoming the first federal office building constructed specifically as part of the Southwest Urban Renewal Plan. Its Modernist design represented a dramatic stylistic change for federal government buildings and prompted a significant shift towards the expression of modern architecture in Washington, D.C. With a period of significance reflecting its construction, 1959 to 1961, FOB 6 holds both local and national significance in the areas of politics/government, landscape architecture, architecture, and community planning/development.

8.0 Zones

8.1. Zoning Criteria and Definitions

The GSA’s BPPs provide guidance for accommodating upgrades and changes to a building to improve functionality and tenant needs while preserving a building’s individual character. The GSA uses three zones: Restoration (Zone 1), Rehabilitation (Zone 2), and Renovation (Zone 3). All three accommodate planning for major and minor repairs, alterations and maintenance, and retention and restoration of character defining features.

Restoration Zones (Zone 1) are defined as “significant spaces worthy of preservation and restoration.”

Typically, these spaces are primary facades, landscapes, lobbies, principal corridors, decorative stairwells, elevators and their lobbies, and other public gathering spaces such as libraries, auditoriums, cafeterias, conference rooms, and executive suites. They are distinguished by their richness of architectural features that communicate a building’s architectural style. Zone 1 spaces should retain their decorative features, layouts, and functions, while inappropriate alterations should be removed.

Rehabilitation Zones (Zone 2) are defined as “secondary significant spaces that contain historic materials and features worthy of preservation.” These spaces include secondary corridors, standard offices, and tenant spaces. Rehabilitation zones feature alterations, but significant materials remain, including but not limited to, windows, trim, doors, and crown molding. They allow flexibility to accommodate contemporary workplaces layouts and to increase spatial openness or introduce transparency for improved daylight while retaining and restoring remaining significant elements and materials.

Renovation Zones (Zone 3) are defined as “undistinguished spaces that do not contribute to the significance of the building.” This includes all back-of-house spaces such as basements, sub-basements, attics, and utilitarian offices, and any areas where alterations have removed almost all original materials.

These non-significant spaces can be altered in their entirety, if the work does not adversely affect adjacent Zone 1 and 2 spaces or materials.

8.2. Zone 1: Restoration

Zone 1 spaces at FOB 6 are limited to the exterior, main first-floor lobby, and elevator lobbies on the second through seventh floors.

8.2.1. Exterior

Most above ground portion of the exterior of the building are Zone 1, this includes exterior, as well as interior materials, fenestration, and walls. The glass curtain walls on the first floor and the windows throughout the building were replaced in the 1980s but should still be considered Zone 1 in case they are replaced again in the future as they were replaced in kind with aluminum frames. The granite and limestone panels on all elevations are Zone 1 materials. Though pieces have been replaced in the past, all replacements were in kind and retained their Zone 1 significance. The entrance vestibules on the north and south elevations of the building are Zone 1, as they were replaced in kind. Other materials on the exterior that are considered Zone 1 materials are the aluminum hand and guardrails, the granite planters, steps, and mosaic concrete patio to the south.

Zone 3 features in the exterior of the building include the secondary entrance at the west elevation, which was not originally an egress, but was added in the 1980s with the replacement of the glass canopy wall. The ‘U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION” sign on the south elevation is considered a Zone 3 feature, as it was not original. All other signage on the exterior of the building is also non-original and are Zone 3 feature.

The two guardhouses at the southeast and southwest corners of the building were added in the 1970s and are considered Zone 3 features. The driveways, while they are original, are utilitarian in nature and are Zone 3 features.

The remaining Zone 1 feature is the recessed seventh floor set-back. This configuration should be retained.

8.2.2. First Floor Lobby

The first-floor lobby has retained its function and much of its layout. The terrazzo flooring and baseboards, marble paneled walls of the inner lobby and elevator lobbies are all original and are Zone 1 features. The layout of the first floor originally was much closer to the layout of the upper floors but has been altered. The east and west wings were closed off and are completely contemporary and are Zone 3 spaces. The auditorium in the center of the first floor is also not original and all the materials are Zone 3, including the wood paneled walls on the exterior of the auditorium. A slate floor was added in the lobby around the auditorium: the slate is considered Zone 3, but if the terrazzo flooring is intact below the slate, it would be a Zone 1 material. The columns in the lobby were wrapped with metal; while the metal is a Zone 3 material, should the historic marble wrapping the columns be intact beneath, it would be a

Zone 1 material. The ceiling throughout the first floor is Zone 3, along with all the light fixtures.

At the first-floor elevator lobbies, the marble walls and terrazzo flooring are Zone 1 materials, as are the open volume of space and their connections on either side to the north and south lobbies. The elevators, including the cabs, doors, surrounds, and associated call buttons, were replaced and are Zone

3 features. The security kiosks, ceilings, and lighting are all contemporary and are considered Zone 3.

