SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS Senator HOLLINGS. If there is nothing further, we will recess. Senator HOLLINGS. We will recess until 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. (Whereupon, at 12:40 p.m. Friday, September 15, the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 2 p.m., Monday, September 18.) SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1972 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 2 p.m. in room S-128, the Capitol, Hon. Ernest F. Hollings (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Hollings, Cotton, and Young. ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. WHITE, ARCHITECT ACCOMPANIED BY: MARIO E. CAMPIOLI, ASSISTANT ARCHITECT PHILIP L. ROOF, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHARLES A. HENLOCK, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WILLIAM RAINES, ASSISTANT TO EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT REQUIREMENTS TO IMPLEMENT S. 3917 Senator HOLLINGS. The subcommittee will please come to order. There has been reported from the Committee on Public Works of the Senate, and it has now passed the Senate, S. 3917 to authorize completion of the New Senate Office Building; to authorize acquisition of certain real property in square 724, which is the square immediately north of the existing New Senate Office Building; to authorize the Architect of the Capitol to initiate and conduct a study of alternate designs for a vehicle parking garage; and to authorize the acquisition of all property contained in square 764 in the District of Columbia. It was the view of the subcommittee that we should have a hearing on this matter in connection with the supplemental appropriation bill to be processed before we adjourn. INTRODUCTION OF WITNESS We are glad to have as our witness this afternoon, Mr. George White, the Architect of the Capitol. Mr. White, we would first like to hear about the completion of the New Senate Office Building. Let us know what your plans are with respect to how you are going to award contracts for engineering and architectural fees for construction. What is the situation with respect to hearing rooms in the new part, and what plans are being made to plan the new space so that people, such as auditors and bookkeepers in the Capitol, could be moved to the new space, thereby releasing urgently needed space in the Capitol for Senate and House conferences and committee meetings. What plans are there, if any, for extension of the subway? Also, what will develop with the present parking facilities when construction is started? In other words, we will take away several hundred parking spaces during the period of construction. Would they be parked for example in that triangle we will turn into a lot near Union Station? What eating facilities, if any, are contemplated in the New Senate Office Building section? EXTENSION TO NEW SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Mr. WHITE. Speaking to your questions in more or less that order, Mr. Chairman, it is proposed to award a contract for professional services for the design of the building as has been done in the past. We would modify the process to some degree as experience has borne out the need to do so, in order that professionals would be selected in a professional manner. We intend to select three, four, or five architectural firms possessing the highest quality of professional ability through consultation both with the Senate Office Building Commission and the Senate Public Works Committee, in accordance with the bill itself. We intend to make recommendations as to which firm should be afforded the first opportunity for detailed discussion as to their desire to do the work and the amount of compensation that they would charge. In other words, we would negotiate first with the firm that we judged most desirable and then with the others in descending order, if necessary. CHANGES IN ORIGINAL DESIGN TO ACCOMMODATE BELMONT HOUSE Senator HOLLINGS. Let me stop you at that point. On the subject of the architect himself or herself as the case may be, and if you can get a group of architects that are all women, more power to you, is not the design for the New Senate Office Building already fixed? Wasn't the overall design approved when the original plans were drawn and then only half of it, what is now the New Senate Office Building, was built. Is this not the other part of the very same design? Mr. WHITE. That is partially correct, in that there was a design for the existing building which contemplated subsequent construction on the whole square. As I understand it, since that time, the Belmont House in that square has been declared an historic building. Later sketches, after the completion of this first half of the building, were made in order to accommodate changes so that the Belmont House could be preserved. Therefore, the original plan for using the entire square really, at this point, is no longer completely valid. Further, I believe there were a number of other changes made such as the proposal for the center portion of the building to cross through, which