As the third largest government facility in the Washington, D.C. region, the new 2.4 million SF National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) headquarters is the largest U.S. Federal Government building to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The joint venture design team of RTKL and KlingStubbins applied an integrated design approach to sustainability, while achieving NGA’s objectives to enhance their organizational vision of cultural transformation by unifying the workforce in a collaborative, mission-focused facility. NGA’s unique mission focuses on intelligence derived from the exploration of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth, also known as Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT). From the beginning of the project, the client presented a clear objective: to reinforce and enhance the organization’s vision and to achieve a unifying, collaborative and mission-focused cultural transformation. Inspired by this mission and the organization’s motto, “Know the Earth, Show the Way, Understand the World” the design team developed a LEED strategy that reflected these ideas. In turn, the sustainability elements became part of the revamped cultural identity, while remaining true to the agency’s basic ethos.Working alongside NGA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Clark/Balfour Beatty, RTKL-KlingStubbins created an exemplary plan that led to the LEED Gold certification. The result is a facility that successfully integrates design, cultural values and mission, while providing a collaborative and contemporary environment for employees and visitors. The new NGA headquarters not only visually links the organization, but also realizes the client’s cultural and design visions, building a synergistic NGA workforce equipped for the future.
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