Leslie Shepherd, AIA

by Tracy Ostroff
Associate Editor

Summary: Leslie Shepherd, AIA, is the General Services Administration’s new Chief Architect. GSA commissions and builds many of the nation’s high-profile public buildings, including courthouses, border stations, agency headquarters, regional offices, and labs. Shepherd is responsible for GSA's Design Excellence Program for all new construction and major repair projects as well as Art in Architecture commissions, more than $1 billion of work annually.

Education: BArch from Texas Tech, 1983.

First job: I have always been gung-ho about architecture. Right out of school, I went to work for Sproul Development and was assigned to a project that had been my thesis. After that, I took a position at Barker-Boll Architects in Albuquerque. By 1986, I was licensed and went into business for myself in late 1986 doing residential and light commercial work. It was the mid- and late-’80s, a tough period for architecture, but I made things happen. I did tenant improvements and a couple of projects with the State of New Mexico, commissions that gave me an appreciation for what it takes to run a small business and a disdain for unnecessary bureaucracy.

Hobbies: I know I should say something like reading and skiing, but the truth is my big hobby is my house. When we moved here 10 years ago, we bought a house that was “full of opportunities,” and I’ve taken advantage of that situation. Over the years, I have personally transformed almost every corner of the house and the yard. Now we have four great bedrooms, a terrific den, and living room nestled into a wooded Virginia site, and a kitchen that is the center of the whole place. I’m down to one bedroom and one bath to finish the interior. In about a year, it will all be done. Then, I guess, I will either have to find a new hobby or a new house. That and work are my life.

Entry to public service: I don’t think many kids in school think about architecture and a career in government. I know I didn’t. But it has been an incredible experience. It started when a former colleague who worked at GSA called out of the blue and convinced me to join the agency’s regional office in San Francisco. In less than a year, I was managing a $100 million renovation of the San Francisco Federal Building. My next job was to manage the design and construction of the new Las Vegas Courthouse, a $93 million project designed by Mehrdad Yazdani. Then came a chance to move to Washington, D.C. I recalled a summer internship I did with HABS [Historic American Building Survey] in D.C. while I was in school and thought Washington was the center of the universe. I applied for a position and moved in 1996. I went to work as director of the field support division for the office of Design and Construction. About a year later, I started working for Ed Feiner, FAIA, as his deputy in what was to become the Office of the Chief Architect and then as Director for the Center for Federal Buildings and Modernizations. It was a career path that opened my eyes to the importance of developing great public buildings—both for our customers and for the American people. And now, as chief architect, I am at the heart of that mission.

Vision statement for GSA and the Office of the Chief Architect: In 1962, the Guiding Principals for Federal Architecture, written by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, mandated that the federal government seek the finest in contemporary architecture, art, and urban design. Today, this means selecting the best possible lead designers and A/E teams for federal projects, and I think we have a well-tested process for doing that. We stress quality, balance, and authenticity in that selection, and we have been able to commission many of the best architects in the country to do federal projects. The principal reason things work well is that GSA has a terrific staff both here in Washington, D.C., and in all 11 regional offices, architects and engineers who support and deliver the program. We also seek out the wisdom of distinguished private-sector peers in our design process. Finally, GSA has raised its focus on high-performance buildings—buildings that meet customer needs, exceed their expectations, and cost less to operate and run.

In GSA’s pipeline: We have a couple of important initiatives. The first has to do with BIM (building information modeling). At this point, we are using this 4-D modeling for spatial data to benchmark and analyze facilities. Ultimately, we will take BIM through construction, commissioning, and building management. It is a tool that promises to transform the design and construction industry. For GSA, interoperability will also be an important goal in this arena as we seek to share information across a national database. A second exciting effort is the upcoming publication of a new urban design guide for our projects. This will help us with siting and urban features and promote the better integration of perimeter security with critical GSA and community site objectives.

On working with the AIA: Our collaboration with the AIA has been essential to the success of Design Excellence. We signed a partnering charter with the AIA in 1996, shortly after I arrived in Washington. Mutual initiatives have included discussions on the lead designer-A/E team selection process, openness and security, and preservation strategies for buildings from the ’60s and ’70s. Now, we are in the very early stages of planning for another symposium with the AIA and newly appointed Architectural Fellow, Thomas Gordon Smith, FAIA, entitled “Meaning and Form, The Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture in the 21st Century.” I also look forward to working with the AIA on other priorities that include perimeter security design, integrated practice, spatial data management practices, and high-performance sustainability initiatives. One thing that has contributed to this dynamic partnership has been location—GSA’s headquarters is directly across the street from the AIA headquarters.

The symbolism of federal architecture: This is an enormous responsibility and challenge. We’ve built most of the large courthouses, so now our attention turns to the midsize courts in cities like Rockford, Ill., and Mobile, Ala. These represent the federal presence and federal government in those communities, and it is vital that what we do enhance the life and success of those cities. In approaching this challenge, I like to highlight the principle that there is no one federal style. Each city and each location is going to suggest what a particular commission wants to be. It needs to fit into and work with the existing environment. This cannot be predetermined. We hire architects from across the country and have a requirement that 35 percent of the work be done in the state in which a building is located. This helps assure that what we build is appropriate to the city and the region.

On Design Excellence and architects: I am thrilled to lead GSA’s design program. Be it working with our distinguished peers or with the architects we commission for our projects, the collaboration with fellow professionals from across the design spectrum is one of the most rewarding aspects of this position. Every time I am involved with a peer review or hear about the challenging decisions made by our selection panels, I appreciate how much architects give back to this program. It is exciting work. I am honored to be able to lead this effort. And it has been a unique pleasure to get to know my fellow professionals and all the valuable contributions they make to Design Excellence, to GSA, and to our nation and the American people.