architectural and interior design

Architectural and Interior Design

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F A C I L I T I E S S T A N D A R D S F O R T H E P U B L I C B U I L D I N G S S E R V I C E

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3.6 Interior Finishes99 General Office Space

(Open and Enclosed Offices)100 Training and Conference Rooms100 Internal Corridors100 Entrances and Vestibules101 Elevator and Escalator Lobbies101 Elevators102 Stairways (closed)103 Stairways (open)103 Public Corridors

3.7 Building Support Spaces103 General Use Toilets103 Equipment Spaces and Maintenance Shops103 Staff Locker Rooms and Custodial Spaces104 Building Engineer’s Office

and Security Control Center104 Food Service Areas104 Other Specialty Areas

3.8 Alterations in Existing Buildings and Historic Structures106 Evaluation of Existing Systems106 Code Requirements for Alterations106 Placing Mechanical and Electrical Systems in

Renovated and Rehabilitated Buildings109 Space Planning Strategies109 Acoustics109 Alteration of Building Elements110 Uncommon Products Used In Rehabilitations

3.9 Life Cycle Cost Analysis

3.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS

3.1 Basic Building Planning Principles59 Building Circulation59 Planning Grid59 Technology Infrastructure61 Space Allocations and Classifications61 Space Measurement for Rental Purposes64 Space Measurement for Planning Purposes65 Space Classification65 Conveying Systems67 Fire Protection 67 Seismic Design67 Design Issues Affecting Security

3.2 Space Planning70 Public Spaces72 Building Support Spaces76 Structured Parking

3.3 Commissioning

3.4 Special Design Considerations 78 Incorporation of Recycled-Content Materials80 Concrete80 Acoustics83 Emergency Protection

3.5 Building Elements86 Substructure86 Exterior Closure92 Cornerstone92 Interior Construction93 Access Flooring94 Building Specialties96 Artwork, Signage, and Registry of Designers

Census Bureau Headquarters Suitland, MarylandArchitect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLPGSA Project Executive: Jag Bhargava

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A R C H I T E C T U R A L A N D I N T E R I O R D E S I G N

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Policy Act. Compliance reviews should be coordinated,through the Regional Historic Preservation Officer, earlyand as frequently as the project complexity warrants, sothat comments can be effectively addressed during thecourse of design.

Urban Context. Facility design and orientation should be consistent with existing and planned developmentpatterns and nearby uses. The building’s exterior shouldbe consistent with existing local design guidelines. Whereappropriate, the project team should help to developdesign guidelines for the project and neighboringundeveloped sites.

Basic Configurations and Core Placement. Planning forcores must consider the depth of the occupiable spaceestablished by the core and exterior walls. The optimumdepth of the occupiable space (the space between core and window wall) in an office building is approximately12,000 mm (40 feet) for providing access to daylight.

Placement of Core Elements and Distances. In buildingswith large floor plates, not all core elements need to beplaced at each core location. How often each elementneeds to be repeated is governed by occupant needs andthe following maximum radii and distances:

• Passenger Elevators should be grouped in banks of atleast two for efficiency. Elevator groups of four or moreshould be separated into two banks opposite eachother for maximum efficiency in passenger loading andminimum hall call notification for accessibility underrequirements of UFAS/ADA. Travel distances from agiven office or workstation to an elevator should notexceed 61 000 mm (200 feet).

• See Chapter 7: Fire Protection Engineering foradditional egress requirements.

3.1 Basic Building Planning Principles

Integrated Design. Landscape and Architectural designsmust be integrated with all project design disciplines inorder to optimize building performance and aesthetics.Prior to initiating any schematic design, the Architectmust perform a series of coordination meetings with allproject design disciplines/consultants to explore per-formance and functional objectives that could impactbuilding orientation, massing, space adjacencies, materialselections, and assemblies. A project’s functional andperformance needs are integral to achieving the Principlesof Federal Architecture, noted in Chapter 1.

Performance Measures and Functional Objectives.The A/E shall ensure the design supports quality basedperformance measures for customer satisfaction, energyconsumption, and reduced operations and maintenance.The A/E shall also identify all functional expectations andestablish alternative features that support attainment. Tothe maximum extent possible, the A/E shall apply thosearchitectural elements that optimize building performanceand functional capabilities. Performance and functionalissues raised in the project’s design program and/or asaddressed in Appendix A.2 shall be specifically addressedin concept presentations.

Environmental Sensitivity. The natural setting of the site,its contours and vegetation shall be viewed as assets to bepreserved and woven into the design as much as possible.In settings including historic buildings, adjoining historicproperties, or located near historic properties that will be affected by GSA construction, external design review,including public participation, is required under theSection 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act andmay also be required under the National Environmental


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Table 3-1System Placement in Planning GridElement Relationship to Planning Grid Comments

Planning Grid 600 mm by 600 mm Uniform between buildings allows interchange of parts (2-foot by 2-foot) between GSA buildings.

Exterior Window Mullions align on grid Allows interior partitions to terminate on mullions and ceiling gridsto align visually with the mullions.

Columns center on grid

Partitions center on grid Normally split columns between two separate offices.can be aligned on faceof columns

Trench Ducts offset by up to 50 percent Allow access to trenches without walls being placed along trenches.

Raised Floor Grid offset pedestals by a minimum Facilitate future removal of floor panels and to avoid excessive of 75 mm (3 inches) in both cutting of panels in instances where partitions must extend to the directions structural slab.

Cellular Floor Insets Offset from grid in both direc- Placed between grids so they are never covered by partitions. tions, placed every 1800 mm (6 feet) in both directions

Floor Outlets for power, Offset from grid in both direc- Placed between grids so they are never covered by partitions.telephone and data tions so centerline of the three

may fall a minimum of 300 mm (1 foot) off the planning grid line

Ceiling Systems Align, or offset by 300 mm If aligned with grid, ceiling will visually align with window mullions. (1 foot) or 50 percent in both If offset by 50%, tops of walls will never fall on ceiling grids, directions allowing more choice in placement of ceiling elements

such as lights.

Lay-In Lights In ceiling grid For 600 mm by 600 mm (2-foot by 2-foot) or 600 mm by 1200 mm (2-foot by 4-foot) fixtures.

Downlights and In ceiling grid Pendant Mounted Lights

HVAC Diffusers & Return Staggered, located within the Experience has shown that a staggered diffuser layout in a uniformAir Grilles 600 mm by 600 mm (2-foot by pattern adapts most easily to future changes in wall configurations

2-foot) ceiling framing

HVAC Slot Diffusers Placed on grid line



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• The location of stairs within buildings shouldencourage their use, in lieu of elevators, to the fullestextent feasible. This will reinforce the recognition ofsustainable energy conservation.

• Electrical Closets must be stacked vertically andshould be located so that they are no more than 45m(150 feet) from any occupied space. Shallow, secondaryclosets off permanent corridors may be used forreceptacle panelboards where the distance betweenthe riser and the farthest workstation exceeds 45 000mm (150 feet) and a separate riser is not warranted.See section Space Planning, Building Support Spaces,Mechanical and Electrical Rooms of this chapter forminimum size requirements.

• Communications Closets shall meet the requirementsof EIA/TIA Standard 569: Commercial Building StandardFor Telecommunications Pathways And Spaces (andrelated bulletins). Communications closets must beprovided on each floor, with additional closet for each930 m2 (10,000 square feet). Closets must be stackedvertically and must be placed so that wiring runs do not exceed 90 m (300 feet). Closets must tie into verticaltelecommunications backbones. See section SpacePlanning, Building Support Spaces, Mechanical andElectrical Rooms of this chapter for minimum sizerequirements.

Building CirculationFederal buildings must have clear circulation systems.

Utility system backbone pathways should be routed incirculation spines providing service access to utilitieswithout disrupting other tenant agencies.

Planning GridPlanning grids shall be used to integrate building interiorsto allow more future serviceability, particularly forbuildings that will experience extensive reconfigurationthrough their life span. A building design shall follow the

prescribed planning grid dimension unless the designercan show long term efficiencies using another dimension.Following a standard dimension will allow GSA tomaintain standard replacement parts to service thebuilding.

Some structural bay sizes can adversely affect interiorparking layout. The 6100 mm by 6100 mm (20-foot by20-foot) bay is too narrow for a two-way driveway aisle.Some of the larger bays cannot be efficiently adapted toparking layouts. Transfer beams or inclined columnswould have to be used to adjust the column spacing. If amajor parking facility must be integrated with the officestructure, the 9100 mm by 9100 mm (30-foot by 30-foot)bay is recommended.

Technology InfrastructureA total integration of all building systems will provide forcurrent operations as well as for future changes. A tech-nology infrastructure should be planned in each buildingto accommodate power systems including normal,emergency and uninterrupted power, mechanical systemsand controls, fire detection and suppression systems,security systems, video and television systems, communi-cations systems, including voice and data, lighting controls,plumbing services, and special utility services, such as gas or exhaust systems. It is not intended to provideinfinite amounts of space for these systems, but to recog-nize their dimensional characteristics and the ability toservice system components. The infrastructure mustprovide adequate spare capacity and integrate the utilityentrance facilities, equipment rooms, backbone pathways,horizontal distribution pathways and workstation outletsfor each system. In part, floor-to-floor heights are deter-mined by the depth of space required for the technologyinfrastructure, including structural, mechanical, electricaland communications systems.



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Four key concepts must be followed in providingtechnology infrastructure in Federal buildings.

• Equipment rooms and closets should be locatedtogether on each floor.

• All walls of equipment rooms and closets should bestacked vertically using the same plan configurationfrom floor to floor to accommodate vertical risers forbackbone systems. When more than one closet is re-quired on each floor, they shall be interconnected by aminimum of two 100 mm (8 inch) conduit passageways.

• Accessible flexible horizontal pathways must beprovided from the closets on each floor to theworkstation outlets. These pathways may be throughunderfloor ducts, cellular floor systems, access floorsystems, or overhead cable trays and wire ways.Horizontal pathways must provide at least threeseparate channels for separation of power anddifferent communications systems.

• Excess capacity must be provided in each system forfuture expansion of services.

• The data/telecommunications closet must beadequately sized to accommodate multiple vendorequipment and for the ease of maintenance of theequipment.

EIA/TIA Standard 569: Commercial Building Standard For Telecommunications Pathways And Spaces (and relatedbulletins) provides specific criteria for infrastructure for communication systems. The criteria covers thecommunication service entrance pathway, entry point,entrance room, equipment room, vertical backbonepathway, communication closets, and horizontalpathways. Horizontal pathways covered by this standardinclude underfloor duct, access floor, conduit, cable traysand wire ways, ceiling pathways and perimeter pathways.

Horizontal Pathway Systems. Three options exist fordelivering power and communications to general officeareas: raised access floor, cellular floor duct, and under-floor duct encased in concrete deck. After decades ofexperience with moves and changes within Federal officespace, GSA now provides a general life cycle cost study todetermine which of these three options should be used.See Chapter 6: Electrical Engineering, Placing ElectricalSystems in Buildings, Horizontal Distribution of Power andCommunications.

Access Floors. Access floors shall be incorporated into all new construction where office functions will takeplace. Permanent corridors can be exempted from thisrequirement.

The vertical zoning of the floor-to-floor space for horizontalutility distribution must be analyzed. In typical officeareas, this can be standardized. In special purpose spacessuch as courtrooms, meeting rooms, library stacks, orlaboratory spaces, the infrastructure must be givendetailed consideration before establishing the final floor-to-floor heights.

Floor Air Plenum distribution systems are preferred inoffice applications with raised floors, eliminating ceilingductwork and facilitating personal climate controlsystems. If this technology is considered, then the inter-stitial floor height shall be adjusted to accommodate theHVAC system.

All underfloor and ceiling areas used for horizontalsystem distribution must be accessible without requiringrepair to interior finishes. To the extent possible, avoidrouting pathways over areas where it is difficult to bring inhoist or set up scaffolding, such as fixed seating areas andsloped or terraced floors for stairways.



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Space Allocations and ClassificationsThis section describes the methodology and policies fortabulating space requirements for GSA facilities. It alsodescribes application of GSA policies for providing andcharging tenant agencies for space in GSA-owned or -controlled space.

The GSA provides space for Federal agencies and chargesthe agencies a rental rate for the space they utilize. There-fore, GSA tabulates space for both planning purposes andfor charging rent. These two purposes require slightlydifferent application of the same space measurementinformation. For planning purposes, GSA converts agencyspace requirements, expressed as usable area, to grossbuilding area through the application of buildingefficiency factors. For rental charges, GSA converts theagency space requirements, expressed as usable area, torentable area through the application of ratios that areunique to each building. Agencies identify the amount ofusable area they require within a building for the GSA andrequest this space on a Standard Form 81 (SF81).

GSA provides a tenant improvement allowance forfinishes and features within its rental charge. The A/Emust design within that allowance. The agency may fundany costs over the tenant improvement allowance directlythrough a Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA).

The GSA uses formalized standards for establishing thearea to be allocated to each tenant agency for the rentcharge. GSA has adopted the Standard Method forMeasuring Floor Area in Office Buildings ANSI/BOMAZ65.1, current edition, issued by the Building Owners andManagers Association (BOMA). This standard is anational standard approved by the American NationalStandards Institute. The full standard is available fromBOMA International.

Certain systems related to security monitoring andbuilding control may be provided as part of the project byGSA, or, if specially requested, by the tenant agencies, withGSA providing the infrastructure support.

Space Measurement for Rental PurposesA Summary. The following are terms and calculationformulas extracted from the ANSI/BOMA Z65.1. They areprovided to assist the user in understanding GSA’s spaceaccounting. Individuals responsible for performing spacemeasures must utilize the entire Standard Method forMeasuring Floor Area published by BOMA.

The ANSI/BOMA Z65.1 standard uses a two-step processto determine rentable area assessed a tenant. The first stepallocates common shared space on each floor to thetenants of that floor. The second step allocates commonspaces that support the entire building to all tenantswithin the building. This explains the use of differentratios for each floor.

Basic Rentable Area. Basic rentable area is the usable areaoccupied by a tenant plus their proportion of the floorcommon areas. It is calculated by:

Usable Area X Floor R/U Ratio = Basic Rentable Area

Building Common Area. Building common area is usablearea allocated to provide services to building tenants butis not included inside a tenant space. Building commonareas include lobbies, atrium floor space, concierge areas,security desks located in public areas, conference rooms,lounges or vending areas, food service facilities, health orfitness centers, daycare facilities, locker or showerfacilities, mail rooms, fire control rooms, fully enclosedcourtyards, and building core and service areas such asmechanical or equipment rooms. Excluded from buildingcommon areas are floor common areas, parking spacesand loading dock areas outside the building line.

Oakland Federal Building, Oakland, CA



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Building R/U Ratio. Building R/U ratio is the factor usedto distribute building common areas to all tenants on aprorated basis. Note that this figure will be constant forthe entire building, but could change over time if portionsof the ground floor are converted from common areas tostore areas.

