One such example was the choice of stone for the Capitol—unique in its day and nearly unheard of in America as many iconic American structures of the time were built of brick, such as Independence Hall and the Maryland Statehouse. However, George Washington and others involved in planning the Capitol envisioned a building that would be both grand and sustainable.

"George Washington never would have recognized the word—but building for permanence has sustainability. Its good ol' American practicality," says Bill Allen, AOC Historic Preservation Officer. "Building for the ages means you dont have to redo it."

Most of the buildings under the AOC's jurisdiction have been designed and built with materials that have been planned to last 100 years or more, and construction materials are recycled. The most recent example is the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). Materials used there, such as sandstone, dolomite limestone, and marble, were chosen for their quality and durability and 50% of the construction waste was recycled.

"Relying on nature versus manmade mechanics is something the AOC has been doing for a long time," says Allen.

The AOC applies modern sustainability standards and techniques that maintain modern expectations of comfort and practicality, while preserving the heritage of the buildings.

Major projects, such as the House Committee on Science and Technology renovation, incorporate sustainable design features. In the Committee suite, the AOC installed lighting control systems where the electricity is metered, used rapidly renewable materials and certified wood, and recycled more than 12 tons of construction waste. Materials containing recycled content were installed wherever possible such as acoustical ceiling tiles, resilient flooring, sheet rock, doors and medium density fiberboard. Whenever possible, construction materials were purchased from within a 500 mile radius.

The AOC's Senate Electrical Division is also taking steps to reduce energy consumption—replacing existing lighting ballasts with new, significantly smarter ones. In the Senate Office Buildings alone, there are 30,000 light fixtures, and replacing them with modern smart systems has the ability to dramatically reduce energy usage. Likewise, an initiative is being undertaken in the House Office Buildings, starting with the installation of energy efficient LED lights in the Rayburn building's cafeteria this spring.

This work across the Capitol Complex serves as an early jump on that which will be conducted in the months ahead through the energy savings performance contract (ESPC). An ESPC is a partnership between an energy services company (ESCO) and its customer formed for the puprose of financing and implementing cost-saving, energy-efficiency improvements. The ESCO pays the upfront cost of purchasing and installing new equipment, and the customer repays the ESCO over the life of the contract from the energy savings resulting from the project.

"Our mission is to preserve and protect the national treasures entrusted to our care. It just makes perfect sense to fulfill our mission using sustainable practices. Not only is it the right thing to do to preserve the U.S. Capitol, it will also help protect our planet for future generations," noted Stephen Ayers, Architect of the Capitol.

While George Washington might not have recognized the term "sustainability," he certainly would recognize the building materials and processes in use at the Capitol today. And, he might think that the AOC's "good ol' American practicality" was sustaining history well into the future.