Houses House

The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress published reports in 2020 and 2022 recommending a reconsidered use of space and wayfinding within and across existing House Office Buildings, plus a need for more space for committees and caucuses to meet, staffers to have small meetings, private areas for focused work, interaction with visiting constituents, and private committee and member gathering spaces. Growing Congressional districts and impending renovations of existing Capitol Complex Office Buildings exacerbate these  space constraints that the Architect of the Capitol faces at the Capitol Complex. In addition to Senators and Congressional Representatives, thousands of people that support the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the other functions of the Capitol Complex work year round in these 20 buildings situated on ~30 blocks. The underutilized parcels within the Capitol Complex can be redeveloped to include thousands of housing units for members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, and about a quarter of the 15,000 Congressional staff members and 12,000 civil servants who operate and maintain the Capitol Complex–along with their families. The new mixed use districts should incorporate the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.