Building Rentable Area. Building rentable area is the sumof the floor rentable areas. It is also equal to the grossmeasured area of the building minus vertical penetrations.

Floor Common Area. Floor common area includestoilets/washrooms, janitorial closets, electrical rooms,telephone rooms, mechanical rooms, elevator lobbies, andpublic corridors that are available primarily for the jointuse on that floor. Note that this will vary floor to floorbased on public corridor configurations. For single-tenantfloors, corridor and lobby spaces may be included in theoffice or store usable area because they will be for theexclusive use of that floor’s only. On main ground floors,floor common areas would only include corridors createdbecause of store area configuration and telephone, janitorcloset and electrical closets added because of the additionof store area on the ground floor.

Floor R/U Ratio. Floor R/U ratio gives the basic rentablearea. It is calculated by the following formula:

Floor Rentable Area/Floor Usable Area = Floor R/U Ratio

Note that this ratio will vary from floor to floor based onpublic corridor configurations.

Floor Rentable Area. Floor rentable area is the grossmeasured area minus the exterior wall and major verticalpenetrations. Floor rentable area is calculated by:

(sum of Office and Store Usable Areas on the floor) X Floor R/U Ratio = Floor Rentable Area

It is also equal to the sum of the basic rentable areas forthat floor. Full floor tenants will be assessed the grossmeasured area of a floor minus building common spaces astheir floor rentable area. Note that because it includesbuilding common area, floor rentable area is notnecessarily indicative of space demised for a singletenant’s use.



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Floor Usable Area. Floor usable area is the sum of alloffice, store and building common usable areas. Floorusable area is the floor rentable area minus floor commonareas which are available primarily for the joint use oftenants on that floor.

Gross Building Area or Constructed Area. Gross buildingarea or constructed area is the total constructed area of abuilding. This is the area GSA budgets for constructionpurposes.

Gross Measured Area. Gross measured area is the totalarea within the building, minus the exterior wall.

Office Area. Office area is the usable area within thetenant space including internal partitions and half of thedemising wall separating the space from other tenants. Itis measured to the tenant side finished face of all buildingcommon areas.

R/U Ratio. R/U ratio is the factor used to convert usablearea to rentable area. It is the product of the Floor R/Uratio and the Building R/U ratio. It is derived by thefollowing formula:

Floor R/U Ratio X Building R/U Ratio = R/U Ratio

It accounts for the allocation of floor common areas andbuilding common areas. Note that it will be different foreach floor.

Rentable Area. This is the figure that will be assessed eachtenant for their space charges. Rentable area includes theusable area, the prorated share of the floor common area,

and the prorated share of the building common areas. It iscalculated by the following formula:

Usable Area X R/U Ratio = Rentable Area

It may also be calculated by the following two-stepformula:Step 1)

Usable Area X Floor R/U Ratio = Basic Rentable Area

then Step 2)

Basic Rentable Area X Building R/U Ratio = Rentable Area

Store Area. Store area is the usable area of a structure thatis directly served by permanent public lobbies or hasdirect access from outside. BOMA describes these spacesas suitable for retail occupancies. The term store area wasdeveloped for main ground levels to allow the publiclobby and other building common areas to be prorated toall tenant spaces in the building measured in m2. Mostcommon space on main ground levels normally fallswithin building common areas rather than floor commonareas, so rentable figures for store areas will not normallybe significantly impacted by floor common areas.

Usable Area. Usable area is the actual area the agencyoccupies in a tenant suite measured in square meters. It isthe office area, store area or building common area. It iscalculated by measuring from the dominant portion ofthe exterior wall to the outside face of major verticalpenetrations. It includes all structural elements, openingsfor vertical cables, and vertical penetrations built for theprivate use of the tenant.



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Space Measurement for Planning PurposesTenant agencies communicate their space requirements toGSA on the Standard Form 81 (SF81). This formidentifies the total area of each space classificationrequired by the agency within an individual building.

Tabulation of space requirements for planning purposesinvolves four steps:

Step 1 – Tenant agencies must identify the individualroom areas they require within a facility or tenant suite.

Step 2 – To calculate the total usable area within anagency’s suite, additional area must be added to theindividual room areas to account for internal corridors,partitions, structural members, and planninginefficiencies. Traditionally, GSA has instructed thetenants to include 50 percent of an aisle space directlyfronting the individual room area and the partitionsenclosing the room area as part of the room area request.GSA then has added to this a factor of 20 percent toconvert individual room areas to agency usable area. GSAmust report the utilization of space by tenant agencies tothe Office of Management and Budget. Target utilizationratios include 3.25 m2 (135 square feet) for primary officespace with 20 percent additional space for office supportareas. The agency may also calculate the usable area fromthe individual room areas by directly multiplying the areaenclosed in the room by a factor. The following minimumplanning factors are recommended. For spaces requiringwider aisles or more than one or two cross-aisles, or inbuildings with irregular column grids, curved or steppedexternal walls or odd-shaped floor plans, higher planningfactors are recommended.

Rooms size FactorLess than 10 m2 (100 sf) 1.4Less than 15 m2 (150 sf) 1.3Less than 50 m2 (500 sf) 1.2Less than 100 m2 (1000 sf) 1.1

Step 3 – Classify space according to the GSA spaceclassification standards, and request space from GSA onthe SF81. GSA must have a signed SF81 from the tenantagency to process a space request.

Step 4 – GSA divides the sum of the tenant usable spaceareas to be housed in the building by a building efficiencyfactor to convert the usable area tabulations to a grossbuilding area. The gross building area is the size ofbuilding Congress will fund. Efficiency factors used byGSA for planning purposes include the following:

Facility Type Planning FactorWarehouse 85%Libraries 77%Office 75%Courthouse 67%

The space classification system is divided into generalbroad categories with subcategories for specialized spaces.The following are classifications currently used by GSAfor planning purposes.



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Conveying SystemsAll elevators must be designed to comply with ASMEA17.1 and with the UFAS/ADA Accessibility Guidelines.

All occupied areas of a GSA multi-story building orfacility must be served by at least one passenger elevator.Areas of future expansion must be anticipated as well asfuture configuration of existing spaces, to ensure all areasare provided elevator service in the future.

The ASME A17.1 current edition applies to the design of allelevators, lifts and escalators. Additionally, UFAS/ADAAccessibility Guidelines must be complied with foraccessibility.

The selection of type and quantity of conveying systems,such as elevators, escalators and wheelchair lifts, must bemade in conjunction with a thorough verticaltransportation traffic analysis of the facility.

Elevators. If no separate freight or service elevator isprovided, one passenger elevator must be designated as aservice elevator with pads to protect the interior wallsurfaces of the cab. A minimum ceiling height of 2700

mm (9 feet) is required in service elevator cabs. Freightelevators shall have a ceiling height of not less than 3700mm (12 feet).

In large or high-rise buildings, the number of freightelevators provided for GSA buildings should bedetermined by the elevator traffic analysis. The use ofmore than one freight elevator will provide better freightservice for the tenants as well as provide redundancy fornormal maintenance and during times when repair workis conducted.

Where equipment penthouses are provided, serviceelevators should provide access to that level.

There may be Security or specific purpose elevators totransport designated groups of people such as judges,cabinet members or prisoners.

Lockout should be provided for all floors served bypassenger and freight elevators. Key locks, card readers orcoded key pads, integral with the elevator control panel,must be provided to override lockout. A non-proprietaryelevator control system should be used. The extent of

Space Classification

1. Office Total Office2. Other General Purpose ADP, auditorium, light industrial, structurally changed, lab, conference/

training, food service, cafeteria, snack bar, health unit, fitness center, judgeschambers, childcare

3. General Storage general storage4. Tenant floor cut TFC5. Residence & Quarters quarters and residence6. Outlease Retail7. Courtroom judicial hearing rooms, courtrooms8. Non-Building Charges railroad crossing, antennas, boat dock, land

(square footages associated with this category, if they exist, fall outside the ANSI/BOMA total, and the “Assigned” total)



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control should be defined by the GSA Project Manager.See Chapter 8, Security Design.

Trap doors and hoist beams shall be provided at theelevator machine rooms for traction elevators where themachine room is not served by a freight or serviceelevator for removal of equipment for service and repair.

Elevator Traffic Analysis. The A/E must hire anindependent consultant to perform objective studies onthe number and type of elevators needed at the facility.The traffic analysis shall determine the quantity, capacityand speed requirements of elevators. The capacity andspeed are the limiting factors used in determining theminimum number of cars that will meet both the averageinterval and handling capacity criteria.

Separate calculations must be made for passenger and forfreight or service (combination of passenger and freight)traffic. If there are parking levels in the building, aseparate analysis should be prepared for the shuttleelevators connecting parking levels with the lobby.

The type of building occupancy will determine theprobable number of stops used in the traffic analysiscalculations. A single-tenant building will require a greaterprobable number of stops than a multi-tenant building.This is especially true when balanced two-way traffic isconsidered because the incidence of inter-floor traffic ismuch greater in a single-tenant building.

The anticipated elevator population shall be calculatedbased on the occupiable floor area of the building and afactor of 14 m2 (150 ft2) per person. It shall be assumedthat 8 to 10 percent of the resulting population would notrequire elevator service during the peak periods. If thebuilding design requires two or more elevator banks, thepopulation calculation results shall be apportioned byfunctional layout of the building. These divisions shall

then be assigned to the appropriate elevator banks. Forthis purpose an “elevator bank” is defined as a group ofadjacent or opposite elevators that function under acommon operational system.

The criteria by which the traffic analysis calculations shouldbe judged are “average interval” and “handling capacity.”

Average interval is defined as the calculated time betweendepartures of elevators from the main lobby during thea.m. up-peak period. Calculated intervals during the up-peak period should not exceed 30 seconds for a typicalelevator bank.

Handling capacity is defined as the number of persons theelevator system must move in any given 5-minute periodof up-peak traffic used to measure average interval. GSAbuildings shall always be designed for a 16 percenthandling capacity, even if the building is designed as amulti-tenant facility.

Elevator Capacities. Capacities of 1590 kg to 1810 kg(3,500 to 4,000 pounds) shall be used for passengerelevators. Elevator cab sizes shall be in accordance withthe standards established by the National ElevatorIndustries, Inc. (NEII). Elevator cabs shall be designed toreflect the architectural character of the building design.

Escalators. Escalators may be installed as supplements toelevators when vertical transportation is required for alarge unpredictable volume of public traffic. GSA prefersto use escalators only where absolutely necessary becauseof high maintenance costs. They should be used where thefirst floor is not large enough to contain the high publictraffic so that the interval for elevators can be calculatedwith accuracy.

Escalators should be located to be visible from thebuilding entry and convenient to the areas they serve.



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Fire Protection See Chapter 2: Site Planning and Landscape Design andChapter 7: Fire Protection Engineering for additionalrequirements.

Seismic DesignSeismic design is discussed in detail in Chapter 4:Structural Engineering.

Design Issues Affecting SecuritySpecific criteria for site and building security are describedin detail in Chapter 8. Some of the planning concepts arestated here because of their importance to building plan-ning, but architects should familiarize themselves withChapter 8 before developing schematic design concepts.

General Layout. Many future security problems can beprevented by planning a clear, simple circulation systemthat is easy for staff and visitors to understand. Avoidmazes of hallways and hidden corners. Exterior doorsshould be readily visible.

Planning for Future Security Provisions. All Federalbuildings shall be planned to allow for future controlledaccess, both to the entire building and to individual floors.

Site Design. Building entrances shall be designed to makeit impossible for cars to drive up and into the lobby.Planters can be provided as barriers; bollards are alsoacceptable if well integrated with the design of the build-ing entrance. Barriers to vehicle access should be visuallypunctuated and as unobtrusive as possible to pedestrians.Consideration should be given to incorporating securityfeatures that allow for flexible use of the site. If addressedskillfully, planters, trees, or sculpted bollards can be em-ployed to provide amenities while meeting vehicle barrierrequirements. High blank wall should be avoided; lowerwalls with sitting edges are preferable.

Building Entrances. GSA buildings should have one mainentrance for staff, visitors and the public. In large build-ings a second entrance may be designated for employeesonly. Buildings may have additional doors used for egressor access to service areas. These doors should not be usedas entrances. Original primary entrances at historic build-ings should be retained as such. Closure of ceremonialentrances and redirecting public access to below gradeand other secondary entrances for security or accessibilitypurposes is discouraged. Wherever possible, access for thedisabled to historic buildings should be provided at, ornearby original ceremonial entrances. See Chapter 8 foraccess controls and intrusion detection systems.

Building Lobby. The building lobby shall always bedesigned to permit subdivision into a secure and a non-secure area. The two areas could potentially be divided byturnstiles, metal detectors or other devices used to controlaccess to secure areas. There shall be space on the secureside for a control desk and an area where bags can bechecked. Mechanical ductwork, piping and main electricalconduit runs should not extend from one area to theother. In building entrance lobbies, vending machines,automatic tellers, bulletin boards, and other tenantsupport services should be located in ancillary spaceoutside of entrance lobbies or consolidated in a retail

Table 3-2Criteria for Design of Escalators

Capacity in Capacity in Nominal Persons Persons Escalator Width Per Hour Per 5 Mins.

820 mm (32 in.) 3,000 250

1200 mm (48 in.) 4,000 400

U.S. Courthouse, Boston, MA



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tenant service core. Equipment that must be installed inlobbies should be of a low profile variety and consolidatedwith other equipment to minimize bulk.See the sectionSpace Planning, Public Spaces, Entrance Lobby and Atria ofthis chapter.

Lobby Security Equipment. The A/E shall incorporate non-prescription screening devices into the lobby entrancedesign. In historic building entrance lobbies, where fea-sible, security processing equipment should be located inan ancillary space. Equipment that must be installed inhistoric lobbies should be of a low profile variety, con-solidated with other equipment to minimize bulk, andplaced carefully to avoid altering the original spatialconfiguration of the lobby. See First Impressions Program.

Courts and Plazas. The most important consideration indesigning exterior plazas and public spaces is the futurepotential use of those spaces. Potential uses shouldinclude shared and alternate uses. The team shoulddiscuss with potential users how they would like to usethe space, in order to incorporate appropriate amenities,relate outdoor areas to inside uses (e.g., like diningfacilities), accommodate traffic to and from the building,and provide for regular programmed use of the spacesand special events, as appropriate. Consideration shouldbe given to different areas of a public plaza which wouldbe appropriate for different types and intensities of publicactivity. Potential users of the space would include notonly the building tenants, but also persons in neighboringproperties as well as organizations, such as performingarts or vending organizations, that might assist GSA inbringing activities into the space. The treatment ofseating, shade, water, art, bollards, and the space’sflexibility are important to supporting appropriate uses.

Plazas should be designed with electrical outlets, andother simple infrastructure, to support future flexibilityand a wide range of uses.