8.2.3. Elevator Lobbies

The remaining Zone 1 spaces are the elevator lobbies in the second through seventh floors. Zone 1 materials within these spaces are limited to the marble paneled walls and wood baseboards. The original vinyl tile floors in the elevator lobbies were previously removed and replaced with carpeting, which is a Zone 3 material. The open volume of space and the lobby connections on either side to the north and south lobbies are considered a Zone 1 features, even if they currently blocked by contemporary conference room infill, as this condition could be reversed and the original elevator lobby volume of space and connection to the north and south corridor could be returned to its original condition. As with the first floor, the ceilings, light fixtures, elevators and their associated surrounds, doors, and call buttons are Zone 3 features.

8.3. Zone 2: Rehabilitation

Zone 2 spaces at FOB 6 are limited to the four stairwells in the building and the corridors on the second through sixth floors.

8.3.1. Corridors

The configuration and volume of space in corridors on the second through sixth floors is considered a

Zone 2 feature. Where the corridors connect to the elevator lobbies, the marble paneling at the walls and wood baseboards are considered a Zone 2 materials. Furthermore, though some conference rooms have been infilled interrupting the original circulation of the corridors, they are still considered Zone 2 spaces, as they can be returned to their original configuration. Some of the walls of these spaces cover up the original marble paneled walls and wood baseboards; both materials, should they be uncovered would be considered Zone 2 materials. All other the physical materials, including the walls, flooring, ceilings, and light fixtures have subsequently been replaced and are considered Zone 3 features.

The corridor on the seventh floor has been heavily altered and does not retain enough of its configuration to be considered a Zone 2 space.

8.3.2. Stairwells

There are four stairwells in the building. The easternmost stairwell reaches from the first floor to the seventh, while the central stairwells reach all the way from the sub-basement to the seventh floor, and the westernmost stairwell reaches from the basement to the seventh floor. All the stairwells that reach the basement and sub-basement have concrete flooring on those levels and are considered Zone 3;

however, all four stairwells at the first through seventh floor have terrazzo flooring and steel and aluminum wrapped steel handrails; all of these materials are Zone 2 features. The utilitarian, metal double doors and surrounds at each level of the stairwells are Zone 3 features.

U.S. Department of Education Lyndon Baines Johnson Building 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202 Building Preservation Plan Preservation Zones Basement

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Zone 1: Restoration Zone

Zone 2: Rehabilitation Zone

Zone 3: Renovation Zone

400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202 Building Preservation Plan Preservation Zones Sub-basement

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400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202 Building Preservation Plan Preservation Zones First Floor

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Zone 1: Restoration Zone

9.0 Elements and Materials

9.1. Zone 1: Restoration

9.1.1. Exterior

9.1.1.1. Limestone

Description: The panels at the building’s exterior are Oolite Limestone with a smoothed machine finish and mortar joint to match the color of the limestone. A number of the panels were replaced in the

1970s due to cracking.

Condition: The current condition of the limestone is fair. Signs of biological growth, staining, and soot residue are visible on the stones, as well as minor cracking.

Recommendations:

Treat/Technical Procedure:

9.1.1.2. Granite

Description: There are four types of granite throughout the exterior of the building: Granite No. 1 is polished Belbel White; Granite No. 2 is polished Diamond Gray; Granite No.3 honed Diamond Gray; and

Granite No. 4 is mellogroove Diamond Gray. A number of the pieces were replaced in the 1970s due to cracking.

Condition: The current condition of the granite is fair. Signs of biological growth, staining, and soot residue are visible on the stones, as well as minor cracking.

Recommendations:

Treat/Technical Procedure:

9.1.1.3. Concrete

Description: The south patio, which wraps to the east and west elevation under the pilotis is composed of Mosaic Concrete.

Condition: The current condition of the concrete is fair. Signs of biological growth, staining, and soot residue are visible. There are some visible patches in the concrete on the south elevation that do not match the distinctive Mosaic Concrete and its aggregate size.

Recommendations:

Treat/Technical Procedure:

9.1.1.4. Aluminum

Description: The exterior aluminum handrails are original on the south elevation.

Condition: The current condition of the aluminum is good.

Recommendations:

Treat/Technical Procedure:

9.1.1.5. Windows and Doors

Description: The windows, doors, and glass curtain walls are not original but were replaced in kind. They have aluminum frames.

Condition: The current condition of the windows, entrance vestibules, and glass curtain walls are good.

Recommendations:

Treat/Technical Procedure:

9.1.2. First Floor Lobby

9.1.2.1. Terrazzo Flooring and Baseboards

Description: The lobby flooring and baseboards are original terrazzo with steel spacers.

Condition: The current condition of the terrazzo is good. Portions were either removed and covered by the insertion of the slate flooring in the central part of the first floor lobby. In a few places, the terrazzo has been visibly patched. In at least one location, the terrazzo was replaced by painted concrete.

Recommendations:

Treat/Technical…