U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters

HOK provided landscape architecture and interior design services for the Coast Guard’s LEED Gold headquarters, an 11-story project commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration in Washington’s Anacostia neighborhood.

HOK’s design for the step-down courtyards, edges and green roofs provides continuity between the surrounding woodlands and an adjacent  historic government campus. Rainwater that falls onto the green roofs permeates through the plant roots and soil and into a drainage system that leads to a stormwater pond for reuse in irrigation. Large amounts of soil were removed from this previously contaminated site and replaced with custom soil blends.

Interior spaces include open and private office areas, a main lobby and senior executive suite, a conference center, a childcare facility, a medical clinic, a law library and two commercial-grade kitchens. Together with the zinc panels on the exterior, hardwood wall panels and floors contribute to a nautical aesthetic.

Occupancy and photo sensors help regulate interior lighting, while manually controlled interior shades prevent glare. Combined with lower ambient light levels and task lighting, the design greatly reduces the building’s overall lighting power density and energy use.