Retail Shops. Generally, retail shops should be located onthe non-secure side of the lobby. Exceptions could existwhere commercial establishments serve the buildingpopulation only. Some buildings may have multiple levelsof retail around an atrium. In that case, the securitycheckpoint should be located at the elevator lobby.Designers should coordinate opportunities for retail withthe Retail Tenant Services Center of Expertise as well asthe Center for Urban Development.

Elevators. See Building Planning, Conveying Systemssection of this chapter and Chapter 8. Elevator controlpanels must have lockout provisions for all floors(passenger and freight).

Mechanical and Electrical Spaces. Access to mechanicaland electrical spaces should be from the inside of thebuilding, located on the secure side of the (potential)security point in the building lobby.


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Enclosed offices should have the same ceiling height asadjacent open office spaces to allow future reconfigurationflexibility.

Automated Data Processing (ADP) Areas. ADP spacesrequire access flooring over a plenum space, even ifaccess floors are not used elsewhere in the building. ADPareas are almost exclusively associated with main framecomputer equipment. See Chapter 7, Fire ProtectionEngineering, for additional essential electronic facilitiesrequirements.

The access flooring of ADP areas shall be level withadjacent related spaces and must always be level with thelandings of elevators that serve the ADP facility. Rampsshall only be used where it is impossible to adjust the levelof the structural floor. Where ADP areas occupy 33percent or more of a floor, the entire floor, includinginternal corridors, shall be designed with raised accessflooring to accommodate ADP facility expansion. Thefloor levels of access flooring should be constantthroughout the floor.

Training and Major Conference Rooms. Individualtraining and conference rooms may be located within thebuilding to best suit the tenant. If such spaces are groupedto form a large training or conference facility, they shouldbe located near the ground floor to avoid excessiveloading of vertical transportation and to provideimmediate egress for large groups of people.

Rooms designed for video teleconferencing or trainingshould have a minimum clear ceiling height of 3000 mm(10 feet).

3.2 Space Planning

Closed Offices Versus Open Plan. The open plan approach(with a very limited number of ceiling height partitionsfor offices) is encouraged. It has a higher degree of effi-ciency and flexibility, and provides easier distribution ofnatural light and daylighting techniques, heating andcooling to the working areas. This approach can beadapted to a larger building depth and still present anopen and airy atmosphere. It also encourages interactionbetween individuals and work groups.

Ceiling Height. Above all, the general office space shouldhave a uniform ceiling height to provide flexibility forfuture floor plan changes. In historic buildings, however,original ceilings in significant spaces should remain exposedto view. New suspended ceilings in standard office spacewithin historic buildings should maintain the originalceiling height to the greatest extent possible, maintainingfull clearance at windows and grouping systems, asnecessary, to minimize the reduction of ceiling height.In office space containing vaulted ceilings, oversizedwindows, or similar features, consideration should begiven to thoughtfully designed, exposed system solutionsthat maintain full ceiling clearance and allow ornamentalsurfaces to remain exposed to view.

The clear ceiling height for office spaces is a minimum of 2700 mm (9 feet) for spaces that are larger than 14 m2

(150 square feet). The clear ceiling height of individualoffice rooms not exceeding an occupiable 14 m2 (150square feet) is a minimum of 2400 mm (8 feet). The clearceiling height of private toilets and small closets, whichare ancillary to other office spaces is a minimum of 2300mm (7 feet 6 inches).

Reagan Building, Washington, D.C.


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Public Spaces Public spaces are those accessible to the general public.They include entrances, lobbies, stairways, public elevatorand escalator lobbies, and the permanent corridors at eachfloor level. In historic buildings, new materials should becommensurate in quality with original finishes andcompatible in form, detail, and scale with original design.

Entrances and Vestibules. The main entrance to a Federalbuilding must be conveniently located for vehicular andpedestrian traffic. All public entrances shall be accessibleto physically challenged individuals.

A canopy, portico, or arcade should be used for weatherprotection, and to emphasize the main entrance orenhance the building design.

Approaches must be well-lighted and designed to directthe visitor to the entrance. Grade level approaches arepreferred over elevated approaches that require steps, butneed to be coordinated with overall approach to providebuilding security. Clear and attractive graphics should beprovided to assist visitors with directions.

Entrance Lobbies and Atria. The lobby should be clearlyvisible from the outside, both day and night.

The main lobby should accommodate visitors by provid-ing information facilities, waiting areas and access tovertical transportation. Since the lobby also serves as thecollection point for all employees entering the building, itshall be designed to accommodate the high volume ofpedestrian traffic. Areas such as cafeterias, auditoria andexhibition halls should be located near the lobby. Whereappropriate, designers should strategize security design tomake monumental interiors, atria, and other grand spacessuitable for after hours public use.

Public Lobby space.



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Even in non-secure buildings, lobby space shall beplanned to be divisible into a non-secure and secure area,with space on the secure side to accommodate a futuresecurity station that may include an identity check, bagcheck, metal detector and turnstiles. Also allow foradequate queuing space on the future non-secure side ofthe lobby. Refer to Chapter 8 and the section on DesignIssues Affecting Security, Building Lobby of this chapter forfurther details.

Access, maintenance and cleaning of the interior andexterior wall and ceiling surfaces (glazing and cladding) of multi-level lobbies or atria must be addressed duringdesign, as well as maintenance and cleaning of lightfixtures and servicing smoke detectors (if provided).Portable lifts or other appropriate equipment can be usedto access these elements where approved by the FacilityManager; scaffolding should be avoided. The flooringmaterials within this space must be able to accommo-date the loads and use of this equipment. Maintenanceprofessionals should be included in Schematic and Design Development reviews to address these issues.

Mechanical, electrical and communication systems mustbe integrated into the lobby design. Fixture and outletlocations, and forms, sizes, finishes, colors and textures ofexposed mechanical and electrical elements, must becoordinated with all other interior elements. It is desirableto conceal HVAC supplies and returns.

Elevator and Escalator Lobbies. Like entrance lobbies,elevator and escalator lobbies shall be designed toefficiently accommodate the movement of pedestriantraffic to other parts of the building. Adequate spaceshould be provided to perform this function.

The elevator and escalator lobbies should be close to themain lobby and be visible from the main entrance. Visual

supervision and physical control of the lobbies forelevators and escalators shall be a prime consideration forbuilding security.

If unusually large pieces of equipment or furniture suchas mechanical equipment or conference tables must betransported to a specific floor via an elevator, verify thatthe item can be moved into and through the lobby space.

Public Corridors. A clear hierarchy should be visible inthe treatment of spaces and corridors as they lead visitorsfrom the entrance lobby to the main corridors and finallyto departmental corridors. It is desirable to introduce asmuch natural light as possible into corridors, throughwindows, transoms or borrowed lights.



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Building Support Spaces Toilet Spaces. Toilet space includes general use toilets andassociated vestibules, anterooms and contiguous loungeareas.

Toilet rooms for both sexes should also be locatedadjacent to the cafeteria.

Toilet rooms shall be screened from public view withoutthe use of double door vestibules at entrances. All publicand common use toilets must have facilities for thedisabled and comply with UFAS and ADA AccessibilityGuidelines. All other toilets must have provision for futureadaptation to accessible requirements.

To the extent possible, toilets shall be grouped to reduceplumbing runs. The layout of toilets should minimizecirculation space. However, toilet rooms for assemblyareas, such as training or conference facilities, mustaccommodate short-term, high-volume traffic. In thoseareas, there shall be three women’s toilets for every twotoilets and/or urinals for men. Circulation should beadequate to handle peak traffic. In areas where assemblyoccupancies exist, provide fixtures consistent with coderequirements for this occupancy.

• A fold-down changing table for infants should beavailable in toilets for public use.

• Feminine product dispensers shall be in each women’srestroom.

• Toilet seat covers shall be provided in each restroom.• Toilets for public usage shall be equipped with the large

commercial toilet paper dispensers.

• Verify and get approval from the building managementfor the selection and placement of the following:– Commercial toilet paper dispensers– Soap dispensers.– Paper towel dispensers.– Paper towel trash receptacles.– Feminine hygiene products dispenser.– Feminine products disposal.– Toilet seat cover dispenser.

Toilet Partitions. All toilet partitions must be ceiling hung. They should be metal or similarly durableconstruction.

Toilet Accessories. Stainless steel is preferred for toiletaccessories. Accessories should be integrated into thedesign of toilet rooms. Recessed and multi-functionaccessories that do not clutter the room are preferred.

Locker Rooms. Locker rooms shall be finished spaces.The shower area should be separated from the locker area.Regular gypsum wallboard is not to be used as a substratefor any shower room surface.

Custodial Spaces. Custodial spaces are devoted to theoperation and maintenance of the building and includebuilding maintenance storage rooms, stockrooms andjanitor’s closets. Custodial spaces shall be coordinated andapproved by building management.

Storage Rooms. Storage rooms are utilitarian spaces.Rooms may be any configuration that will efficiently accom-modate the materials to be stored. Access doors and aislesneed to be large enough to move the stored materials. Theconfiguration of storage rooms should be coordinatedwith the Facility Manager.



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Janitor’s Closets. Janitor’s closets should be centrallylocated on each floor near the toilet facilities and bedirectly accessed from the corridor, not by going throughthe restrooms. They should accommodate all the equip-ment and supplies needed to service the area worked fromthe closet. All available space within the closet can be putto use to store gear and supplies. As a minimum, theservice closet shall have a 600 mm (24-inch) square mopbasin, a wall-mounted mop rack, and 900 mm (3 feet) of250 mm (10-inch) wide wall shelving; the floor areashould be a minimum of 1.7 m2 (18 square feet).

Mechanical and Electrical Rooms. These spaces include,but are not limited to, mechanical and electrical equip-ment rooms, enclosed cooling towers, fuel rooms, elevatormachine rooms and penthouses, wire closets, telephoneframe rooms, transformer vaults, incinerator rooms, andshafts and stacks.

Equipment Spaces. Mechanical and electrical equipmentrooms must be designed with adequate aisle space andclearances around equipment to accommodate mainte-nance and replacement. Hoists, rails and fasteners forchains should be provided to facilitate removal of heavyequipment. The working environment in equipmentrooms should be reasonably comfortable. Doors andcorridors to the building exterior must be of adequate sizeto permit replacement of equipment. This path (mayinclude knock-out panels, hoists and provisions forcranes) is necessary and must be demonstrated forequipment replacement. Mechanical equipment roomsshould not be less than 3700 mm (12 feet) clear in height.In some buildings special fire protection measures may berequired. See Chapter 7: Fire Protection Engineering, foradditional requirements.

All equipment spaces must be designed to control noisetransmission to adjacent spaces. Floating isolation floorsare recommended for all major mechanical rooms. See thesection Special Design Considerations, Acoustics, DesignCriteria for Building Spaces, Class X Spaces of this chapterfor noise isolation criteria.

Main electrical switchgear shall not be below toilets orjanitor closets or at an elevation that requires sump pumpsfor drainage. If electrical switchgear is housed in the base-ment, provisions shall be made to prevent water fromflooding the electrical room in the event of a pipe breaking.Automatic sprinkler piping shall not be installed directlyover switchgear equipment.

Mechanical rooms as a rule shall open from non-occupiedspaces such as corridors. If mechanical rooms must openfrom occupied spaces because of configuration constraintsconsider incorporating a vestibule with partitions thatextend to structure and sound-gasketed doors at each sidefor acoustic and vibration separation.

Communications Equipment Rooms. In addition to the criteria stated for general mechanical and electricalequipment rooms, equipment rooms for communicationsequipment must comply with EIA/TIA Standard 569:Commercial Building Standard For TelecommunicationsPathways And Spaces (and related bulletins).

Equipment rooms shall be sized to accommodate theequipment planned for the room. At a minimum, theroom should have 69 660 mm2 (0.75 square feet) of equip-ment room space for every 9.3 m2 (100 square feet) ofoccupiable space. The equipment room should be nosmaller than 14 m2 (150 square feet). Federal TechnologyService (FTS) should determine if tenants will shareequipment rooms or if separate equipment rooms arerequired for specific tenants.



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Equipment rooms shall be connected to the communica-tions entrance facilities and the backbone pathway.

The equipment room will have 24-hour HVAC serviceand be protected from contaminants.

Spaces for Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) andBatteries. The UPS modules and associated batteries mustbe installed in separate, adjacent rooms.

See the UPS and battery manufacturers’ installationinstructions for weights, dimensions, efficiency, and re-quired clearances in the design. Allow space for storage ofsafety equipment, such as goggles and gloves. Specialattention shall be given to floor loading for the batteryroom, entrance door dimensions for installation of theUPS and ceiling height for clearance of the appropriateHVAC systems and exhaust systems.

Electrical Closets. Electrical closets must be stackedvertically within the building. Closets shall be designed tocontain adequate wall space and clearances for currentand future requirements, and should have a minimumsize of 1800 mm by 3000 mm (6 feet by 10 feet). Shallowclosets must be at least 600 mm (24 inches) deep by 2600mm (8 feet 6 inches) wide. These are satellite closets forelectrical panelboards. They should not contain extra-neous floor area, which may be an invitation to storeitems that do not belong in electrical closets.

Communications Closets. Communications closets mustbe stacked vertically within the building. Closets shall besized to contain adequate floor space for frames, racks andworking clearances for current need and future expansion.Communications closets shall meet the requirements ofEIA/TIA Standard 569: Commercial Building Standard ForTelecommunications Pathways And Spaces (and relatedbulletins). Agency requirements for separate, dedicatedcommunication closets shall be verified.

Vertical Shafts. Vertical shafts for running pipes, ductsand flues shall be located adjacent to other core elementsto the maximum extent possible. Be aware of the require-ment to locate fire alarm vertical risers remotely. Shaftsshould be straight vertical runs. Shafts shall be sized toaccommodate planned expansion of the systems. Shaftsshall be closed at top and bottom, as well as at theentrance to the mechanical room, for sound isolation.

Loading Docks. Loading docks must be located for easyaccess by service vehicles and must be separate from themain public entrances to the building. Loading docksmust be convenient to freight elevators so that servicetraffic is segregated from the main passenger elevatorlobbies and public corridors. Service route from dockfrom elevator shall plan for the transport of large itemssuch as rolled carpet goods. Loading docks must accom-modate the vehicles used to deliver or pick up materialsfrom the building. If the bed height of vans and trucksvaries more than 450 mm (18 inches), at least one loadingberth must be equipped with a dock leveler. The dockshall be protected with edge guards and dock bumpers.Open loading docks should be covered at least 1200 mm(4 feet) beyond the edge of the platform over the loadingberth. In cold climates dock seals should be used at eachloading bay. Alternatively, consideration could be given toenclosing the entire loading bay.

Separate or dedicated loading docks should be consideredfor food service areas.

A ramp should be provided from the loading dock downto the truck parking area to facilitate deliveries from smalltrucks and vans. This ramp should have a maximum slope of 1:12 and comply with UFAS/ADA AccessibilityGuidelines, ensuring that it may be easily maneuverablefor deliveries on carts and dollies.



