Transcripts For CSPAN3 Capitol Hill Preservation 20140811 :

What we sometimes overlook is that its truly an extraordinary neighborhood. And that those buildings carry an importance and a symbolism and eople across america around the globe. Tonight youll hear from the man who was entrusted with the care those structures. The architect of the capitols office is responsible to the nited States Congress and the Supreme Court for the maintenance, operation, and preservation of more than 17 million square feet than 553 gs and more acres of land throughout capitol hill, including the u. S. And house nate, Office Buildings, the library of congress, and many others. N 2010, steven t. Aiers was named the 11th architect of the capitol after being nominated by confirmed byma and the senate for a 10year term. At r studying architecture the university of maryland, he joined the air force while his taneously earning architectural license in california. Following five years of active force, he wentair into private practice. He then joined the voice of led design and construction efforts in greece and in germany. Years abroad, he and his family moved to washington, by and mr. Ayers was hired the architect of the capitol as assistant senate superintendent. Subsequently served for 13 years in a variety of roles the he was tapped to be acting architect of the capitol 2007. Bruary of the role of architect of the capitol is one that requires a leader who is mindful of both grand vision of american democracy, that these important buildings represent. And bolts s responsibilities of their maintenance and preservation. Such as the ases, current restoration of the capitol dome, those nuts and olts are literal rather than metaphorical ones. This evening well learn how met. Challenge is being ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the architect of the capitol, steven t. Ayers. [ applause ] thank you so much, elizabeth. What a great introduction. It was absolutely perfect. Jobuldnt have described my better than you did. Terrific, so let me turn things on here and see if we can get started. Thought this evening i would speak a bit about who the rchitect of the capitol is and what we do. I bet there arent many of you we are an organization that kind of works behind the cenes to enable the congress and the Supreme Court do what it does every day. So ill speak a little bit about that. And then focus in on what we do good stewards of these beautiful treasures that have been entrusted to our care. Capitol building and the United States Botanic Garden and Supreme Court building by kass gilbert and many others on capitol hill. Maybe to also teach you something you didnt know about capitol hill and what we do. All right . Fair enough . All right. Capitol hill. Area of ke to call my responsibility. This little city within the of be washington, d. C. What a unique city this is. This photograph coming up by pierre lafonte. That, let me do just point out that, lets see, right, you see the Senate Office buildings and then the Supreme Court, the library on your left, the buildings for the house of epresentatives, of course, the main buildings, the functioning congress. For the but we have are a number of properties in maryland and virginia as well as the district columbia that ill show you about. Two things what make this is city great . Skyline, beautiful the beautiful layout of this lafonte what pierre wrote to George Washington when he picked the he placed it jenkins hill and said its a monument. Waiting he took a street and radiated it to the Capitol Building. Way to make it. What foresight he had to place the Capitol Building there atop jenkins hill and to create and lay out the city the way he did. Me show you what it looks like today in our area of esponsibility on capitol hill, of course, starts with union quare there and were approaching the west front of the capitol. The we traverse turnover north side. The Congressional Party extends down to Union Station there. Built about 20 years ago through a ublicprivate partnership for the Supreme Court designed by edward lair booe barnes, that a Thurgood Marshall judicial building. Senate for if senate, the office. And then the roman temple design kass gilbert of the United States supreme xourt. And then of course the Thomas Building and the john adams and the Madison Building the e library of commerce, Jefferson Building widely acclaimed in 1987 has the most america building in and many people still think it is today. Power there a capitol plant where we make the steam and chilled water to heat and all of the 17 million square feet of space across capitol hill. And then bartholy park recently the United States Botanic Garden that has been part f our inventory and of our Hidden Treasures on capitol hill for many, many years. Of course, back to the capitol. 