Ducts in a Row

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) Legislative and Public Affairs team arrived in the Ford House Office Building with plenty of experience working underground. Previously, we were stationed in the U.S. Capitol's basement in a space adjacent to the stone-walled room where George Washington would have been interred had he not been buried at Mount Vernon. Like many teams at the AOC, we'd adjusted to the occasional chilliness typical in older buildings. But this time, no one was prepared for the draftiness.

In the early winter mornings at the Ford Building, our room's four thermostats displayed low, uncomfortable temperatures: 67 to 68 degrees on average. Pressing buttons to adjust the heat proved futile. As we shivered, we discussed what sorts of sweaters and blankets we'd keep at our desks. But thanks to the work of the expert House Office Buildings' Direct Digital Control (DDC) Mechanics, we never had to invest in new layers.

Behind the Scenes

A call to Charles Day, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Electronics Mechanic Leader, was our first step in creating a more hospitable office environment. Day and his team are experts in DDC systems, which use a computerized Building Automation System Network (BASnet) to monitor different components of HVAC systems. The tool displays HVAC operations in real-time, pinpointing equipment faults and communication issues that prevent the normal flow of air needed to maintain comfortable room temperatures in a building. This means that for the DDC team, communication is more than interpersonal. They must be able to speak the system's language, too, and translate their knowledge into workable solutions.

House Office Buildings DDC Mechanics, from left to right: Jakob Mullins, Christopher Clinton and Charles Day; Clinton and Mullins work together to examine wiring in a Rayburn HVAC control panel.

Since they couldn't peek behind the office walls without cutting into them, they used DDC tools to determine if a broken steam booster heater was at fault. Indeed, the heater's control valve wasn't operating as designed. Small repairs to the wiring brought the heat back on, but it still didn't circulate into the office. From there, they were able to determine that a closed safety damper prohibited airflow throughout our wing of the Ford Building. The team reopened the damper, and — thankfully! — their finesse resulted in maintained, controllable and comfortable temperatures.

Day says it's projects like these that remind him of the reason he pursued this trade in the first place. "All along, my goal has been to refine my controls skills while using the position I'm in as a leader to help my team be the best they can be, to set them up to learn," he says. "This project was a chance to do both those things."

Onward and Upward

One of Day's teammates is Christopher Clinton, an HVAC Electronics Mechanic (DDC) who came to the AOC in 2004 as a Recycler/Laborer and quickly rose to leadership within that group. Finding a position in the federal government had been a career goal; Clinton felt that public service would present him with opportunities to challenge himself. By all accounts, Clinton accomplished that goal years ago — his colleagues and friends around the agency testify to his longtime spirit of hard work — but over the past two decades he's continued to branch out and use his mechanic skills in new specialties.

In 2014, via the AOC's Architect's Mobility Program, he could explore new roles. Clinton was selected to join the House Office Buildings Mechanical Systems Shop as a Maintenance Mechanic. In 2015, he became an A/C Mechanic and was selected as a DDC Mechanic in 2022. The entire time, Clinton's hard work propelled him forward.

On a typical day, Clinton says, he monitors for communications issues throughout all the House office buildings, collaborates with A/C mechanics to troubleshoot any temperature-related issues and works through to-dos on ongoing projects. No matter what, it's always busy. The team's stakeholders include: 435 Members of Congress and their staff, House committees, AOC employees and building visitors — as well as anyone else who passes through the House office buildings.

Considering the amount of time Congress spends on the Hill, representatives often want their offices to feel like their home away from home. From drapes and carpets to paint colors and room temperature, much of the typical congressional office is customizable. There are limits, however, which protect the integrity of the spaces.

"It's important that we can satisfy the needs of Congress, but it's definitely an added layer of pressure," Day remarks. "We have to abide by best practices that take into consideration the health of these decades-old buildings." A Member could request a significantly colder or warmer space, but adjusting the temperature outside the normal range could have adverse effects on the entire building and its historic assets. In the Ford Building, for example, where physical archives are stored, the threat of excess moisture is minimized. Using their monitoring systems, DDC mechanics measure humidity that could damage irreplaceable files. Without this oversight, infrequently referenced files could deteriorate and go undetected for years.

Clinton and Mullins adjust power wires, connecting them to a controller card; Day oversees Mullins' work on an HVAC control panel.

The DDC team — like every team at the AOC — is part specialist, part preservationist. The agency's work inherently requires respect for historic preservation; it's written into our mission. This additional commitment is one reason why such mechanics are so valuable. Already, these positions are notoriously difficult to fill. Skilled tradespeople are in high demand, with robust competition between private and public sectors. While DDC mechanics are expected to have the same level of training and equipment mastery whether they work within government or outside it, candidates the AOC considers must also understand the intricacies of our campus buildings.

"These buildings are different than, say, commercial real estate,” Clinton says, "so the job description looks different, too."

To cultivate a knowledgeable workforce, the AOC has developed class-based training and on-the-job opportunities to train in-house personnel in the nuances of DDC mechanics. These proactive offerings allow mechanics to grow into hard-to-fill positions, so teams aren't waiting for outside candidates to arrive with years of knowledge and experience.

Looking Ahead

The HVAC team's work could be traced back to 1935, when Congress first approved funds for "chilled water" equipment that could create basic air conditioning to cool campus buildings. This was before personal computers, wi-fi, cellular technology or the expansion of amenities like dining services and exercise facilities — elements modern HVAC mechanics must consider every day. While their work looks quite different today — there's less climbing around HVAC closets and more focus on safety — the goal is the same. The ins and outs of the job will no doubt continue to change as the field of mechanics evolves.

"We're in the age of advanced technology — more stuff comes out every day," Jakob Mullins, DDC Mechanic says. "I think it's time we help the government come to the technological forefront with new equipment."

Alongside his leader, Day, and Clinton, his colleague, Mullins hopes that integrating cutting-edge technologies will help the team tackle their workload and maintain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. LEED is an industry-standard program that promotes environmentally friendly practices in building design, construction and operations. It serves as a benchmark for AOC teams to reach in their day-to-day work as well as large scale projects.

"The AOC is constantly growing, adapting and meeting the challenges to preserve these historic places while meeting the needs of the modern workplace," said Dan Murphy, Supervisory General Engineer in the House Office Buildings. "Our people continue to rise and meet the challenges. We must support their growth in these areas, because it is the only way we will be able to serve our clients and provide the extraordinary services they have come to expect from us."

Thanks to experts like Day, Clinton and Mullins, the AOC can create and preserve environments that provide safe havens for historic property while empowering the future of work on Capitol Hill.