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If the building size warrants, a dock manager’s room orbooth should be located so the manager can keep theentire dock area in view and control the entrance and exitfrom the building.

Loading docks must not be used as emergency egresspaths from the building.

Loading Berths. Provide at least one off-street berth forloading and unloading. The berth should be 4600 mm (15feet) wide and at least as long as the longest vehicle to beaccommodated. Local zoning regulations or the architec-tural program may require a longer length. The spaceshould be located adjacent to the enclosed or openloading dock. If additional loading berths are requiredthey need not be wider than 3600 mm (12 feet), as long asthey are contiguous to the 4600 mm (15-foot) wide berth.

An apron space shall be provided in front of the loadingberth for vehicle maneuvering equal to the length of theberth plus 600 mm (2 feet). This area should be flat, witha minimum slope of 1:50 for drainage. The minimumheadroom in the loading berth and apron space is 4600mm (15 feet). When a steeper slope is required in theapron area, the headroom should increase with a gradientallowance to allow trucks to traverse the grade change.

If the approach to the loading dock is ramped, the designshould permit easy snow removal.

Staging Area. A staging area inside the building shall beprovided adjacent to the loading dock. It must beprotected from the weather. The staging area shall notinterfere with emergency egress from the building.

Trash Rooms. Trash rooms shall be adjacent to loadingdocks or service entrances. Trash rooms must be sized toaccommodate the trash handling equipment required andprovide storage for packaged trash generated during a

three day occupancy of the building. Space shall beallowed for sorting recycling of paper, glass and metals.Facilities that use trash containers that are picked up byvendors must have at least one loading berth for the trashcontainer.

Building Engineer’s Space. Even if not included in thebuilding program, an office space for the buildingengineer should be evaluated. Most GSA buildings requiresuch a space, which houses the consoles for the BuildingAutomation System. This space is normally located nearthe loading dock or main mechanical spaces.

Security Control Center. All GSA buildings with a localsecurity force should have a control center. In the eventthat the building will not be served by a local securityforce, this room could be combined with the buildingengineer’s office or the fire control center.

The security control center should be located adjacent tothe main lobby. Approximately 21 m2 (225 square feet)should be allocated for this room which is intended tohouse the command station for the security guards andtheir equipment for current as well as future buildingneeds. There should be an expectation in the planning ofthe building that a security command center andinspection station may be needed in the future, if it is notrequired at time of building design.

Fire Command Center. See Chapter 7: Fire ProtectionEngineering, for additional requirements.

Food Service Areas. The entrances to the dining areashould be visible from the main circulation paths, butshould not impede lobby traffic.

Space allocations for food service facilities are establishedin GSA handbook, Concession Management Desk Guide(PMFC-93).

Robert A. Young Federal Building Child Care Center, St. Louis, MO



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Dining Areas. Dining areas should be located to takeadvantage of natural light and outdoor eating areas inclimates where this is feasible.

Serveries should be laid out to minimize waiting times forcustomers. Scramble service is recommended.

Child Care Centers. See GSA Child Care Center DesignGuide (PBS-P140). Child care centers will usually beoperated by organizations outside the FederalGovernment. The GSA Office of Child Care DevelopmentPrograms shall be consulted before design concepts arefinalized.

Laboratories. The construction of new laboratories inexisting office buildings is strongly discouraged. SeeChapter 7: Fire Protection Engineering, for additionalrequirements.

Outleased Space. This term defines building space leasedto businesses as commercial stores.

Outleased spaces and the connection between them andthe remainder of the building should be designed so theycan function as Government office space in the future.Consideration should also be given to those buildingwithout programmed outleased space to allow for thisflexibility in the future.

Outdoor Eating Areas. To the extent possible, outdooreating areas should be encouraged. When incorporatingoutdoor eating areas, the security of the building orfacility shall be considered. Special consideration shouldbe given to capture those opportunities to engage thebuilding’s exterior/landscaping with the community inwhich it is placed. See Chapter 2, Site Planning andLandscape Design, Landscape Elements and Chapter 8.

Structured ParkingThe building program will stipulate the numbers andtypes of vehicle parking spaces. The program will alsostate whether parking is to be exterior on-grade parkingor interior, structured parking. The following criteriaapply to structured parking facilities and are minimumrequirements. Dimensions apply to passenger cars andneed to be modified for other types of vehicles.

Parking Layout. To the extent possible, parking spacesshould be arranged around the perimeter of the parkingdeck for maximum efficiency. Two-way drive aisles shouldbe used with 90-degree vehicle parking stalls on each side.When locating entrances and ramps, consider internal andexternal traffic flow, queuing during peak periods ofingress and egress, and required security features.



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Drive Aisles. Two-way aisles must have a minimum widthof 7000 mm (23 feet). One-way aisles and aisles with stallson only one side are less efficient and should be avoided ifpossible.

Vehicle Stalls. Stalls to accommodate regular passengercars should have be sized to comply with local zoningrequirements. When there are no zoning requirementsthen parking spaces should be a minimum size of 2600mm (8 feet 6 inches) wide and 5500 mm (18 feet) long.No special consideration should be given to compactvehicles. No structural element may intrude upon therequired stall dimension, and columns must not belocated within 610 mm (2 feet) of the required aisleexcept where the aisle has no stalls perpendicular to it.Each stall must have access to an aisle.

Accessible parking spaces must be provided; these mustcomply with UFAS/ADA Accessibility Guidelines forquantity, location and size. Accessible parking spaces shallbe adjacent to access aisles that are part of an accessibleroute to the building or facility entrance. Accessible routesshall not be located behind parking spaces.

Ramps. The incline on parking area ramps shall notexceed 12 percent. The break-over angle at changes ofplane in ramps shall not exceed 6 percent. The incline onramp floor garages shall not exceed 5 percent. The entirelength of the entrance and exit ramps must be protectedso that snow and ice do not accumulate on the ramps ifinclement weather is excessive. Snow melting systemsshould also be considered. Careful consideration needs tobe given to providing proper drainage of the parking deck.

Garage Openings. Overhead doors or grilles at vehicularentries to structured parking garages may be provided forsecurity purposes. The operation of overhead doors orgrilles must utilizes advanced technology (use of sensorsor incorporating sallyports) to prevent entry by

unauthorized persons. These overhead grilles or doorsshall be electric and operated by card-readers or othermeans of remote control. The control devices and doorsor grilles shall be suited for high frequency operation, andshould open and close quickly to avoid impact damage tovehicles; they must also have a sensor edge to detect avehicle or other object below it and reverse operation.These openings should be monitored by camera.

These openings shall be a minimum of 3600 mm (12 feet)wide with minimum height of 2400 mm (8 feet). Aheadache bar shall be provided in front of each opening;this shall be mounted 100 mm (4 inches) lower than theheight of the clear opening.

Walkways. Pedestrian walkways shall link the parking areawith the building entrance. Provide curbs, bollards, otherbarriers or low walls to prevent vehicles from encroachingupon pedestrian walkways. Identify pedestrian crossingsof vehicular traffic lanes by painted crosswalks andsignage.

Food and Drug Administration District Headquarters


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3.4 Special DesignConsiderations

Incorporation of Recycled-Content MaterialsThe GSA is committed to maximizing the use of recycled-content materials specified in the construction of Federalbuilding projects. Many commonly used products are nowavailable with recycled content, including steel, aluminum,concrete, masonry, acoustic tile, paint, carpet, ceramic tile,and insulation.

To support markets for the materials collected in recyclingprograms, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Actrequires agencies to buy recycled-content products desig-nated by EPA. Through the Comprehensive ProcurementGuidelines (CPG), EPA designates items that must containrecycled materials when purchased by Federal agencies, orgovernment contractors, using appropriated Federalfunds. Refer to Chapter 1, Recycled-Content Products.

Information on specifying and purchasing recycled-content products can be found on the Internet atwww.epa.gov/cpg.

The CPG items listed in table 3-3 are frequently found in buildings. Product specifications and standards thatmight exclude the use of recovered materials should berevised to allow the use of these items.

3.3 Commissioning

The design architect shall identify and coordinate com-missioning practices with the Construction Manager,Project Manager, and (if contracted separately) theCommissioning Authority, for the project’s programmedperformance goals. As appropriate, coordinate with otherdisciplines to fully enable required testing and certifica-tions. Incorporate into construction specifications those testing and certification requirements that involveconstruction contractors. Examples of possible program-med performance goals include:

• Assigned Annual Energy Consumption Goal• Attainment of Programmed LEED rating• Assured Envelope Thermal Integrity, Certified by

Hot-Box and/or Infra-red (thermographic) Imaging• Water Penetration and/or Moisture Control• Blast Resistance Glazing Performance• Seismic Response• Acoustic Performance • High-wind Impact Resistance• Accessibility Requirements• Functionality of Applied Innovative Technologies


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Table 3-3Examples from the CPG List of Designated Products

Building Insulation Thermal insulation made from recoveredmaterials is available in several forms including rolls, loose-fill,and spray foam. Insulation can include a range of recoveredmaterials such as glass, slag, paper fiber, and plastics.

Carpet Recycled-content polyester carpet is available for light- and moderate-wear applications. Recycled fiber poly-ester carpet is manufactured from PET recovered soda bottles.

Carpet Cushion Carpet cushion, also known as carpet underlay,is padding placed beneath carpet. Carpet cushions made frombonded urethane, jute, synthetic fiber, and rubber can be madefrom recovered materials.

Cement and Concrete Coal fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace (GGBF) slag are recovered materials that can be used as ingredients in cement or concrete. Coal fly ash is a byproduct of coal burning at electric utility plants. Slag is a byproduct of iron blast furnaces. The slag is ground intogranules finer than Portland cement and can be used as aningredient in concrete. The level of coal fly ash in concretetypically ranges from 15 to 35 percent of total cementitiousmaterial, but can reach 70 percent for use in massive walls and girders. The level of GGBF slag usually ranges from 25 to 50 percent.

Reprocessed and Consolidated Latex Paints For Specified UsesReprocessed paint is postconsumer latex paint that has beensorted by a variety of characteristics including type (i.e., interioror exterior), light and dark colors, and finish (e.g., high-glossversus flat). Reprocessed paint is available in various colors and is suitable for both interior and exterior applications.

Consolidated paint consists of postconsumer latex paint withsimilar characteristics (e.g., type, color family, and finish) that is consolidated at the point of collection. Consolidated paint istypically used for exterior applications or as an undercoat.

Structural Fiberboard and Laminated Paperboard Structuralfiberboard is a panel made from wood, cane, or paper fibersmatted together which is used for sheathing, structural, andinsulating purposes. Laminated paperboard is made from one or more plies of kraft paper bonded together and is used fordecorative, structural, or insulating purposes. Examples of these products include building board, insulating formboard,sheathing, and acoustical and non-acoustical ceiling tile.

Floor Tiles and Patio Blocks Floor tiles for heavy duty or com-mercial specialty applications can contain up to 100 percentpostconsumer rubber. Floor tiles containing 90 to 100 percentrecovered plastic are also readily available. Patio blocks madefrom 90 to 100 percent recovered plastic and 90 to 100 percentpostconsumer rubber are used for walkways and trails.

Shower and Restroom Dividers / Partitions Shower andrestroom dividers/partitions are made of 20 to 100 percentrecovered plastic or steel. They are used to separate indi-vidual shower, toilet, and urinal compartments in commercial and institutional facilities.

Signage Signs made from recovered materials are used inside and outside of office buildings and other public places.EPA’s designation pertains to plastic signs used for nonroadapplications and covers any associated plastic or steel supports.


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ConcreteBecause concrete is one of the most widely used buildingproducts, incorporation of recycled materials that do notimpact strength may make a substantial contribution tothe nation’s recycling effort.

The following is a list of specifications for cement andconcrete containing recovered materials:

Cement Specifications:• ASTM C 595: Standard Specification for Blended

Hydraulic Cements.• ASTM C 150: Standard Specifications for Portland

Cement.

Concrete Specifications:• ASTM C 618, “Standard Specification for Fly Ash and

Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use as a MineralAdmixture in Portland Cement Concrete.”

• ASTM C 311, “Standard Methods of Sampling andTesting Fly Ash and Natural Pozzolans for Use as aMineral Admixture in Portland Cement Concrete.”

• ASTM C 989, “Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slagfor Use in Concrete Mortars.”

• American Concrete Institute Standard Practice ACI226.R1. “Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag as aCementitious Constituent in Concrete.”

AcousticsThe standards in this section have been established toensure adequate acoustic qualities in Federal buildings.

Design Criteria for Building Spaces. Every element of a built space, including its shape, surfaces, furniture,light fixtures and mechanical systems contribute to itsacoustical characteristics. Four key concepts govern theperceived quality of office acoustics:

• Appropriate levels of speech privacy. Speech privacyrefers to the degree to which a conversation cannot beoverheard in an adjacent space. Lawyers, doctors,human resources officers, executives and otherswhose position requires them to discuss sensitiveinformation require confidential speech privacy, that is,a setting where, when a door is closed, the content of aconversation cannot be overheard. Professional staffmembers whose position requires extended periods ofconcentration require normal speech privacy, wherethe content of conversation in adjacent spaces cannotbe overheard without making an effort, providingfreedom from distraction. Little or no speech privacy isneeded for receptionists, clerical staff, and team-oriented workgroups where overheard conversationcan actually be beneficial.

• Appropriate levels of background sound. Continuousbackground sound in offices is mostly generated byheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)equipment. In conference spaces, courtrooms andauditoria, it is important that this background sound not interfere with the intelligibility of speech. Inenclosed offices, HVAC background sound is animportant component in achieving the required level of privacy because it helps to cover up or “mask”speech transmitted between adjacent spaces. In



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criteria (NC-B) and room criteria (RC) contours. Thesecontours are published in the ASHRAE Handbook ofFundamentals. Lower values are quieter.

Noise Isolation. The amount of noise transmitted throughthe perimeter boundary elements of a space. Soundtransmission class (STC) describes the sound insulatingperformance of building elements such as walls, windows,and doors when tested in accordance with ASTM E90.Ceiling attenuation class (CAC) quantifies the soundinsulating performance of a ceiling assembly spanningacross rooms that share a common plenum when tested in accordance with ASTM E1414. Impact insulation class(IIC) describes the impact sound insulating properties ofa floor/ceiling assembly when tested in accordance withASTM E492. Greater STC, CAC or IIC values representbetter performance.

Sound Absorption. The amount of sound absorbed by asurface finish. Sound absorption average (SAA) quantifiesthe efficiency of a material in absorbing sound energywhen tested in accordance with ASTM C423 (SAAreplaces the earlier noise reduction coefficient or NRC).SAA/NRC is a single number rating between 0 and 1.Greater SAA/NRC values represent a more effective sound absorber. An excessive amount of reflected sound(reverberation) tends to degrade speech communication.

Speech Privacy. This parameter refers to the lack of intel-ligibility in a space adjacent to the location where aconversation is occurring. Articulation index (AI)quantifies the degree of speech clarity when tested inaccordance with ASTM E1130. AI is a single numberrating between 0 and 1; lower AI values mean fewer words can be understood, indicating increased privacy.

open plan areas, the background sound provided bycontemporary HVAC equipment is often not uniformand/or does not have the tonal balance and loudnessneeded to mask speech transmitted between adjacentcubicles. For this reason, additional electronic back-ground noise or sound masking is often deployed inthese areas.

• Control of intrusive noise, vibration, and reverberation.Office equipment generating noise levels above thebackground should be located away from primary work areas or should be surrounded by acousticallyisolating panels. Noise induced by mechanicalequipment should be controlled through vibrationisolation devices, appropriate placement of equipmentand noise attenuators in ducts. Reverberation andechoes must be controlled in courtrooms, auditoria,conference, team, and training room spaces. Soundabsorbing materials are used to help control reflectedsound energy and echoes. Particular attention must be paid to rooms with parallel walls (causes "flutter"echoes) and rooms with curved or concave ceilings(leads to acoustical focusing effects).

• Isolation from exterior noise sources. Buildingslocated near airports, highways, rail corridors or othersources of significant environmental noise levels musthave exterior wall and window assemblies controllingnoise intrusions.

Parameters Used in Acoustical Design. The followingparameters are used to specify acoustical standards forGSA buildings:

Background Noise. The continuous noise within a space.The loudness of noise is quantified by several assessmentschemes, including noise criteria (NC), balanced noise



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Design Criteria for Building Spaces. Acceptable acousticsare determined by the use of a space and the require-ments of its occupants. It is the responsibility of thedesign team to meet the following minimum standardsgoverning the acoustical performance of various spaceusage categories.

Class A1. This category describes critical, noise-sensitivespaces that must provide optimum speech intelligibil-ity—including auditoria, teleconference facilities andcourtrooms. The acoustical treatment of these spaces shall be designed by a qualified acoustical consultant orspecialist approved by the GSA project manager. Theacoustical design should based on an analysis of the user’sneeds and a design brief shall be prepared for review bythe GSA project manager. Pre-occupancy testing shallverify that the acoustical performance has been achieved.Note: U.S. court facilities must be designed in accordancewith Chapter 9 of this document: Design Standards forU.S. Courts Facilities.

Class A2. Enclosed spaces where meetings take place,including conference and training rooms. HVAC-background noise shall not exceed NC/RC 30. Supply andreturn air systems shall be designed to control speechsounds transmitted between spaces. Partitions enclosingClass A2 space shall have a minimum STC of 50 andextend from the floor to the deck above the finishedceiling. Doors to corridors shall be gasketed. Doors oroperable partitions dividing spaces into smaller sub-spaces shall have a minimum STC of 50. A minimum of25% of wall surfaces and 50% of ceiling surfaces shallincorporate sound-absorptive materials with a minimumSAA/NRC of 0.75.

Class B1. Enclosed spaces requiring confidential speechprivacy, including judicial chambers, medical examinationrooms and certain private offices. The acoustical

treatment of these spaces shall be designed by a qualifiedacoustical consultant or specialist approved by the GSAproject manager in order to provide a ‘confidential’ levelof speech privacy. The design criteria for Class A2 spacesmay be substituted in lieu of design assistance by anacoustical consultant.

Class B2. Private offices requiring normal speech privacy.The acoustical treatment of these spaces shall be designedwith the assistance of a qualified acoustical consultant orspecialist in order to provide a ‘normal’ level of speechprivacy. The following design may be substituted in lieuof design assistance by an acoustical consultant:

(1) HVAC-related sound shall not exceed NC/RC 35;(2) Supply and return air systems shall be designed tocontrol speech sounds transmitted between spaces;(3) Partitions enclosing Class B2 spaces shall have aminimum STC of 45 and all corner/ceiling/floorconnections shall be sealed with acoustical caulk;(4) Acoustical ceiling shall have a minimum SAA/NRC of0.65 and a minimum CAC of 35;(5) HVAC-background noise or electronic sound maskingshall generate a continuous minimum noise level ofNC/RC 30.

Class B3. Open plan and shared offices requiring normalspeech privacy. The acoustical treatment of these spacesshall be designed with the assistance of a qualifiedacoustical consultant or specialist in order to provide a‘normal’ level of speech privacy. Pre-occupancy testingshall verify that a maximum AI of 0.20 has been achieved.

Class B4. Open plan and shared offices where speechprivacy is not required. HVAC background noise shall notexceed NC/RC 40. A minimum of 25% of wall surfacesand 80% of ceiling surfaces shall incorporate sound-absorptive materials with a minimum SAA/NRC of 0.75.Wherever possible, carpeted floors shall be used.



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Class C. Areas where people assemble and converse,including dining rooms, lunchrooms, lobbies and atria.When located adjacent to Class A or Class B space,partitions enclosing Class C space shall extend from thefloor to the deck above the finished ceiling and have aminimum STC of 50. A minimum of 25% of wallsurfaces and 80% of ceiling surfaces shall incorporatesound-absorptive materials with a minimum SAA/NRCof 0.65.

Class D1. Occupied space where speech privacy is not asignificant consideration, including internal corridors,mailrooms and file rooms. For corridors adjacent to openplan areas, a minimum of 80% of ceiling surfaces shall betreated with sound-absorptive materials having aminimum SAA/NRC of 0.65. Wherever possible, thesesame corridors shall be carpeted.

Class D2. Support spaces including fire stairs, toilets andlocker rooms. Where possible, Class D2 spaces should notbe placed adjacent to Class A and Class B spaces. WhenClass D2 spaces must be located adjacent to Class A orClass B space, partitions enclosing Class D2 space shallhave a minimum STC of 50 and extend from the floor tothe deck above the finished ceiling.

Class E. Spaces where concentrations of noisy equipmentare located, including Automated Data Processing areas,computer equipment facilities, and rooms containinghigh-speed copiers. Where possible, Class E spaces shouldnot be placed adjacent to Class A and B spaces. WhenClass E spaces must be located adjacent to Class A or Bspace, partitions enclosing Class E space shall have aminimum STC of 50 and extend from the floor to thedeck above the finished ceiling. A minimum of 25% ofwall surfaces and 100% of ceiling surfaces shall be treatedwith sound-absorptive materials with having a minimumSAA/NRC of 0.55.

Class X. Warehouses, parking garages, kitchens and spaceswhere noisy operations are performed. Other examplesinclude elevator machine rooms, trash compactor rooms,mechanical and electrical /telecommunications equip-ment rooms. Where possible, Class X spaces should notbe placed adjacent to Class A and B spaces. When Class Xspaces must be located adjacent to Class A or B space,partitions and floor/ceilings bounding Class X space shallhave a minimum STC/IIC of 60. The bounding partitionsshall extend from the floor to the deck above the finishedceiling. Mechanical equipment in Class X spaces shallcontrol vibration transmitted into the building systems.When Class X spaces are continuously or intermittentlyoccupied, wall and/or ceiling surfaces shall be treatedwith sound absorptive materials to help reduce the risk ofhearing damage as prescribed by the Occupational Safetyand Health Administration (OSHA).

Acoustical criteria for specific types of spaces aredescribed in Table 3-4. A description of these types ofspaces follows.

Emergency ProtectionFederal law requires that Federal buildings provideprotection suitable for emergency shelters withinprogram and budgetary limits. The program will state if shelters are required on a given project. Emergencyshelters are not designated building spaces: they arespaces used for other purposes, which can serve asshelters in an emergency.

Shelter locations should be identified during the earlystage of design. The optimum shelter location is belowgrade. Basement levels, including underground parkingfacilities, offer good protection.



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Table 3-4Acoustical Criteria by Type of Space

Maximum Mid-frequency

Class of Space/Typical Uses Maximum NC Maximum Leq Lmax RT60

Class A12 20 30 40 1.0Auditoria, teleconference facilities, courtrooms

Class A2 25 35 45 1.0Meeting rooms

Class B1 30 40 50 N/APrivate offices, confidential speech privacy

Class B2 30 40 50 N/APrivate offices, normal speech privacy

Class B3 40 50 60 N/AOpen plan offices

Class C 40 50 60 N/A5

Lunchrooms and lobbies

Class D1 45 55 65 N/ACorridors, mail and file rooms

Class D2 45 N/A N/A N/AToilets, locker rooms, stairs

Class E 45 N/A N/A N/AOffice equipment rooms

Class F N/A N/A N/A N/AWarehouses and parking

Class X N/A N/A N/A N/AKitchens and bldg. equipment

Minimum NRC of Minimum NRC of Minimum STC Performance absorptive ceiling absorptive wall Between Adjacent Spaces

materials/minimum % materials/minimum % Class A, B Class C, D, E, F, or Xof ceiling surface of wall surface1

space Adjacent Adjacent

0.8/ 0.8/ 55 5550% 25%

0.8/ 0.8/ 50 5050%3 25%

N/A 0.8/ 50 5025%

N/A 0.8/ 384 384

25%

0.8/ 0.8/ 28 384

100% 25%

0.65/ 0.8/ N/A 384

50% 25%

0.65/ 0.8/ N/A 384

100%6 25%

N/A N/A N/A N/A

0.65/ 0.8/ N/A N/A100% 25%

N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A7 N/A7 N/A N/A



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1 These percentages may be reduced or eliminated if the walls are not paralleland/or there are bookcases, louvereddoors, or other materials that will diffusesound. Absorptive materials must belocated a minimum of 4 feet abovefinished floor level. In Class A and B1spaces, absorptive materials should belocated on two adjacent walls, one ofwhich should be the rear wall.

2 These are baseline standards. Criteriafor Class A1 spaces must be establishedby an acoustical consultant or specialistbased on an analysis of the user’s needs.Technical documentation of these cri-teria shall be submitted as part of designdocumentation, and used to verify per-formance prior to occupancy of space.

3 65 NRC may be used if it absorptivematerial covers 100% of ceiling.

4 Satisfied by standard wall: 3 5/8” metalstud, 2” batt insulation, 1 layer 5/8”gypsum board each side, all perimeterconnections (corner/ceiling/floor) sealedwith acoustical sealant. Walls that termi-nate at underside of suspended ceiling:ceiling must have a minimum CAC of 35with 2” batt insulation above or be con-structed of gypsum board. Open returnair plenum not permitted withoutacoustical boot.

5 In lobbies where speech will occur, 1.0.

6 Absorptive ceiling materials for ClassD1 spaces are required only for corridorsadjacent to open plan areas, but arerecommended where practical for allcorridors and file rooms.

7 Sound absorbing materials as requiredin occupied spaces to protect employeesfrom hearing damage as prescribed byOSHA.

U.S. Courthouse at Foley Square, New York, NY


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3.5 Building Elements

This section establishes design guidelines for the variousbuilding elements, which are defined as the physical parts of building construction. These may be individualmaterials, assemblies of materials, equipment, orassemblies of materials and equipment.

It is the architect’s responsibility to specify constructionmaterials and systems appropriate to the final design. Forspecial requirements on fire protection see Chapter 7: FireProtection Engineering.

SubstructureGround Water Control. The drainage mat and soil filtershould relieve hydrostatic pressure on substructure wallsand allow water drainage to the level of the drain.Drainage system piping may be clay tile or rigid PVC.Pipes should not slope less than 1:200. Subsurfacedrainage should discharge into the storm drain, by gravityif possible. Cleanouts shall be provided at grade tofacilitate washing out the system.

Waterproofing. Membrane waterproofing should followthe recommendations of the National RoofingContractors Association (NRCA) as contained in TheNRCA Waterproofing Manual.

Underslab Insulation. Provide insulation under concreteslabs on grade where a perma-frost condition exists,where slabs are heated, and where they supportrefrigerated structures.

Exterior ClosureProducts constructed of carbon steel are not permitted inexterior construction, which includes exterior walls, soffitsor roofs, except where protected by a galvanic zinc coating


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of at least 460 grams per m2 (1.5 ounces per square foot)of surface or other equivalent protection.

Exterior Wall Construction. Brick masonry design shallfollow the recommendations of the Brick Institute ofAmerica (BIA) contained in the publications, TechnicalNotes on Brick Construction.

Concrete masonry design shall follow the recommenda-tions of the National Concrete Masonry Association(NCMA) contained in the publication, TEK Notes.

Architectural precast concrete design shall follow therecommendations of the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI)contained in PCI publication, Architectural PrecastConcrete, Second Edition.

Exterior limestone veneer design shall follow theguidelines of the Handbook on Indiana Limestonepublished by the Indiana Limestone Institute of America.

Marble veneer design shall follow the recommendationsin Exterior Marble Used in Curtain or Panel Wallspublished by the Marble Institute of America.

Vapor retarder must be provided in a building envelopewhere heat loss calculations identify a dewpoint withinthe wall construction and in any building or part of anybuilding that is mechanically humidified.

Exterior Cladding and Articulation. The use of differentexterior materials, window designs, sun control devicesand other design elements contribute to the designarticulation of a building. Each of these components, theiruse and how they are combined on a building must bereviewed for opportunities provided for birds to roost(“bird roosts”) on the exterior of the building. “Birdroosts” can create both maintenance and visual problems,particularly in high-rise buildings.

Such opportunities for ‘bird roosts’ must be identified inthe design phase and alternatives ways to address this bepursued. Consider the use of steeply sloped surfaces,limited use of horizontal surfaces at window sills, suncontrol devices or other design features or designapproaches to address this issue. See the Sun ControlDevices section of this chapter.

Sun Control Devices. Projecting exterior sun screens maybe used in addition to interior sun control devices wherethey are beneficial for building operation and energyconservation. Exterior shutters, blinds and awningsshould not be used.

Design elements such as steeply angled fins or large scalegratings, instead of horizontal fins and flat planes, shouldbe considered for sun screen components to provideshading for a building.

Consideration shall be given to operable and fixed suncontrol devices for maintenance, repair and replacement.Window washing systems used for the facility must alsobe compatible with any sun screens or sun controldevices.

Glazing, shading devices, and sources of illuminationshould be analyzed in detail to minimize heat gain andmaximize direct natural light into all spaces to producethe best microclimate for tenants in building perimeterspaces.

Exterior Soffits. Design exterior soffits to resistdisplacement and rupture by wind uplift. Design soffitsfor access to void space where operating equipment islocated or maintenance must be performed. Soffits can beconsidered totally exposed to weather and shouldtherefore be designed to be moisture resistant. Provideexpansion and contraction control joints at the edges andwithin the soffit. Spacing and configuration of control



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joints should be in accordance with the recommendationsof the manufacturer of the soffit material.

Operating equipment or distribution systems that may beaffected by weather should not be located inside soffits.Where it is necessary to insulate the floors over soffits, theinsulation should be attached to the underside of the floorconstruction so that the soffit void may be ventilated toprevent condensation.