10 predecessors. Many ask how can you be the 11th rchitect of the capitol when weve been here for 224 years or so. Its interesting. Someone asked me earlier that architects of the capitol were appointed by the president for lifetime terms. And many of them served 20, 30, or more years in office. Then after the retirement on the ninth architect of the capitol, the congress put term limits on appointments. so my immediate spread says tore right there bottom from new york city served as the 10yearrchitect from the term appointment. He chose not to reapply, which opened up that job for me as the of the capitol. The top left, we honor the title of the e first architect of the capitol. Architect won the first competition for the design of the Capitol Building and what wonderful story that is. H as elizabeth mentioned, the by the t was appointed resident, i was appointed by barack obama and sworn in in the old Senate Chamber, a beautiful designed by the second architect dr. Benjamin henry latrobe. You can see the beautiful ionic olumns there, the entablature above it and the sweeping arch above and the beautiful imagine the Natural Light that used to come into that space during the early years of the 1800s. Elizabeth ey, mentioned much of that. I was i went to Architecture University of maryland. Do i have any terps here in the audience tonight . All right . Terps dominate tonight. Way to go. Thank you for coming out. What a great Architecture School that is. You know, when i graduated from Architecture School like many today, i had no idea what i wanted to do. Whether follow in my fathers who was a marine, the military life was important to me. A sense of service was important to me. I considered law school and took that. At, decided not do but i thought, what a wonderful career that would have been to an attorney. Ct and come to find out the ninth rchitect of the capitol was an architect and attorney as well. Well, i decided to go into the military. Wanted to travel and see the world. Thats what i wanted to do when i was of that age and graduating Architecture School. And i thought, what better way to see the world than to join the military . Thats what the military does, travel all around the world. Thats what i did. I was shipped to texas, went to school, training stationed in california, had a great job. As an architect but also under an architect. Really important for young architects. Four years before you can apply to take the licensing exam. Theres a significant Internship Program that you need to go eligible fore youre to take the licensing program. So i really got lucky that there architect sed stationed at edwards where i was. To work under his leadership for a few years. Interestingly enough, after a few years in the military, for who may be in the military, you fill out the dream sheet of the wonderful places transferredt to get next. Its called a dream sheet. Aviano se, i filled out lione, e, italy, iraq greece, and spain, i got orders almadorf, alaska. Thats not quite what i had envisioned. O i did retire from the military that the point. Alaska is a wonderful place, ive been there. Its not for me. Not the path that i want my career to be on. I resigned and went into private practice. For a few years, i joined the voice of america. After that, i moved to greece and lived on the rhodes. F its interesting how one door closes. Nd the other ve been so blessed and so excited to be able to work in europe. Dream. As my i was able to work in greece, and travel ania, around the european theater. Really worked out well. Some nearly 18 years ago, after years overseas, i responded to a job ad with the architect the capitol. The n interview on telephone and was hired to be one of the managers fof senate buildings, 18 years later, really blessed and honored to be the 11th architect capitol. Let me tell you what the architect does. Eneral Services Organization provides facilities and infrastructure and support for the executive branch of the really the architect of the capitol that does that for the legislative branch of the government. Thats what we do. I would like to use these four to describe that. Irst on the left, the capitol mentioned izabeth those around the capitol, the square. The historic rounds by frederick homestead in 1874 and constructed through the 1890s. The helm stead being preimminent landscape designer at the time. Nd what beautiful grounds they are. And what a beautiful time of year. In es no better place springtime d. C. In than on capitol hill. What an honor it is to carry on thoughts, his original drawings. And we continue to plant today following today olmsteads original work. Wantsly when the congress to commission a piece of artwork, they turn to the to enable that on their behalf. Competition old a among sculptors to produce Something Like this beautiful parks and we osa maintain aesthetic judgment to what comes in to the collection doesnt and advise the congress on those kinds of matters. Itss the National Statuary hall collection where state tues from every come into the collection and now the cent years, there is ability to change those statues had an ut so weve statuary work or whether the Congress Wants to or a sion a rosa parks sojourner truth. Or when theres a Vice President carving aponsible for white marble bust of every Vice President that serves in office. Working with e Vice President gore and vice resident cheney on the white marble busts for them. And were looking forward to them coming in to the are ction, many of them displayed in the Senate Chamber nd others are displayed in the corridors and these wonderful in eaches that are in the corridors Senate Chamber. Nd, of course, the beautiful frescos, the beautiful frescos the paintings in the building. Were responsible for that kind of the on behalf congress. Thirdly, as this photograph and would tell you, were responsible for all of the esign and construction of New Buildings and renovation and modernization of existing uildings on behalf of the congress and the Supreme Court. And lastly, the last photograph the right, were responsible for Visitor Services and what an part of our mission with 2 1 2 million coming to the Capitol Building every year, so many for the first time, so many for the time, to make that experience welcoming and and inspirational is something we think were really, really good at and we pay a of attention to those visitors. Not to mention over 1 million