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The US Department of Homeland Security’s St Elizabeths West Campus building. (Image: US Department of Homeland Security/Benjamin Applebaum)

The plan consists of constructing a 630,000 sq ft (58,529 sq m) federal building for CISA; an agency created in 2018 within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is responsible for cybersecurity and infrastructure protection across all levels of government.

Receiving more than $115 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act, the GSA said the CISA scheme is the agency’s “largest single IRA project investment to date.”

The agency building will be located at the site of the former St Elizabeths Hospital West Campus, which was founded under the name Government Hospital for the Insane in 1855 as the first federally operated psychiatric hospital in the US.

Stewardship of the site was transferred to GSA in 2004. DHS consolidated its Washington D.C. operations to the west campus in 2009. Remaining medical operations were moved to the St Elizabeths Hopsital East Campus.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said, “Bringing the extraordinary Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to the Department of Homeland Security’s St Elizabeths Campus will better facilitate collaboration across our components and offices and inspire cohesive work to ensure our nation’s infrastructure is secure and resilient.”

GSA emphasising sustainable build with new CISA HQ

Entry to field office of the US Department of Homeland Security. (Image: Adobe Stock)

GSA said the project will emphasise use of sustainable construction materials and methods.

“The investment includes approximately $80 million to purchase low-embodied carbon construction materials including asphalt, concrete, glass and steel, and $35 million to meet high-performance green building standards,” said GSA.

Planning for an energy-use-of-intensity of 28.9 British thermal units (BTUs) per-sq-ft per-year, GSA said the structure’s energy needs will be reduced 72% “compared to typical office buildings.”

“Additionally, the project includes sustainable design features such as chilled beams, a dedicated outside air system with energy recovery and demand-controlled ventilation, advanced lighting controls, and a high-performance building envelope,” said GSA. “Lastly, the project is anticipated to achieve LEED Gold v4 certification using the building design and construction standards set forth by the US Green Building Council.”