It stresses creativity in the design of buildings with the intent of  constructing spaces that meet the tenant’s functional needs while also  becoming public landmarks. GSA Made Design Choices That Decreased and Increased O&M Costs

		Some GSA Design Choices Have Decreased O&M Costs

According to interviews with GSA officials and building tenants, GSA has  made choices in some Design Excellence buildings intended to reduce  long-term O&M costs. 2). Low-maintenance landscaping. 3). Managers from 67 of 78 Design Excellence  buildings reported their buildings’ multistory atriums and lobbies  increased O&M costs. 4). GSA Does Not Fully Consider O&M and Functionality Effects When Making Design Choices

With the Design Excellence Program, GSA aims to create buildings that  are cost-effective and function well for tenants. Specifically, GSA building and regional  managers at several of the buildings we visited stated that they were  never, or seldom, consulted on O&M costs and issues during the design  process, nor did they have an opportunity to review design documents. Design Excellence Buildings Generally Function Well, but Some Costly Design Choices Did Not Improve Functionality

Most design choices made for Design Excellence buildings, including the  shape and size of courtrooms and the lighting in hallways, have had a  positive effect on overall building functionality (i.e., helped the tenant  agency achieve its mission), according to officials we surveyed and  interviewed. By taking a “one size fits all” approach and not considering  the functionality of design choices, such as how a building’s location and  intended use will affect the public’s ability to see the exterior and interior,  GSA may be selecting design choices that increase O&M costs without  improving functionality. GSA Does Not Systematically Collect and Share Information on Common O&M Cost Experiences That Could Affect Design Choices

According to GSA officials, GSA currently does not systematically collect  and share information on how design choices made for previous Design  Excellence projects have affected O&M costs with the project teams— consisting of a project manager, contracting officer, and other GSA  officials—that are responsible for overseeing the planning and design of  new buildings. For example, GSA has evaluated  the performance of 6 out of 78 Design Excellence buildings. Without a  formalized process for systematically collecting and sharing how design  choices affected O&M costs in existing buildings, designs for future  Design Excellence buildings may not benefit from the successful  strategies used by others to reduce O&M costs or may continue to repeat  problematic choices that may result in increased O&M costs. (Recommendation 1)
The Administrator of the General Services Administration should  update existing procedures to require GSA officials to obtain  information from personnel responsible for addressing the operations  and maintenance consequences of design choices at key decision  points during the planning and design of new Design Excellence  buildings. GAO staff who made key contributions to this  report are listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report assesses the extent to which: (1) the General Services  Administration (GSA) made design choices that affect operations and  maintenance (O&M) costs; (2) GSA considers O&M costs and  functionality when planning and designing buildings; and (3) GSA  systematically collects and shares information on O&M costs related to  design choices in existing buildings. We also conducted a web-based survey of GSA building managers  responsible for overseeing O&M for the 78 Design Excellence buildings  included in our review. We visited 10 Design Excellence buildings in three GSA regions to view  design choices and O&M activities. In addition, we compared GSA’s efforts to consider  these costs in the planning and design of Design Excellence buildings to  guidance from GSA and the Office of Management and Budget that  directs agency officials to consider and strive for the lowest possible  costs, including O&M costs, when designing buildings.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since 1994, GSA has spent more than $8 billion to construct 78 new federal buildings through its Design Excellence program. Some design choices can affect a building's O&M costs and functionality.
GAO was asked to review GSA's ability to manage O&M costs under the Design Excellence program. This report assesses the extent to which: (1) GSA's design choices affect O&M costs; (2) GSA considers O&M costs and functionality when planning and designing buildings; and (3) GSA systematically collects and shares information on O&M costs.
GAO conducted a web-based survey of building managers for the 78 Design Excellence buildings. GAO also visited 10 Design Excellence buildings in three GSA regions selected based on several factors, including geographic and agency diversity. GAO reviewed GSA documents, and interviewed GSA officials and building tenants. Information obtained through site visits and interviews is not generalizable.

What GAO Found

The goals of the General Services Administration's (GSA) Design Excellence Program are to creatively design federal buildings that meet federal agencies' functional needs and become public landmarks. Some design choices for Design Excellence buildings have decreased ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, but others have increased those costs. GSA's building managers and tenants told GAO that design choices that have reduced O&M costs include the use of durable materials and low maintenance landscaping. Other design choices have increased O&M costs. For example, according to GAO's survey of 78 building managers of Design Excellence buildings, multistory atriums often led to additional O&M costs, including the need to erect expensive scaffolding for maintenance.
While GSA aims to create Design Excellence buildings that are cost-effective and functional, it makes design choices without fully considering their effect on O&M costs and functionality. For example, GSA officials do not estimate the majority of O&M costs, such as the building maintenance associated with their design choices until the design is almost finalized. This outcome is partly because GSA procedures do not direct GSA officials to develop such estimates during the design and planning of Design Excellence buildings and because building and regional managers responsible for addressing the O&M consequences are also not involved in the design and planning process. As a result, important cost information that could help building project teams make the most cost-effective design choices is not available to help them. In addition, while building managers GAO surveyed reported that GSA's design choices generally support a building's functionality, they also reported that some design choices increased O&M costs without improving functionality. For example, they identified design choices related to material color and lighting that increased O&M costs but did not enhance the functionality of the building for the tenants.
Although GSA has developed some information on how design choices can affect O&M costs, it does not consistently collect and share such information. For example, GSA has evaluated the performance of only six Design Excellence buildings, and does not systematically collect information on how design choices have affected O&M costs in all existing buildings. Without a process to collect and share such information, future buildings may not benefit from these lessons, and problematic choices may be repeated.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making four recommendations to update existing GSA procedures for planning and designing new buildings to: (1) estimate full O&M costs; (2) obtain information from personnel responsible for addressing the O&M consequences of design decisions; (3) further consider how design choices may affect building functionality; and (4) systematically collect and share lessons from existing buildings. GSA agreed with these recommendations.