visitors that come to the United States Botanic Garden every year. Spend a great deal of time creating positive enforcement for our visitors. Its what we do. We have several hundred employees dedicated to that part of our business. Certain parts have a regular battle rhythm. Every four years . A president ial election. So when theres a president ial election, we work behind the the congress to put on a peaceful transition of power thats so wonderful to we live t country that in. And we completely transform the capitol duringhe this period. Septembere it down in and work and build that inaugural platform from december. And from december, of course, to Inauguration Day in january outfitting it to do a dry run and installing security and many tive measures among other things. You can see that the west front is it completely transformed every four years. And that inaugural platform changed it a little bit every the years, depending upon desires of the congressional or the l Committee President that have some say in in these matters. So who can tell me how the flags are arranged on the west front particular and many of the other president ial inaugurations . This is your second test for the evening. Flags are the flags of the original 13 colonies. So the test is what are the two in the middle . The president and the Vice President state. Thats pretty close. Heard, he closest ive actually. I can usually stump people with this question. The flags are the flags of president s home state when that state came in to the union. Its what i meant. I knew it was. I believe you. Else does. Nk anybody but i believe you. Good guess. Were excited to work with put ongress and help them on an inaugural ceremony every four years. Thats a regular process for us. It virtually never stops. N immense amount of planning goes into a president ial once we finish one in january, were to work lessons hot wash and learned and anything that we can possibly do to make that make our part of that even better four years from now. Nd we capture all of that and we bring it back out just a year to start that in inauguration planning again. So heres what it looks like where the president stands. Isnt that amazing . Obamas first nt inauguration. You can see president obama and standing there on the inaugural platform and this media tower in front where the cameras are pulled from one or two cameras that are out there. 30,000 seats that we place on the west front of the capitol. Just look out at the mall. E down the that what a special day is. Here it is a little closer. Ou can see many of the folks all the way town the mall. Past the washington monument. This is a big day for us. This is bigger than the super bowl. Okay. Test number two for you. Oull see here on the west front you can see the flags a little better now. You can see on the west front on lefthand side of this photograph, we have the print edia, your newspapers and magazines magazines. Digital you, the media. And then closer to you you have the media towers. Separate, why are they separate . Any photographers in the room . Yes. It all has to do with where the day. Is on that january and as the sun comes over the capitol, you get much better fra photographs from the south side than you do the north side. Is all on tal media the south tower and the print media is all on the north tower. Yourere two things that going to use at your next Cocktail Party and youre going star. A i can see it already. I like to tell people sometimes, jokingly, of course, that im knows that it at akes 505 portapotties to put on a president ial inauguration on Capitol Grounds anyway. Things are some of the that go into making a president ial inauguration. Seats on the west front of the capitol. Okay. Happens every four years. What happens every two years . A new congress. Thats exactly right. So were leading up to that this november, right . So when a new congress happens, its the architect that works with the congress to enable the appropriate committees to make decisions on where people go. And then the house we work with Speakers Office to manage that process on their behalf, and its done in the house by lottery. 90 two years ago, there were members that were out and 90 new members in the house. Right . And so 90 new members ultimately 220 or so office moves in the house. That we do in 30 days. So when 90 members are out, that vacant offices that the rest of the members can bid on and move their offices. Seniority order and we manage that process on their behalf. And then we go about moving office to another. And when you go about moving know what u never youre going to find in their bear and whether its a or a totem pole. And these things are really important to members that they the wonderful treasures from their state. And bring their constituents in little bit and theyre proud of it as they should be. Youre never know what going to find whether its deer head or elk head. If you look carefully behind ladder, thats the moose antler, i believe. Moose head heres a in this particular members office. And not all are from south dakota. The re from all parts of wonderful country and we go about moving them officetooffice and we do that 30 days in the house. 220 moves just two years ago. Its a little slower in the senate. Know, the house gets about 20 minutes to make their Office Office they hich move to. And we work so closely with them providing tools enabling them to make those move decisions electronically today. If any of you worked on capitol years before, heard the stories, there would be interns currying up and down the halls looking at different offices so hey could go b