New Executive Office Building
Encyclopedia
The New Executive Office Building (NEOB) is an U.S. federal government
office building in Washington, D.C.
, for the executive branch
.
The building is located at 725 17th Street NW, on the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue
. To the south is the Old Executive Office Building
(Eisenhower Executive Office Building), which is next to the White House
. The other sides are bounded by 17th Street NW (west), H Street NW
(north), and Jackson Place
and Lafayette Park (east). Within the same block
are several buildings: Blair House
, Trowbridge House
, and Renwick Gallery
in the south and the Decatur House
to the north.
Known as Federal Office Building #7, it was built from 1965 to 1969 and is ten stories tall, similar to the height of the Old Executive Office Building. According to Michael J. Bednar of the University of Virginia School of Architecture
, "Four taller office buildings dating to earlier in the 20th century were demolished and replaced with next rowhouse
office builds. One has an open base to serve as an entry to the New Executive Office Building via courtyard
. The historic structures were preserved and rehabilitated for smaller federal agencies. The New Executive Office Building has an offset H-shaped plan with a long brick
facade
along 17th Street."
The building was designed by architect
John Carl Warnecke
, who also designed 722 Jackson Place and the National Courts Building
(717 Madison Place
) on the opposite side of Lafayette Park during the same period. Warnecke sought to "harmonize [the structures] with Lafayette Square's historic character and retained the domestic facades but joined the separate interiors."
According to Shelley Lynne Tomkin in Inside OMB, most Office of Management and Budget civil service
employees work in the NEOB, while most OMB political appointees work across the street in the Old Executive Office Building.
In Andrew Greeley's
novel Bishop in the West Wing, the narrator describes the New Executive Office as "horrendously ugly" and states that it reminds him of a "19th-century Jesuit
college, except its high ceilings and empty corridors seemed to go on forever."
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
office building in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, for the executive branch
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
.
The building is located at 725 17th Street NW, on the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...
. To the south is the Old Executive Office Building
Old Executive Office Building
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building , formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building and as the State, War, and Navy Building, is an office building in Washington, D.C., just west of the White House...
(Eisenhower Executive Office Building), which is next to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The other sides are bounded by 17th Street NW (west), H Street NW
H Street (Washington, D.C.)
H Street is an east-west street in Washington, D.C.. It is also used as an alternate name for the Near Northeast neighborhood, as H Street is the neighborhood's main commercial strip.-History:...
(north), and Jackson Place
Jackson Place
Jackson Place, located across from the White House, forms the western border of Lafayette Square between Pennsylvania Avenue and H Street, NW in Washington, D.C.. The block is lined by several townhouses, which date back to the late 19th century...
and Lafayette Park (east). Within the same block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
are several buildings: Blair House
Blair House
Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States. It is located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., opposite the Old Executive Office Building of the White House, off the corner of Lafayette Park....
, Trowbridge House
Blair House
Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States. It is located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., opposite the Old Executive Office Building of the White House, off the corner of Lafayette Park....
, and Renwick Gallery
Renwick Gallery
The Renwick Gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, located in Washington, D.C., and focuses on American craft and decorative arts from the 19th century to the 21st century...
in the south and the Decatur House
Decatur House
Decatur House is a historic home in Washington, D.C., named after its first owner and occupant Stephen Decatur. The house is located northwest of Lafayette Square, at the southwest corner of Jackson Place and H Street, near the White House...
to the north.
Known as Federal Office Building #7, it was built from 1965 to 1969 and is ten stories tall, similar to the height of the Old Executive Office Building. According to Michael J. Bednar of the University of Virginia School of Architecture
University of Virginia School of Architecture
The School of Architecture at the University of Virginia is a national leader in architectural education, conferring degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Architectural History, and Urban and Environmental Planning...
, "Four taller office buildings dating to earlier in the 20th century were demolished and replaced with next rowhouse
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
office builds. One has an open base to serve as an entry to the New Executive Office Building via courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
. The historic structures were preserved and rehabilitated for smaller federal agencies. The New Executive Office Building has an offset H-shaped plan with a long brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
along 17th Street."
The building was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
John Carl Warnecke
John Carl Warnecke
John Carl Warnecke was an architect based in San Francisco, California, who designed numerous notable monuments and structures in the Modernist, Bauhaus, and other similar styles. He was an early proponent of contextual architecture. Among his more notable buildings and projects are the Hawaii...
, who also designed 722 Jackson Place and the National Courts Building
Howard T. Markey National Courts Building
The Howard T. Markey National Courts Building is a courthouse in Washington, D.C., which houses the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit...
(717 Madison Place
Madison Place
Madison Place is a one-block street located in northwest Washington, D.C., across from the White House. It forms the eastern border of Lafayette Square between Pennsylvania Avenue and H Street NW. Buildings on Madison Place include the Howard T...
) on the opposite side of Lafayette Park during the same period. Warnecke sought to "harmonize [the structures] with Lafayette Square's historic character and retained the domestic facades but joined the separate interiors."
According to Shelley Lynne Tomkin in Inside OMB, most Office of Management and Budget civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
employees work in the NEOB, while most OMB political appointees work across the street in the Old Executive Office Building.
In Andrew Greeley's
Andrew Greeley
Father Andrew M. Greeley is an Irish-American Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist and fiction writer....
novel Bishop in the West Wing, the narrator describes the New Executive Office as "horrendously ugly" and states that it reminds him of a "19th-century Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
college, except its high ceilings and empty corridors seemed to go on forever."
External links
- Map from WikiMapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...
- Profile from EmporisEmporisEmporis GmbH is a real estate data mining company with headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. The company collects and publishes data and photographs of buildings worldwide....