Exterior Windows. Although fixed windows are customaryin large, environmentally controlled GSA buildings, incertain circumstances operable windows may beappropriate. Sometimes operable windows can also beused as a means of smoke control. In addition, operablewindows may be used where they provide for window

washing operations. In such cases, the operable windowsshould be able to be washed from the interior side.Replacement of windows in historic structures shouldexactly match original frame and munton profiles. Firstconsideration should be given to rehabilitating theexisting windows.

Consideration of glare control plus heating and coolingloads must be factored into decisions on amount andplacement of windows.

Aluminum windows shall meet the requirements ofANSI/AAMA Standard 101-85. Only OptionalPerformance Classes may be used. Metal windows otherthan aluminum shall meet the requirements of theNational Association of Architectural MetalManufacturers Standard SW-1 for the performance classrequired. Wood windows should meet the requirements ofANSI/NWMA Standard I.S. 2-87, Grade 60.

Aluminum frames must have thermal barriers where thereare more than 1670 heating degree days °C (3,000 heatingdegree days °F). Window mullions, as much as possible,should be located on the floor planning grid to permit theabutment of interior partitions.

Glazing. The choice of single, double or triple glazedwindows should be based on climate and energyconservation and security requirements. Use thermallybroken frames when double and triple glazing units arespecified. Highly reflective glass that produces mirrorimages should be used with care to avoid creating glare insurrounding streets and buildings.

Sam Gibbons U.S. Courthouse, Tampa, FL

Robert C. Byrd Courthouse, Charleston, WV



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Condensation Resistance. Windows should have acondensation resistance factor (CRF) adequate to preventcondensation from forming on the interior surfaces of thewindows. The CRF can be determined by testing inaccordance with AAMA 1502.7, Voluntary Test Method forCondensation Resistance of Windows, Doors and GlazedWall Sections. Where a CRF in excess of 60 is required, donot use windows unless some condensation can betolerated or other methods are used to prevent or removecondensation.

Window cleaning. The design of the building must includeprovisions for cleaning the interior and exterior surfacesof all windows. Window washing systems used in theregion must be considered and a preferred system andequipment identified during design. In large and/or high-rise buildings, such glass surfaces as atrium walls andskylight, sloped glazing, pavilion structures, and windowsat intermediate design surfaces must be addressed. Seealso the Building Specialties, Window Washing Equipmentsection of this chapter.

Exterior Doors. Entrance doors may be aluminum and/orglass of heavy duty construction. Glazed exterior doorsand frames shall be steel and meet the requirements ofSDI Grade III with a G-90 galvanic zinc coating.Vestibules are desired to control air infiltration. Slidingautomatic doors are preferred over swinging type. Motiondetectors and push plates are preferred over mats asactuating devices.

Overhead coiling doors are preferred for loading docks. Atleast one personnel door should be provided in additionto the overhead doors.

Hardware for Exterior Doors. Hinges, hingepins and haspsmust be secured against unauthorized removal by usingspot welds or peened mounting bolts. All exterior doorsmust have automatic closers. The exterior side of the doorshall have a lock guard or astragal to prevent jimmying ofthe latch hardware. Doors used for egress only should nothave any operable exterior hardware. See Chapters 7 and 8for additional information.

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Roofing. Roofing design shall follow the recommenda-tions of the National Roofing Contractors Association ascontained in NRCA publication, NRCA Roofing andWaterproofing Manual. The design of metal flashing, trim,and roofing shall follow the recommendations of theSheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ NationalAssociation (SMACNA) publication, Architectural SheetMetal Manual.

Roof Drainage. Dead level roofs are not permitted. Roofdrains or scuppers are the only low points permitted.Provide a minimum slope to drains of 1:50 on roofingsurfaces. When providing roof slope, consider sloping thestructural roof deck. Over the life of the building this maybe less expensive than providing tappered insulation eachtime the roof is replaced. Roofs shall not be used to retainwater.

Insulation. Roof insulation should be installed in aminimum of two layers to minimize thermal breaks in theroof system.

Access to Roof. An interior permanent stair should beprovided to permit access to roof-mounted equipment.Permanent access to all roof levels should be provided tofacilitate reoccurring inspection and maintenance.

Roof-Mounted Equipment. Roof-mounted equipment shallbe kept to a minimum and must be housed in penthousesor screened by walls. Penthouses and screen walls shouldbe integrated into the building design and constructed ofmaterials used elsewhere in the building exterior. Someroof-mounted equipment, such as antennae, lightningrods, flagpoles, etc., do not have to be screened, but theseelements must be integrated into the building design.Roof-mounted equipment should be elevated as

recommended in the NRCA Roofing and WaterproofingManual and set back from the roof edge to minimizevisibility. Critical roof-mounted equipment should beinstalled in such a way to permit roof system replacementor maintenance without disruption of equipmentperformance.

Penetrations through the roof to support equipment areextremely vulnerable to leaks. Flashing details must bestudied for appropriate continuation of the waterproofbarrier. Pitch pocket details should not be used,

No building element may be supported by the roofingsystem except walkways. Provide walkways on the roofalong routes to and around equipment for maintenance.

Skylights and Sloped Glazing. Skylights are defined aspre-fabricated assemblies shipped ready for installation,while sloped glazing is defined as field-assembled.Skylights design shall follow the guidelines of the AAMAStandard 1600. For the design of sloped glazing, twoAAMA publications are available: Glass Design for SlopedGlazing and Structural Design Guidelines for AluminumFramed Skylights.

Skylights and sloped glazing should use low emissivityglass. Placement should be calculated to prevent glare oroverheating in the building interior. Condensation guttersand a path for the condensation away from the framingshould be designed.

Consideration shall be given to cleaning of all slopedglazing and skylights, including access and equipmentrequired for both exterior and interior faces. See alsoBuilding Elements, Cladding and Articulation and TheBuildings Specialties, Window Washing Equipment sectionsof this chapter.

Postal Square, AOC Workstation



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Thermographic Testing. In order to verify performancerelated to the design intent of the exterior buildingenvelope, regarding thermal resistivity, thermographictesting shall be performed at various conditions on thefinished construction and before occupancy. This testingwill verify that the actual construction meets therequirements as specified.

CornerstoneA cornerstone is required for all new buildings as a part ofthe exterior wall. The cornerstone should be a cut stoneblock having a smooth face of size adequate to present thefollowing incised letters: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,(PRESIDENT’S NAME), PRESIDENT, GENERALSERVICES ADMINISTRATION, (ADMINISTRATOR’SNAME), ADMINISTRATOR, (YEAR OF PROJECTCOMPLETION). The words, UNITED STATES OFAMERICA, should be in letters 50 mm (2 inches) highand other letters should be proportionally sized by rank.

All names should be of those individuals in office duringproject development prior to construction, if constructionis completed during a subsequent President’s term ofoffice.

Interior ConstructionPartitions. Partitions should be selected for use based onthe type of space and the anticipated activity within thatspace. The following should be evaluated: the volume ofpeople; their activities; the type, size, weight and functionof equipment (mail carts, forklifts, etc.) that will be usedin the space; and any free-standing, moveable or wall-mounted equipment that will impose lateral loads (built-ins, wall-mounted televisions, etc.).

Each potential wall system must be evaluated forstructure, backing, finish and protection factors. GSAprefers partition systems that are simple to construct,made from readily available materials, economical andeasily moved and reassembled by common laborers.

Metal stud systems must meet the requirements ASTMC754. The application and finishing of gypsum boardshould follow standard ASTM C840. Adequate tolerancesshould be designed where the top of a partition abuts theunderside of the building structure; allow for deflectionand long term creep.

Partitions used at the perimeter of a humidified spacemust include a vapor barrier. In computer rooms the needfor air plenum dividers below the floors must be checked.



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Interior Finishes. Refer to the section on Interior Finishesin this chapter.

Interior Doors. Interior doors in tenant spaces should beflush, solid-core wood doors. Steel door frames shouldmeet the requirements of SDI Recommended ErectionInstructions for Steel Frames. Provide matching-edgeveneers for transparent-finished wood doors. Avoid theuse of wood door frames except to match wood doors inspecially designed areas.

Ceiling Suspension Systems. The design of suspensionsystems for acoustical ceilings must meet the requirementsof ASTM C.635 for heavy-duty systems and ASTM C.636.When designing a suspended ceiling system with drop-incomponents, such as lighting fixtures, specifications maynot be incorporated that can only be satisfied by hardmetric versions of recessed lighting fixtures unless marketresearch of cost and availability has been done as outlinedin Chapter One; General Requirements, Metric Standards,Metric Policy Guidelines.

Access FlooringAccessible floor systems are a high priority forincorporation in all GSA buildings, where it is practical.They have the potential of requiring the least impact onfloor to floor heights for accommodating buildingsystems. The flexibility allowed by accessible flooringrecognizes the dynamic changes that occur in the use ofthe space and the continual upgrades that occur tobuilding environmental and communication systems.Refer also to the Technology Infrastructure section ofChapter 3.

If no load requirements are stated in the buildingprogram, design access flooring for 1210 kg/m2 (250 PSF)uniform load and 910 kg (2,000 pound) point load.Generally, floor panels should be concrete filled metal orconcrete. Both pedestal and stringer systems areacceptable; however, for heavy cart traffic, stringer systemsare preferred. The system must be coordinated with thedesign of the underfloor junction box for electrical powerand communications. Designs should be selectedrecognizing the potential for frequent removal andreplacement of raised access floor tiles. Systems thatrequire extensive bolting and unbolting are not desirable.

For tiles with hard-surface finishes, access floor tiles shallhave a high pressure plastic laminate surface; this willreduce static and dust associated with these areas. In orderto reduce static in computer areas, consider the use ofconductive laminated plastic, bonded to the access panelswith a conductive adhesive. The building flooring underthe access flooring, typically concrete, should be sealed toprevent the accumulation of concrete dust in this area.Access floor tiles may be finished with carpet tile. Boltedconnections between pedestal and floor are preferred inseismic zones.



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Building SpecialtiesWindow Washing Equipment. Generally, windowwashing and exterior maintenance are performed bymaintenance contracting firms that provide their ownpowered platforms, scaffolding, or chair lifts to performthese functions. To accommodate the use of maintenanceequipment, suitable engineered systems shall be designedand incorporated into the building design. The design willbe for buildings three stories or 12,200 mm (40 feet) andhigher, and shall conform to OSHA Standard 29 CFR1910.66, Subpart F - Powered Platforms, Manlifts, andVehicle-Mounted Work Platforms, ANSI Standard A120.1,Safety Requirements for Powered Platforms for BuildingMaintenance, and ANSI Standard A39.1, SafetyRequirements for Window Cleaning.

Waste Removal Equipment. Waste is normally removedfrom GSA buildings by contract maintenance firms. Thefirm will usually collect the waste from receptacles in theoccupied spaces into carts, which will be taken to largercontainers at the waste pick-up station. The firm willusually provide the containers as part of its contract.

The minimum architectural requirements for wasteremoval are: access for waste handling equipment fromthe occupied areas of the building to the pick-up station;housing for the on-site containers; and maneuvering spacefor the collection vehicles. In calculating numbers ofcontainers, assume separate containers for recyclablematerials (paper, glass and metals). Waste handlingstations must be completely screened by walls and doorsor gates constructed of materials complementary to thatof the building.

Certain buildings may require additional waste handlingequipment such as incinerators or compactors. Allincinerator designs must be approved by theEnvironmental Protection Agency. GSA will coordinatethis review.

Flagpoles. See Chapter 2: Site Planning and LandscapeDesign, Landscape Design, Landscape Elements.

Telephone Enclosures. Enclosures for public telephonesshould be provided in the main lobby, near the cafeteria,near the auditorium and in other building areas servingthe public. Accessible public phones must be provided;they must comply with the UFAS/ADA AccessibilityGuidelines for number, location type and design.

Shelves shall be provided at phone locations, and shall bedesigned and constructed to accommodate the weight ofpersons sitting or leaning on them. Assume a 113 kg (250pound) load per 300 mm (1 foot) of shelf length. In his-toric buildings where original telephone enclosures exist,reuse original enclosures to the extent possible and designalterations to be visually compatible with original finishes.

Drinking Fountains. At least one water fountain shouldbe provided on every floor near toilet rooms and nearauditoria. One drinking fountain per location, and 50percent of all fountains in the facility, shall be accessible todisabled persons per ADAAG Guidelines. Retain originalfountains in historic buildings, retrofitting hardware andremounting, when possible, to provide access for thedisabled. Where modifying historic fountains is notpractical (e.g., fountain mounted in stone or otherornamental wall), supplement with new fountains ofsimilar materials and detailing to original fountains.

Window Coverings. All GSA buildings should beequipped with adjustable window coverings. Describe thecontrols for coverings on clerestory and atria windows,and how they will be serviced for cleaning, maintenance,repair and replacement. In some instances it may bepossible to consider automated blinds that respond to sun angle and internal temperatures. This may be par-ticularly beneficial in the southern and southwestern areas of the country.

Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse, Santa Ana, CA



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Sculpture, Charles Evans Whittaker Courthouse, Kansas City, MO



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Artwork, Signage, and Registry of DesignersArtwork. The process of commissioning art for Federalbuildings and courthouses is a collaboration between GSA,the architect of the building, art professionals and com-munity advisors. The Art-in-Architecture Program strivesfor a holistic integration of art and architecture. Throughcollaboration – from the initial concept through construc-tion – the artist, architect, landscape architect, engineer,lighting specialist, and practitioners of other disciplinescan work as a team to create new expressions of the relation-ships between contemporary art and Federal architecture.The focus on integrating art with the design of newFederal buildings and courthouses is predicated uponsubstantial involvement and responsibility of the A/E team.Provisions for cleaning, maintenance and security of theartwork should be coordinated with the Facility Manager.

The Art-in-Architecture project shall begin concurrentlywith the selection of the A/E and be timed so that theartist(s) have sufficient time to collaborate with the A/Efirm on design concepts and that the artist be prepared todiscuss their art concept at the Concept Presentation.

Please consult the Art-in-Architecture Program Guidelinesfor additional information.

Fine Arts Program Mission. To manage the portfolio offine arts assets under GSA’s stewardship to insure theiraccountability, accessibility, preservation and appropriateuse to enhance and promote superior workplaces forfederal agencies and the public they serve.

Scope of Collection Statement. The Fine Arts Collectionincludes commissioned public works of art that enhancethe architecture of federal buildings; portable works of artcommissioned under the federal patronage of the NewDeal; works of art purchased with Art in Architecture(AiA) funds; and maquettes. The collection includes over17,000 installed or associated paintings, sculpture,architectural or environmental works of art, and graphicsdating from the 1850’s. The collection does not include:• decorative arts, such as furniture and light fixtures

(unless commissioned through the AiA program)• architectural ornamentation or details, such as historic

mosaic flooring, stenciled borders, ceiling medallions,coffered ceilings, cast eagles, and ornamental molding(unless commissioned through the AiA program)

• commemorative works of art, such as busts andportraits

• artwork purchased for office space, such asreproduction prints and posters

Please consult the Fine Arts Program Desk Guide foradditional information.