would divide the center court into two squares. There were preparations made for that purpose that you can see extending above the garage structure in the form of stubs of columns. These were to form the structure for a wing crossing from one side to the other. I have a photograph of a drawing here indicating the proposed plan at that time. You will notice on the upper portion of this photograph, that the building has been shaped to accommodate this historic property and then made symmetrical on both sides. This shows the plan within the buildings. These are very simple sketches. Here are photographs that you might want to see showing the building as it exists. There had been a proposal to build a structure down the center at one time, as I have indicated. NEW PLANS FOR BUILDING Senator HOLLINGS. That is not the plan at the moment? Mr. WHITE. It isn't as I view it. In other words, I think we have a new set of circumstances now. I don't think there is an original concept which we can follow closely at this point. SENATE BUILDINGS COMMISSION Senator HOLLINGS. We still have the Senate Office Buildings Commission, do we not? Mr. WHITE. Yes. Senator HOLLINGS. That is Senator Sparkman's Commission and that has House and Senate Members. Excuse me, just Senate Members. Mr. WHITE. We have not had an opportunity because of the time element to discuss the design with this Commission in any detail. Senator HOLLINGS. They would really have the primary obligation for the design? Mr. WHITE. Under S. 3917, the plans are to be approved by both the Commission and the Public Works Committee. I don't think we are committed to the outside design of the existing building if we can find a better solution. Senator HOLLINGS. How would you do that? If you tie it on to the other half, it has to conform to that first half, does it not? Mr. WHITE. There might be a transition structure created that would lend itself to altering the design. It may be that the only solution that is a good one is to continue the existing design. Senator HOLLINGS. You do not plan to alter the design of the already constructed portion do you? Mr. WHITE. No, we would not do that. There are opportunities for some examination of the concept to be made. I think we ought not to go ahead before we study it. It has not been studied except in broad terms. ELIMINATION OF PAST COMPLAINTS IN NEW DESIGN Senator YOUNG. When the last Senate Office Building was constructed, I understand the design had been prepared several years 79-950 O 72 pt. 1 - 10 before, so that several mistakes were made. For example, there were only two elevators in the busiest corner of the Capitol. We had to put more in there. In the new office building, will we have the same problem? Has this been taken care of; are the elevators in the proper place? EXTENSION OF SUBWAY Mr. WHITE. Yes. We will see to that. We have not looked into the matter of whether the subway should be extended. I would say it should not. An extension would be very expensive. The funding we have asked for does not encompass that. Senator YOUNG. One would have a long way to walk from that far corner. Mr. WHITE. That is something we should look into during the design stages. Senator HOLLINGS. Is Senator Sparkman still a member of the Commission? Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir; he is the chairman. Senator YOUNG. How far would those people in the new addition that you are going to build have to walk to get to the subway cars? At present, they have to walk about a block and a half. It seems to me they would have about two blocks to walk, is that correct? Mr. WHITE. That is correct insofar as those in the northeast corner of the building are concerned. Senator HOLLINGS. It seems you are going to have to plan some connecting line. Put it in there and let the Commission deny it, if they see fit, rather than you getting in trouble by leaving it out. Mr. WHITE. We are, of course, going to seek the best solution. We will do whatever is required to find that solution. Judgments will take place. All designs are a compromise. You decide if certain features are worth the money or if you will do without them. We hope to bring that kind of choices to the Commission. AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING SYSTEMS Senator YOUNG. In your air conditioning and heating system-the mechanics that fix my air conditioning system say that the company who originally designed the units is no longer in existence. Are we going to get some good company this time? Mr. WHITE. We will certainly get the best contractor we can under competitive bid procedures. Senator YOUNG. It is inconceivable that in a comparatively new building we have a system where the company who made the system is out of business. Currently, if we have to replace parts, they have to be made. Mr. WHITE. We will make every effort to avoid future circumstances of that nature. Senator HOLLINGS. The architects ought to keep a compendium of all the previous mistakes. Mr. WHITE. In defense of the designers of that building, they have come to me recently, within the past year, saying that they had asked |