Fiscal Year 2014 Citizen’s Report

A Fiscal Year 2014 Performance and Financial Summary Report to Congress and the Citizens of the United States

Who We Are 

Architect of the Capitol

What We Do: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a nonpartisan, professional services office with responsibility for over 17.4 million square feet of facilities and more than 587 acres of grounds. AOC is responsible for the maintenance, renovation and new construction of the buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill.

Established: In 1876 by congressional legislation 

Branch of Government: Legislative

Mission: Serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America’s Capitol and inspire memorable experiences for our visitors

Leadership: The Honorable Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP, Architect of the Capitol

Number of Full-Time Equivalents: 2,085 as of September 30, 2014

FY 2014 Budget Authority: $602.0 million*

*Note: Reflects Legislative Branch appropriations only. Excludes the Supreme Court Building and Grounds jurisdiction.

Did you know?

• The U.S. Capitol Dome, symbol of American democracy, is plagued by over 1,600 cracks and has deteriorated due to age and weather. In January 2014, AOC began a multi-year restoration project to repair these deficiencies.

• AOC has the unique role of preserving and restoring the Capitol’s architectural and fine art heritage assets. In FY 2014, AOC’s curatorial highlights included the continuation of several mural conservation projects and completion of bronze preservation work.

• AOC has received permits to construct a natural gas Cogeneration Plant, allowing the Capitol Power Plant to use natural gas 100 percent of the time.

• The century-old Cannon House Office Building has never undergone a comprehensive modernization and faces serious safety, health, environmental and operational issues. In FY 2014, AOC began site preparation for a 10-year, over $752 million building renewal project.

• AOC’s General Administration appropriation centrally funds common services supporting AOC’s engineering, safety, energy, construction, preservation and business needs. This allows AOC to establish economies of scale that increase efficiency and reduce costs.

• AOC continued to achieve significant efficiencies through cost savings initiatives. Key savings were made possible through contract renegotiation, overtime management, technology expansion, energy and water reduction measures and the use of fewer contractors.

• Conditions have deteriorated at the historic Olmsted Terrace spanning three sides of the U.S. Capitol. In FY 2014, AOC started a phased, multi-year project to repair, clean and preserve the Terrace’s marble walls.

• The Capitol Visitor Center supports hundreds of congressionally-sponsored special events annually. In FY 2014, special events included statue unveilings, awards ceremonies, concerts and the President’s State of the Union Address.

• AOC has increasingly relied on shared services to reduce agency costs and achieve operational efficiencies. In FY 2014, AOC began the phased migration of AOC’s Human Resources Information System.

• In December 2013, the CBS news program 60 Minutes aired the feature “The Capitol Dome” to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Dome’s completion.

Serve | Preserve | Inspire