Clark Construction Wins $524M Contract to Build CISA Headquarters

Project will raise the sustainability standard for D.C. government buildings, says GSA

The 630,000-sq-ft Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's project, funded in part by IRA monies, falls under the Biden administration's federal building sustainability plan.

Rendering courtesy U.S. General Services Administration

The U.S. General Services Administration awarded a $524-million contract to Clark Construction for the 630,000-sq-ft Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. GSA officials say the CISA project will set a new sustainability standard for the performance of federal buildings in the D.C. area.

GSA anticipates the building's energy use intensity will be 72% lower than EUIs of typical office buildings in the region. Plans by ZGF Architects and Olin Studio call for incorporating low embodied-carbon materials and sustainable systems, including a high-performance envelope, chilled beams, advanced lighting controls and a dedicated outdoor air system with energy recovery and demand-controlled ventilation.

“Our work here also demonstrates how we can incorporate sustainable practices,” said Elliot Doomes, GSA's public buildings service commissioner, in a statement.

GSA says this is its largest project to date funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The $115.8 million includes $80 million toward the purchase of low embodied-carbon building materials and about $35 million to meet the high-performance criteria. The IRA included $3.4 billion for GSA to put its buying power behind low embodied-carbon materials.

The project falls under the Biden administration’s federal sustainability plan, which is aimed at achieving net-zero operational emissions for federal buildings, as well as its Buy Clean initiative prioritizing materials associated with lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions during their production.

The CISA headquarters site is at the 176-acre St. Elizabeths West Campus, where Clark Construction previously worked on the $435-million U.S. Coast Guard headquarters project more than a decade ago. The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, which includes CISA, is now working to consolidate its offices at the campus.

“This facility will help safeguard our nation’s cyber landscape while setting new standards in sustainable building for federal agencies,” said Joe Hogan, Clark's group CEO, in a statement.

James Leggate is an online news editor at ENR. He has reported on a variety of issues for more than 10 years and his work has contributed to several regional Associated Press Media Editors and Murrow award wins.