NOTE TO (SANITIZED) FROM HARRY E. FITZWATER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2014
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 21, 1984
• Content Type: NOTES

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
WA 84-0217/94A
Deputy Director
, for Administration
I. August 1984
NOTE FOR: Chairman, FAC
Do you know how this got to the DDCI
without going through the DDA?
;Iarry E. ? zwater
Att:
Proposed Notice on
Quality of Life
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
. AANSMITTAL
SLIP
DATE
1 21 August 1984
TO:
Chmn , FAG (0/ I G)
ROOM NO.
I:
BUILDING
i 4 c;
REMARKS:
FROM:
Deputy Director for Administration
ROOM NO.
7D 24 Hqs
BUILDING
IM
=
FORM
15?. 241
REPLACES FORM 36-8
WHICH MAY RE USED.
MEMORANDUM FOR: EO/DDA
FROM:
EA/DDCI
(47)
Aoci
.4.70/9
Per our chat, John doesn't want this printed.
Believes it would subject us to ridicule, criticism
from Congress, etc.
Thanks,
Date 15 August 1984
FORM ini USE PREVIOUS
5-75 IL/ I EDITIONS
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STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
to all CIA employees
DD/A j3,77-1 I
84'2/ 7
In the relatively few years of its existlnce, CIA has
established itself as being among the better, if not the best
government agencies. Because CIA employees participate to the
extent they do in the management of the Agency, the quality of
work and the quality of life expected by its employees are
unsurpassed in the U.S. Government.
The pursuit of excellence is not a new idea at CIA, it is a
tradition -- a tradition carried on by those hired to manage
and those who take part voluntarily by their suggestions, their
membership in activity clubs, and their participation on
committees such as the Fine Arts Commission. The purpose of
this book is to strengthen and sustain our traditions and to
maintain our reputation as the best place in town to work. It
is also intended to encourage the ideas and participation of
all employees in creating a work environment worthy of the
intelligence profession.
C'ti
William J. Casey
Director
C
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Quality of Life at CIA
Few government agencies have the good fortune to be located
in a rural, woodland setting such as ours, where the passing of
nature's seasons can be observed close at hand. The Northern
Virginia countryside is noted for its beauty, and the George
Washington Memorial Parkway is one of the area's most scenic
drives.
For the Headquarters employee these surroundings are part
of an atmosphere that is unique to the Agency and unparalleled
in official Washington. The care and tastefulness that
governed the site selection and design of the building are
obvious to visitor and employee alike. The parkway on one side
and Dolley Madison Boulevard on the other serve the two
entrances, yet no traffic can be seen or heard from the
grounds. Carefully trimmed grass and trees border roadways
that curve easily through the compound with a minimum of
corners or signs. Shrub and flower plantings, professionally
designed and tended, provide changing vistas year-round. Even
a nature walk wends its way quietly through one of the wooded
areas for those who prefer a closer touch with the untrimmed
and untrammeled.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
The Headquarters Building, designed by Harrison and
Abramowitz and completed in 1961, was carefully designed to fit
comfortably into these natural surroundings. The repeating
lines of the recessed windows are broken only by the
cantilevered portico at the front and the low arches of the
cafeteria in back. The rectangular expanse of the upper floors
sits comfortably on the curving form of the enlarged first
floor. Natural light enters offices not only along the facade
but through three major courtyards, providing a maximum of
exterior rooms.
Inside the building, the size and spaciousness of the
exterior setting is immediately obvious in the design of the
front hall, where the glass doors of the entrance face the
central countyard windows. The corridors surrounding the
courtyard have been hung with a series of oil portraits of
former directors and a selection of Washington Color School art
generously loaned by Mr. Vincent Melzac, a noted collector.
These are placed to take best advantage of the natural light
from the inner windows.
In addition to the artwork in these corridors, the Exhibit
Corridor (1D) serves as a permanent display area for a series
of rotating shows and collections. These are loaned by
organizations such as the Smithsonian, as well as by individual
employees. The annual exhibits of employee art and employee
photography are shown here.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
An interesting decor surrounds each of the first floor
elevator wells. Due largely to employee effort, early maps of
Rome, London, St. Petersburg-Leningrad, and Paris have been
enlarged and mounted on these walls. Also, each level of many
stairwells is marked with numerals in different languages. For
those interested, the languages, starting from the first floor,
are: Cambodian, Amharic, Arabic, a French military symbol,
Cyrillic, Mandarin, and Thai.
Bulletin boards and showcases of announcements and awards
are placed in the hallway around the public service area of the
first floor. Additional displays of posters are carefully
limited to specific spaces in entries and elevator areas.
The Work Environment
As one moves from the public areas of the building into
work areas, the sense of unified design is maintained by the
introduction of brightly colored doors and accent panels
complimenting the off-white walls. Signs which utilize
photographic film for easy updating identify the offices.
Those familiar with the Headquarters Building are well
aware of the great variety of style and decor with which Agency
personnel surround themselves. They are also aware of the
difficulties involved in creating a pleasant environment in
what are often crowded conditions. While it is impossible to
address the specifics of each work area, there are certain tips
that can contribute much to improving the space we have.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
To the extent possible, the clean lines and open space
which are the predominant features of the building's design
should be reflected in the arrangement of eachoffice. Because
many rooms and work areas are small, it is particularly
important that they be free from clutter.
The first step toward designing the best work environment
is to make a critical inventory of the furniture, eliminating
all but the most necessary. Passageways should be cleared,
bookcases cleaned out of outdated or unused material, and file
and safetops cleared of unnecessary items.
A common office practice is to hang papers on walls and
partitions where they are available for ready reference.
.Although this is often useful information, ,the result can look
chaotic. To the maximum extent possible, these papers should
be removed and consolidated into readily available notebooks.
This step by itself can contribute significantly to a sense of
added space and restful surroundings.
Although the Agency's limited supply of wall hangings is
used to good advantage in many offices, employees can provide
additional variety and interest by supplementing these with
their own reproductions or originals. A tasteful collection of
these, carefully hung, can add an element of depth and
personality to the surroundings.
Unlike furniture or posted notices, an office rarely has
too many plants. They add warmth to large and small rooms
alike and are inexpensive to buy and maintain. Most house
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17 : CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
,
plants will thrive under fluorescent lights and few, if any,
need a green thumb to survive. They are a sure way to provide
color and depth. However, for the most part, plants must be
supplied and cared for by employees.
The building and grounds of CIA reflect the quality and
professionalism of its employees. Each office space can and
should reflect those same standards. The use of open space,
clean lines, and tasteful, imaginative decoration can add new
dimensions to the atmosphere of the work environment.
Headquarters Expansion
For the next few years the normally tranquil Headquarters
area will be disturbed by a major construction project. Smith,
Hinchman & Grylls has designed an annex to our building which
will compliment and extend the lines of the original structure
and preserve much of the wooded environment. It will be built
into the hillside west of the existing cafeteria and will
consist of two low towers connected by an atrium. The outer
surface of the office towers will consist of horizontally and
vertically divided green tinted glass, designed to be
compatible with the existing Headquarters facade. The atrium
itself will contain an employee services concourse and will
lead to an exit to the new parking building. The main entrance
to the complex will remain in the original building.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17 : CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0
The design of the courtyard space between the two buildings
preserves the existing large trees near the cafeteria. Its
plantings, park benches, tables, and pathways will be in full
view of the atrium of the new building as well as the existing
cafeteria and will provide an attractive space for employees'
use.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP87-01130R000200220004-0