Executive Order 13967: Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture
President: Donald J. Trump
Set a preference for traditional civic architecture in covered federal buildings and created a council to advise on federal building design.
Status: Revoked. Is Executive Order 13967 still in effect? No. Executive Order 14018 revoked Executive Order 13967 on February 24, 2021. Later architecture measures were issued separately, including EO 14344 on August 28, 2025.
What does Executive Order 13967 do?
EO 13967 changed design preferences for covered federal civic buildings. It favored classical and other traditional architecture, made classical architecture the preferred and default approach for covered federal buildings in Washington, DC, and directed that designs convey civic dignity and respect. The administration’s judgments about attractive buildings were policy positions, not findings that every modern design failed its users. Official source.
The coverage was specific: federal courthouses and agency headquarters, federal public buildings in Washington, and other federal public buildings costing more than $50 million in 2020 dollars to design, build and finish. Infrastructure and land ports of entry were excluded. Traditional architecture was broader than a single Greek or Roman style; the definitions included regionally rooted styles such as Pueblo Revival and Spanish Colonial. Official source.
The order established an advisory council including the Commission of Fine Arts, the Architect of the Capitol and senior GSA design officials. It told GSA to obtain advice and consider affected communities while establishing a presidential notification process for a proposed departure from preferred architecture. It did not identify an individual building that must immediately be demolished or redesigned, nor did it enact a new congressional construction appropriation. Official source.
Before and after
Before the order
GSA previously selected federal building designs under its existing public-building authorities and design procedures. There was no council or 30-day presidential notification requirement established by EO 13967. Existing construction and commemorative-work statutes continued to govern projects regardless of style. Official source.
After the order
GSA acquired a new policy preference and a reporting obligation for departures, while the council was to recommend procedural updates before September 30, 2021. Biden’s EO 14018 revoked the order February 24, 2021, before the council’s planned termination date. Trump returned to architectural preferences through a January 2025 memorandum and EO 14344 in August 2025; those later instructions have their own texts and do not make the revoked 2020 order continuously effective. Official source.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| GSA Administrator | Follow design policies; support the council; obtain relevant advice and notify President of proposed divergent covered designs with justification and lifetime-cost comparisons. | Notification at least 30 days before GSA could reject design without substantial expenditure. |
| President’s Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture | Recommend GSA policy and procedure updates, including relevant commemorative-design procedures. | Report before September 30, 2021; original council termination on that date unless extended. |
| Commission of Fine Arts members and Secretary / Architect of the Capitol / GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner and Chief Architect | Serve on the council and participate in its recommendations. | While council operated; no separate individual deadline. |
| Council Chair | Direct council work, designate vice chair or subcommittees as needed. | During council operation. |
| GSA staff | Supply requested relevant information and, as directed, assist council work. | On Administrator’s direction; no fixed deadline. |
| Domestic-policy adviser | Receive GSA departure notification for the President. | Within the required presidential notice process. |
What happened next
Trump signs EO 13967. Official source
EO 14018 expressly revokes the order. Official source
EO 14344 creates a later federal architecture policy framework. Official source
Legal and source detail
Sources by type
The order referenced the public-building definition in 40 U.S.C. 3301 and the Commemorative Works Act for relevant design recommendations. It also provided for Federal Advisory Committee Act administration where applicable and permitted travel reimbursement under 5 U.S.C. 5701–5707. These provisions constrained how the advisory and design process operated; aesthetic preference did not remove statutory approvals. Implementation was subject to law and existing appropriations, with agency powers and OMB functions preserved. Official source.
Primary and official sources
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →
Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: EO 14018 expressly revoked this order. Official source. The cited steps do not establish every downstream effect.