VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
VA REGIONAL OFFICE TECHNICAL CRITERIA
ARCHITECTURAL CRITERIA
Building Construction
The most important design criteria for a VARO building is the flexibility to accommodate change.
The VA office environment can be expected to undergo many changes over the life of the building. A
basic rectangular shaped building, approximately 100 feet by 200 feet, with column bays, 30 feet by
30 feet and a 20,000 to 35,000 square foot floorplate, is preferred. This type of configuration works
well when designing for good building circulation efficiency. The rectangular footprint can be
repeated for additional floors to meet space requirements. The ground floor shall be slab on grade.
Structural Support
The VA is a paper file intensive agency. Each VARO contains hundreds of file cabinets. Because of
this factor, VARO buildings require upgraded live loads. The standard live load of 100 pounds per
square foot is required in all VAROs. The plan below illustrates the kind of file density VA requires.
Exterior Window Wall System
There are two preferred exterior wall systems. These systems will determine the appearance of the
building. Other systems are acceptable if they meet the same aesthetic, performance, and
maintenance criteria. Local preferences and existing structures should be considered. At a
minimum, the proposed exterior wall system shall meet or exceed established standards for air
infiltration, water infiltration, structural integrity, condensation resistance, thermal transmission,
and acoustical transmission. The VA shall approve the final exterior wall system.
ARCHITECTURAL CRITERIA
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