CLIENT General Services Administration
PROGRAM 185,000 square feet Federal Office Building
COST $30 million
STATUS Completed 2004
The devastation that was witnessed on April 19, 1995 will never leave the minds of Americans. 168 people perished in the aftermath of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The General Services Administration immediately sought to replace the facility.
The building site is a transition zone between the Central Business District and the North Downtown neighborhood. Security design is paramount to the Federal employees and its neighbors. Building mass, glazing inside the courtyard, and bollards help to maintain a sense of security. This new facility is about the future, seeking to reunite the federal community and stand as a symbol of
freedom.
The 185,000 square foot building is constructed on a 2 city block site, one block north and west of the former Murrah Building site. This neglected part of the city is plagued by surface parking lots and rare green space. To help the economic revitalization of the neighborhood, the historic city grid is maintained to encourage pedestrian and
vehicular traffic creating active street life and a sense of community.
Security design was incorporated based on the GSAs current Standards for secure facilities including blast resistant glazing. Structural design resists progressive collapse. The building was designed to receive a LEED Silver Rating.
Sustainable design initiatives and workplace productivity are maximized and include daylighting and ergonomics. Most expanses of curtainwall in the building are oriented
to the north, northeast, and northwest and have shading elements to limit the impact of western summer sun. The
south facing curtainwall is protected with a combination of shading elements and a deep roof overhang.
The Art in Architecture component of the building incorporates a water feature that acts as an additional
security barrier. The boulders for this Brad Goldberg designed fountain were farmed from an Oklahoma Buffalo
ranch. Artist Doug Hollis installed 46 star sculptures around the building, commemorating Oklahoma as the 46th
of the United States of America.
Associate Architect and Engineer
Atkins Benham Inc.
Landscape Architect
Sasaki Associates
Photographer
Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing