Architect of the Capitol AOC

The office traces its history to William Thornton, whose design for the Capitol was accepted in 1793, and to the line of architects who supervised its construction, rebuilding after 1814, and expansion. The title and the agency evolved over the nineteenth century into a permanent operation. For most of its history the Architect was appointed by the President, but under a 2019 law the Architect is now chosen by a congressional commission of House and Senate leaders and committee heads for a ten-year term.

Despite the title, the Architect today runs a large facilities and engineering agency of more than two thousand employees. It maintains the Capitol, the House and Senate office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, the Supreme Court building and grounds, the Capitol Power Plant, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, and it manages more than five hundred acres of grounds. It also runs the Capitol Visitor Center and oversees long-running restoration projects such as the renewal of the Cannon House Office Building.

The office drew unusual attention in 2023, when President Biden removed Architect Brett Blanton after an inspector general report found misuse of agency vehicles and other misconduct, the first such removal. Congress then completed the shift of appointment power to itself. The current Architect, Thomas Austin, was appointed by the congressional commission in 2024.