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3.6 Interior Finishes

Recommended Minimum Standards for Finishes inTenant Spaces. GSA has set minimum standards for thequality of finishes. GSA provides a tenant improvementallowance for finishes and features within its rental charge.Within this allowance, the choices for interior finishes arethe responsibility of the tenant. GSA recommends thefollowing as minimum standards. Where tenants choosefinishes below these minimum standards, the tenant isresponsible for above standard maintenance costs. Codesmay have a bearing on the type of finishes in an area andshall be consulted. For fire safety requirements, seeChapter 7, Fire Protection Engineering, Interior Finishes.An example is the need to provide carpet tile rather thancontinuous carpet over access flooring. Architects areencouraged to select materials of higher quality, withinthe budget constraints of the project.

Carpets. Carpets should be used in all areas whereacoustics are a concern, most notably in office workingareas. Carpet tile should be used whenever there is accessflooring, a cellular floor, or a ducted floor system, so thatmaintenance of systems under the floor can be donewithout destroying the carpet. Carpet tile is available inhard back or cushion back, which maintains its overallappearance longer and is more comfortable to stand andwalk on than hard back.

Six-foot-wide (1800mm) cushion back broadloom carpetcan be used in many installations. Twelve-foot-wide(3700mm) broadloom carpet without a cushion back orseparate pad is appropriate for use in low traffic areas. Inhigh traffic areas, a cushion back or carpet pad should bespecified.

Off-gassing is a serious health concern in some carpetinstallations, as PVC-backed carpet is very common in both

Graphics and Signage. Graphics and signs must be clearand simple, and shall be standardized to ensure easy identi-fication of the building entrance, parking, and all the tenantagencies and services located in the building. Signs com-bining pictures and printed messages are recommendedsince they are easier to understand for people who do notread English. Sign design shall comply with the UFAS/ADAGuidelines; Underwriters Laboratory (UL) - IlluminatedSigns Standard; Occupational Safety and Health Admini-stration (OSHA) Standards for safety signs; and FederalStandard 795 for signs indicating accessibility to thephysically challenged. Signage in historic buildings shouldbe compatible with original signage design, using historicfinishes, colors, and typefaces as a guide for new signagedesign. Serif typeface is acceptable within ADA require-ments where adequate contrast, scale, and other designfactors ensure signage legibility.

Signage must be designed to be adjustable for tenantmoves and changes. The specifications shall ensure thatGSA will be provided with the equipment and suppliesrequired to make future signage changes.

Registry of Builders and Designers. A plaque shall beplaced inside the building with the names of the indi-viduals on the GSA project design team; the consultantarchitects and engineers; the onsite construction man-agers; and the construction workers will be inscribed on the plaque. The GSA Project Manager will provide the specifications for the design and construction ofthe plaque.


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carpet tile and six-foot broadloom. It is important thatwhen installing PVC-backed carpet to assure that there areno old adhesives or floor treatments that may react withthe PVC, as off-gassing may result. The Carpet and RugInstitute (CRI) has developed the “Green Label” test programto test for off-gassing of carpet, cushion and adhesives.These materials should meet the “Green Label” criteria.

Carpets that use recovered materials shall be specified (seesection 3.2, Special Design Considerations) and care shouldbe taken to specify carpet that can be recycled in thefuture. However, when specifying a carpet that complieswith RCRA Section 6002 and Executive Order 13101, caremust be taken to verify it also meets all the criteria for itsintended use and level of foot traffic.

The amount of foot traffic and soiling should be consideredwhen selecting carpet. The CRI has developed test criteriafor rating carpet in each of three classifications: severetraffic, heavy traffic, and moderate traffic. A selection ofcarpet for a lower foot traffic level than anticipated isdiscouraged.

Severe traffic level – Extreme foot traffic and soiling.Examples are corridors, entrance areas, lobbies, officecirculation, food service areas, etc.

Heavy traffic level – Heavy to medium heavy foot trafficand soiling. Examples are private offices, living quarters,open plan office cubicles and workstations.

Moderate traffic level – Moderate foot traffic. Examplesare sleeping areas, conference rooms and consultationareas. Commercial grade carpet should be specified forthese areas.

A complete list of usage areas and their minimum useclassification is available from the Carpet and RugInstitute, PO Box 2048, Dalton, GA 30722

Carpet pattern can mask or camouflage traffic patterns,spots, and soil, so that its appearance will be maintainedfor a longer period of time. Pattern performance is:

Random pattern design = excellentGeometric Pattern = goodTweed = marginalSolid Color = Poor

Stains will be the most noticeable when using colors thatcontrast with soil, dust and spills. Therefore, light anddark colors at the extreme ends of the color spectrum donot perform as well as colors that are in the mediumrange.

Cushioning carpet adds a shock absorber to the carpetand reduces the crushing of the yarn. This prevents a lossof appearance from creating contrast in the traffic areas,thereby allowing the carpet to provide longer service. Italso provides ergonomic benefits by absorbing impactresulting in less stress on the lower legs and feet of theoccupants.

Since 80 percent of the soil in the building comes in theentrance areas of the building, it is important to catch thesoil at the entry. There are different systems available,including special carpet tiles and entry mats available onGSA Federal Supply Contracts.

Vinyl Wall Covering. The minimum quality of vinyl wallcovering is Type II with a minimum finished weight of620 grams per lineal meter (137 cm average width) (20 ounces per lineal yard with an average width of54 inches).

Architectural Woodwork. Work under this section shouldbe certified as meeting the referenced standard under theterms and conditions of the AWI Quality CertificationProgram.

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General Office Space (Open and Enclosed Offices)This category of space comprises a large proportion ofarea in Federal buildings. Materials, surfaces, and systemsmust be chosen with quality and flexibility as primaryconcerns. Office spaces characteristically change with their occupants, occupancy configurations and utilityrequirements. Interior finishes should allow thesetransformations to occur with minimal disturbance and cost.

Resilient flooring should only be used in offices adjacentto utilitarian spaces such as loading docks.

Carpet for Raised Access Floor. Carpet tiles should beused on raised access floor. Both carpet adhered to floorpanels and loose-laid carpet tile are permitted.

Ceilings. Suspended acoustical materials should beselected for all general office space. Grid size and spacing

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should be based on the building planning module. Avoidinaccessible ceiling systems.

It is desirable to standardize acoustic ceiling tile within thebuilding as much as possible to minimize the amount ofreplacement stock. The recommended standard ceiling tileis a commercial quality, 600 mm by 600 mm tegular lay-in(2-foot by 2-foot) tile. See the section Building Planning,Planning Module in this chapter.

Doors. The finish for solid core wood doors in generaloffice spaces should be limited to wood veneer. Glassdoors may be used at entrances to tenant suites.

Training and Conference RoomsThese areas should be finished at levels of quality equiva-lent to the adjacent office areas. In addition, the applicationof tackable acoustic wall panels and rails for the display ofpresentation materials within these spaces is appropriate.

Internal CorridorsCorridors within general office areas should receive thesame finishes as the office areas themselves. Color changesmay be useful in these areas for orientation.

Entrances and VestibulesEntrance lobbies and atria are the focal point of theFederal building. They are the landmark to which allother spaces in the facility relate. They should be an ex-tension of the exterior of the building and the point of transition to interior spaces. These spaces have highlevels of visibility and public use and warrant the highestdegree of visual detail and finish.

It is desirable to integrate the exterior and interiorbuilding design in these areas. Materials shall relate and be of high quality. Choose durable, moisture-resistantmaterials since these areas are typically exposed to



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weather. The depth of vestibules should be no less than2100 mm (7 feet) to minimize air infiltration.

Floors. All entrance areas require a means to prevent dirtand moisture from accumulating on the entrance lobbyfloor. It is desirable to have permanent entry way systems(grilles, grates, etc.) to catch dirt and particulates fromentering the building at high volume entry ways. Build-ings located in areas with severe weather conditions willrequire more elaborate entry mat and drainage systems toprevent the tracking of melting snow and rain. Buildingslocated in more moderate climates may require only anatural or synthetic fiber floor mat. The entrance vesti-bule may also have a hard surface flooring surroundingthe matted area that would be part of the adjoining mainentrance area.

Doors. Doors at building entrances and vestibules shouldbe glazed to facilitate orientation and safe movement inthese high traffic areas.

Elevator and Escalator LobbiesThese elements are functionally related to the publicentrance and lobby areas and, therefore, should be treatedwith the same high finish levels as those spaces. It isappropriate to introduce special floor, wall and ceilingtreatments, and special lighting that can be repeated onthe upper floors for continuity.

Floors. Elevator and escalator lobbies should harmonizewith the finishes used in the entrance lobby or atrium.Because of their importance in orientation andmovement, floor treatments in these areas should besimilar throughout the building.

Walls. Use durable, high quality surfaces, and coordinatewall finishes with elevator door and frame finishes.

Ceilings. Special treatments are appropriate to visuallydistinguish elevator lobbies. Avoid completely sealedsystems as they make access to elements above the ceilingdifficult.

ElevatorsPassenger elevators usually receive the highest amount oftraffic in the facility. Their finishes should relate to theentrance and lobby areas and should be focal points forthe interior design of the building. Although finishes needto be durable, high quality architectural design of cabsand entrances is a priority.

Floors. Elevator floors receive a great amount of wear in avery concentrated area. The flooring surface shall be eitherextremely durable or easily replaceable. Hard surfacefloors, such as stone, brick or tile, are usually poor choicesbecause cab floors tend to be unstable. Over time, groutedmaterials often loosen or crack. Carpet, wood or highquality resilient materials are better choices and performwell acoustically. Carpet materials should be selected forlow pile height and high density.

Walls. Wall materials shall present a high quality imageand should be sufficiently durable to take some abuse.Materials shall be installed on removable panels or otherreplaceable devices to facilitate maintenance and renewalof finishes.

Ceilings. Ceilings shall be replaceable. In passengerelevators recessed downlights or indirect fixtures shouldbe used.

Doors. Surfaces should be scratch resistant and easilyreplaced or refinished. Inside and outside finishes shouldbe coordinated with adjacent wall surfaces.

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Freight Elevators. Finishes for freight elevators shall bevery durable and easy to clean. Stainless steel walls anddoors are preferred. Flooring shall be sheet vinyl orresilient vinyl tile. Ceiling light fixtures must be recessedand protected from possible damage.

Stairways (closed)General Requirements. Where internal stairways are usedfor both general vertical circulation and emergency egress,finishes should be consistent with the floors being servedby the stair. In stairways used for utility purposes or onlyfor emergency egress, unfinished or minimally finishedsurfaces are appropriate.

Floors. In general circulation stairs, flooring for stairways,treads, and landings should provide acoustic control.Resilient materials are most appropriate and shall becombined with a non-slip nosing on the treads; thesemust be non-combustible. These surfaces should becoordinated with materials of the floors, which the stairserves. Utility and egress-only stairs should be ofunfinished, sealed concrete or steel. Always provide non-slip nosings.

Walls. Wall surfaces in these areas should be drywallsubstrate with a simple, straightforward finish such aspaint or wall covering. In utility and egress stairs, providea painted or unfinished surface.

Ceilings. Absorptive materials are desirable in stairwaysfor their acoustic effect. Stair runs should have paintedgypsum board soffits where appropriate.

Doors. Doors between adjacent building areas andstairways should match other doors in the building areas.The doors should have the same finish on the interior andthe exterior. Utility and egress stair doors should bepainted metal.


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3.7 Building Support Spaces

General Use ToiletsToilets are part of the permanent building core andshould be designed with good quality, long-lived finishes.They are an extension of the public spaces of the building.The most appropriate finish for floors and walls in toiletrooms is ceramic or porcelain tile. In light-use areas, lesscostly moisture-resistant materials may be substituted. Inall cases, carefully chosen patterns and colors will enhancethe design image.

Continuous vanities of stone, artificial stone, tile or plasticlaminate should be designed for lavatories. A large, contin-uous mirror should be provided on at least one wall ofeach toilet room. See section 3.2, Space Planning Requirements.

Equipment Spaces and Maintenance ShopsWalls and ceilings of all equipment and maintenanceshops should be gypsum board, concrete masonrysurfaces or other durable surfaces; exposed batt or otherforms of insulation should not be used at wall surfaces.Walls in these areas should be painted.

Floors in mechanical rooms and maintenance shopsshould be waterproofed. Floors in electrical andcommunications rooms should be painted or sealed.Communications equipment rooms may also haveresilient flooring.

Rooms containing major electrical or environmentalequipment must be designed to provide clearance forservice including replacement of components or theentire piece of equipment.

Staff Locker Rooms and Custodial SpacesStorage rooms should receive minimal finishes. As inother support areas, these finishes should be coordinated

Stairways (open)Open stairways that connect lobby and atrium spacesshould be appropriately finished in materials that match or relate to the adjacent surfaces in quality andappearance.

Floors. Floor finishes for open stairs should match orcoordinate with the adjoining lobby and atrium spacesserved by these stairs.

Public CorridorsFloors. Public corridors adjacent to building entrances,atria, etc., which carry significant foot traffic and providemajor circulation pathways throughout the building shallhave materials selected that shall be extremely durable andrequire low maintenance. To improve acoustic control incorridors adjacent to work spaces, hard, reflective surfacesshould be avoided.

Walls. Walls in public corridors should receive a wallcovering over a drywall substrate.

Ceilings. Accessible acoustical ceilings should be selectedfor corridors. Use a high quality system in public areas.Avoid inaccessible (sealed) ceiling systems. Submitalternative proposals to design team.

Doors. Doors along public corridors should be of aquality equivalent to that of other elements in these spacesand higher quality than those in the interior spaces. Finishmay be wood veneer. The finish on both sides of the doorshould match. At interior spaces with high levels of publicuse provide glazed entry door systems along publiccorridors.


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3.8 Alterations in Existing Buildings and Historic Structures

The general goal of alteration projects is to meet thesefacilities standards for new projects. Renovation designsmust satisfy the immediate occupancy needs and antici-pate additional future changes. As they are remodeled,building systems should become more flexible andadaptable to changing occupancy needs.

Alteration projects are defined at three basic scales: refur-bishment of an area within a building, such as a floor or asuite; major renovation of an entire structure; and up-grade/restoration of historic structures.

In the first instance, the aim should be to satisfy theprogram requirements within the parameters and con-straints of the existing systems. The smaller the area incomparison to the overall building, the fewer changes toexisting systems should be attempted. Components,equipment and construction should match the existing asmuch as possible to facilitate building maintenance.

In the second case, the opportunity exists to approximatethe standards and flexibility of a new building, within thelimits of the existing space and structural capacity.

