ZGF Architects LLP has been selected as prime architect for 2.1 million square feet of new office space at the new
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Consolidation Project at St. Elizabeths Hospital.
Working under the U.S. General Services Administration, ZGF will design for the following Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
This project is part of the overall DHS headquarters consolidation project, the Washington metropolitan area's largest federal project since construction of the Pentagon in 1943. The entire campus will be comprised of 4.5 million square feet of workspace and 1.5 million square feet of parking. "It is an honor to be selected for such an important national commission," said Robert J. Frasca, FAIA, ZGF's design partner. "My colleagues and I look forward to collaborating with the GSA and DHS to create the ideal federal workplace environment."
Located at St. Elizabeths, a National Historic Landmark and former mental health hospital that was previously operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the project will be dispersed between the historic West Campus and a new East Campus. The two campuses will be linked via a below-grade connector. The program includes the design of four new office buildings, the addition to an existing historic building, three parking structures, mail sort facility, cafeteria, and child care center. In total, the program is estimated to be 2,129,800 gross square feet. The project will be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Added Frasca, "We understand the sensitivities and complexities of the work to be done and the high degree of emotional investment in the place. The resulting DHS project will be a testament to both sustainable design and design excellence - a landmark to fulfill the intentions of the administration." The design team includes Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, Syska Hennessey Group, Olin and Thornton Tomasetti.
