Clark To Lead Coast Guard Headquarters Design-Build Team

October 5, 2009

U.S. Coast-Guard Headquarters

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. General Services Administration selected Clark Design/Build, LLC to lead the design and construction of the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The $435 million, 1.2 million square-foot facility will be constructed on the west campus of the former St. Elizabeth's hospital site in the city's Anacostia neighborhood. This project is the first phase of the Department of Homeland Security's consolidation and relocation to southeast Washington, D.C. 

The new U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters campus will feature an 11-story office building for 3,860 employees, a separate central utility plant, and two seven-story parking garages. In addition to core and shell construction, Clark will complete the headquarters building's interior fit-out, including audio/visual and telecommunications systems, and security features.  

There is a 120-foot change in elevation on the 176-acre project site and the headquarters building's design takes advantage of the natural topography. Below an entry courtyard at the site's highest location, the building consists of linked, cascading quadrangles, clad in brick, schist stone, glass, and metal constructed into the hillside. The building's wings, with a red brick skin, further break down the scale of the massive facility, as well as allow for greater penetration of natural daylight to internal areas.  

The headquarters building's interior space relies on modular planning elements and includes enclosed offices and work stations. These work areas were designed for maximum flexibility and can be reorganized as needed. The building will be divided into various zones both interior and exterior, marked by terrain-based coloration.  

The U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters project is being designed for LEED® Silver certification. The headquarters building is designed with its major axis running east/west to minimize solar heat gain and maximize the opportunity for daylight harvesting. The building will feature an approximately 400,000 square-foot green roof and a vegetative wall panel system in the courtyard. High-efficiency mechanical and electrical systems will be installed, and the project team will employ regional and low-emitting building materials when possible. Additionally, the construction of wet ponds, bioswales, step pools, and a signature water feature at the site's lowest elevation will assist with stormwater management.  Construction on the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters will begin in fall 2009 and completion is scheduled for fall 2012.