Where a historic structure is to be altered, specialdocuments will be provided by GSA to help guide thedesign of the alterations. The most important of these isthe Building Preservation Plan (BPP) which identifieszones of architectural importance, specific character-defining elements that should be preserved, and standardsto be employed. Refer to pages 1-14 for The Secretary ofthe Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines

with adjacent spaces. Janitors’ closets should be similarlyfinished, except those containing sinks, which should beprovided with a ceramic tile floor and base. Staff lockerrooms should be provided with resilient flooring andvinyl wallcovering (or equivalent), except in “wet” areas,which should be finished similar to general use toilets(ceramic tile floor and walls).

Building Engineer’s Office and Security Control CenterIf theses spaces are included in the building programspace requirements, they should be finished like an office.Flooring in the building engineer’s office should be vinyltile if it is located near the central plant or otherutilitarian support spaces.

Food Service AreasCafeteria Kitchens and Serveries. These areas are operatedunder concession agreements. Finishes are governed byhealth regulations and the requirements of the concession-aire. Designers should coordinate their work with the GSAhandbook Concession Management Desk Guide PMFC-93.

Kitchens Other Than Cafeteria Kitchens. This sectiondescribes smaller kitchens typically used by employees.Flooring in these kitchens should be resilient. Wallsshould have durable, washable finishes such as vinyl wall-covering or ceramic tile, depending on intensity of use.Ceilings should be acoustic material with considerationgiven to the use of moisture resistant ceiling materials inkitchens with higher humidity.

Other Specialty AreasCourt buildings, border stations, and child care centershave special requirements for finishes. See the U.S. CourtsDesign Guide and Chapter 9: Design Standards for U.S.Court Facilities for Court spaces. See the U.S. BorderStation Design Guide (PBS-P130), and GSA Child CareCenter Design Guide (PBS-P140) for finishes for thesefacilities.

Historic stair, Ariel Rios, Washington, D.C.


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for Historic Preservation. For some buildings a HistoricStructures Report is also available. Early and frequentcoordination between the architect, State HistoricPreservation Officer, Regional Historic PreservationOfficer, preservation specialists, external review groups,and other appropriate GSA specialists is imperative totimely resolution of conflicts between renovation andpreservation goals.

To the extent feasible, GSA seeks to achieve therehabilitation of historic structures. Rehabilitation isdefined as the act or process of making possible acompatible use for a property through repair, alterations,and additions while preserving those portions or featureswhich convey its historical, cultural, or architecturalvalues.

In general, alterations in historically significant spacesshould be designed contextually to blend with originalmaterials, finishes, and detailing, and to ensure a uniformand inviting first impression. When substantial repairs oralterations are undertaken in significant and highly visiblelocations, opportunities should be sought to restoreoriginal features that have been removed or insensitivelyaltered, to reestablish the original design integrity of thespace. Alterations affecting the configuration of significantspaces should be as transparent as possible, using glassand contemporary materials, as appropriate, to minimizethe visibility of the alteration(s) while subtlydistinguishing new construction from originalconstruction.

The architectural, mechanical and electrical systems inhistoric buildings often differ greatly from today’s designand construction standards, and frequently many of thesebuilding systems need to be upgraded substantially orcompletely rebuilt or replaced. The end result should be a



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building whose architectural, mechanical and electricalsystems support its modern use while retaining its historicand architectural character.

Understanding the exact requirements of the user isessential to effectively implement the program forremodel projects. Close interaction between designers andusers, to communicate and incorporate programinformation during the concept design phase, will enablethe designers to meet the users’ needs without incurringexcessive construction cost. Practical solutions oftendevelop in a dialogue with the users that would not havebeen relayed by an administrator.

Alteration design requires ingenuity and imagination. It isinherently unsuited to rigid sets of rules. Each case isunique. The paragraphs that follow should be viewed asguidelines and helpful hints to be used when appropriateand disregarded when not.

Evaluation of Existing SystemsEvery alteration project includes an evaluation whichdescribes the physical condition of building systems,identifies variances from present codes, and notesavailable capacity for structural, mechanical, electrical andcommunications systems.

Code Requirements for AlterationsFor most major renovations an evaluation of codedeficiencies is appropriate. See Chapter 1: GeneralRequirements, Codes and Standards, Building Codes. Codedeficiencies that related to life safety, particularly egress,should be remedied. Strict adherence to the letter of thecode is often impossible. An equivalent method ofprotection will have to be developed to achieve an equalor greater level of safety. See Chapter 1, GeneralRequirements for additional information. Architects willbe expected to work closely with the GSA regional fire

protection engineer who will have final authority on lifesafety code compliance issues. Alternative approachesoutlined in state historic building codes, rehabilitationcodes, and performance based codes to resolve conflictsbetween prescriptive code requirements and preservationgoals should be explored.

New work in alterations generally should meet currentcodes, unless a special hazard is created by combining newand old systems. Such conflicts should be resolved withGSA.

See Chapter 7: Fire Protection Engineering, for additionalinformation.

Placing Mechanical and Electrical Systems inRenovated and Rehabilitated BuildingsFinding space for air conditioning, power andcommunications cabling is one of the biggest designchallenges in remodeling work. Existing systems areusually totally inadequate, shafts are too small and ceilingspace is too shallow. See Chapter 5: MechanicalEngineering, Major Alterations in Existing Buildings andHistoric Structures and Chapter 6: Electrical Engineering,Major Alterations in Existing Buildings and HistoricStructures.

Vertical Distribution. Space for new shafts cansometimes be found in stairwells, if the stairs are largerthan required by code. Any element incorporated musthave the appropriate fire-resistive construction and notimpose on the accessible pathway. If elevator systems needto be replaced, elevator shafts can become duct shafts orelectrical closets. The building exterior also offerspossibilities if new vertical elements can be integratedwith the façade design.



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exposing systems will a) enable original ornamentalceilings and finishes to remain exposed, b) maintainoriginal high ceiling volume and daylight in new openspace offices, or c) avoid disturbing hazardous materialssuch as asbestos. Exposed systems in historic spacesshould be designed to minimize interference with historicdetails.

In narrow buildings, it may be possible to create a furredhorizontal space adjacent to the exterior and core walls,which can be used as a raceway for utilities. Verticalfurring on columns and walls for receptacles is anotherpossibility and can be integrated as an architecturalfeature. If space is tight, all-water or water-and-air systemsshould be considered for air conditioning, instead of all-air systems.

Utility distribution in historic buildings is the mostdifficult because ceilings and floors often have to bepreserved or restored. In these cases, decentralized airconditioning units with little or no ductwork becomefeasible. Pre-wired systems furniture, which is available inwood, is also a very good solution.

Placement of Main Mechanical and ElectricalEquipment. If new equipment is to be placed on the roof,the structural capacity of the framing system must beinvestigated.

Elevators. For complete building renovations atransportation study should be done, as described earlierin this chapter. If elevators need to be replaced, service canoften be improved significantly by selecting higher speedelevators to fit into the existing shafts. New shafts areexpensive to build and should be avoided.

Original elevator doors should be retained. Design fornew hoistway and cab doors should be based uponoriginal door detailing, matching original materials andadapting ornamentation as necessary to comply withcode.

Original hardware should be maintained in place andupgraded to remain functional wherever possible. Lobbyand corridor floor landing indicators should be scaled toavoid destruction of original ornamental finishes, such asborders in stonework designed to frame originalindicators.

Horizontal Distribution. Fortunately, many olderbuildings have tall floor to floor heights, which give thearchitect two options: a raised access floor or a very deepceiling space.

Raised Access Flooring is an attractive choice for buildingsthat are being completely remodeled. Raised flooring canbe lower than the minimum of 200 mm (8 inches)indicated for new buildings if floor-to-floor height isinsufficient. It offers the same systems quality andflexibility as a new building.

The other option is to create a deep ceiling space and zoneit carefully for the most efficient fit of all engineeringsystems. See section Building Planning, Planning Module,Floor-to-Floor Heights and Vertical Building Zoning of thischapter for zoning of ceiling space. Ceilings should neverbe dropped below the level of the window head. Inhistoric buildings, care should be taken not to allow theinstallation of dropped ceilings to damage character-defining architectural details and, if possible, to maintainvisual access to such details. Carefully designed exposedsystem installations are encouraged in workspace where

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Space Planning StrategiesOffice Space. It may be necessary to design a slightlylarger space allocation - about 12 m2 (135 square feet) per person - for office layouts in older buildings. Thiscompensates for less than ideal bay sizes and existing wallsconfigurations. The planning standards described earlierin the section Space Planning, should be used as much aspossible.

Pre-wired systems furniture may be an appropriatesolution for distribution of power and communicationswiring in renovated buildings. Open plans have been usedsuccessfully in historic buildings. Furniture systems mustbe selected with great care to minimize any adverseimpact on the historic features of the building. Modularfurniture system dimensional planning restrictions, bestadapted to large open office areas, may have limitedfeasibility in older structures with short or irregularstructural spans.

Food Service. In many older Federal buildings, diningareas are located below grade in cramped, poorly venti-lated and poorly lit spaces. Major renovations are a goodopportunity to correct this situation. Cost considerationsmay prohibit moving the kitchen, but light and air can be brought into dining areas by excavating and thenglazing to provide views of sunken courtyards outside the dining room.

AcousticsOffice Space. Where existing office space is altered to an open plan, noise isolation of the ceiling system should be a minimum of NIC 20. Noise isolation classbetween rooms should be NIC 40 in Class B spaces andNIC 35 in Class C space. See the section Special DesignConsiderations, Acoustics, Design Criteria for BuildingSpaces of this chapter.

Historic Buildings. Hard surfaces often predominate inold buildings and create resonance and echoes. While itmay be possible to upgrade the acoustical environment,this should not be done at the expense of the historicallysignificant features of the building.

Alteration of Building ElementsExterior Closure. See Chapter 4: Structural Engineering,Alterations in Existing Buildings. Most older buildings lackadequate insulation and vapor barriers, but these can beadded from the inside at the time of alteration. Designalterations to avoid damaging original finishes inpreservation zones (as defined in the BPP or HSR).

Refer to Building Elements Section of this chapter forreferences regarding treatment of existing windows.

Exterior masonry should be cleaned if necessary andrepointed. Joints should be resealed.

Re-roofing. Where existing roofing is to be replaced, itshould be completely removed and the substrate preparedfor new roofing. The new roofing system should not be ofgreater weight than the old, unless a structural analysis


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shows that the framing system can carry the additionalweight. Do not overlay new roofing membrane systemsover existing roof membranes. Installing new roofingsystems over an existing roof will place additional load onthe building structural system and may trap moistureremaining in the original roof. This trapped moisture canfacilitate the premature deterioration of the buildingmaterials.

Uncommon Products Used In RehabilitationsIn historic preservation it may be necessary to specifyuncommon materials that may be hard to find. Theseproducts may be described with the supplier’s name andaddress in the specifications. If more than one supplierexists, multiple manufacturers must be stated. Thespecifications should also contain a note stating: “The useof a trade name in the specifications is to indicate apossible source of the product. The same type of productfrom other sources shall not be excluded provided itpossesses like physical characteristics, color and texture.”

New equipment should not be installed on existingmaterials that are very difficult to adapt for properconnections. These may include: structural glass, marble,and ceramic tile.

3.9 Life Cycle Cost Analysis

All life cycle cost analysis work focusing on particularitems should consider the impact on other relatedsystems. In other words, it should be a comprehensiveeffort balancing the impacts on all aspects of the buildingdesign.

Methods for performing life cycle cost analysis arediscussed in Chapter 1: General Requirements, Life CycleCosting. This section describes: which architectural andinterior systems require life cycle cost analysis: themethod to be used for analysis: the number of alternativesto be considered: and the factors to be considered. Theserequirements vary according to the size and type ofbuilding. For individual projects, the Scope of Work maydefine a different level of analysis than recommended inthe Facilities Standards.

The following systems are to be analyzed depending onthe size of the facility. For each system, the factors relateto scale and complexity, and the number of alternatives tobe considered.

Tunnels and Bridges. The analysis should consider thecosts of the connection versus staff travel time onalternative circulation routes. Travel time can be based onactual contact information between agencies or onassumptions by the planning team. Other factors thatcannot be calculated but should be considered in makingthe selection include climate conditions; security; andconstruction challenges. The analysis should beperformed when connections are considered for smallbuildings. It is not necessary to perform analysis on anybuilding with a high security classification or on largebuildings.

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Exterior Wall Construction and Finishes. The analysisshall consider construction costs, known upkeep, main-tenance and replacement costs and schedules, thermalresistance effects on heat loss/gain and first cost impactsto HVAC system designs. Other factors that cannot becalculated but should be considered in making the selec-tion include appearance, the ability to match the finish ofexpansion areas or replacement panels, resistance tomoisture, freezing and ultraviolet light damage, seismicand wind resistance, source and manufacture availabilityand construction requirements.

Sun Control Devices. The analysis should consider:construction costs; solar gain reduction, HVAC systemfirst costs, operating costs; maintenance and replacementcosts; and utility costs compared with not providing suncontrol devices. As previously stated, sun control alsorelates to maximizing efficient use of natural daylight inthe building.

Exterior Windows. The analysis should consider theconstruction costs, HVAC system first costs, solartransmission and heat gain and insulation characteristics.Other factors that cannot be calculated but should beconsidered in making the selection include the affect ofcolor tones on the interior environment, exterior viewsinto the building and security. Analysis should beperformed on moderately sized and large buildingsconsidering at least one alternative and at up to threealternatives for very large buildings.

Alternative Roof Systems. In typical projects, a life cycle cost analysis is not required. If a new technology isproposed that has a higher initial costs and probable long term cost savings, then an analysis should be used aspart of the decision to utilize the new technology.

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Conveyance Systems. The selection and sizing of elevatorand escalator systems must be performed as prescribed inthe preceding section Selecting Conveyance Systems in thisChapter. No other life cycle cost analysis will be requiredfor conveyance systems.

Interior Wall Systems. The analysis must consider theinstallation costs including any associated special ceiling,floor, power or communication cabling systems, cost ofrepairs or refinishing and the percent of the material thatcan be reused during remodels. The churn factor, orpercent of the space disrupted by change within a given year, for space renovation should be established by theGSA region. Other factors that cannot be calculated butshould be considered in making the selection includeappearance, safety, disruption during moves, manufac-turing availability for custom systems, acoustical sep-aration, and security. Analysis should be performed onvery large buildings considering at least one alternative.

Interior Protective Finishes. The analysis must considerthe installation costs, known cleaning and upkeep costs,known replacement and refinishing costs, any increases inillumination levels because of reflectivity characteristicsand remedial acoustical work. Other factors that cannotbe calculated but should be considered in making theselection include appearance, safety, disruption duringremodeling, ability for the material to be patched, and therelease of vapors. The analysis should be performed onfinishes covering large areas or high traffic areas.

architectural and interior design

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