The executive order, signed in the final moments of Trump’s presidency, promptly received the condemnation of the architects as aesthetically short-sighted, although it had relatively weak application. The request only placed a preference for classic styles in future buildings and did not completely banish brutalism.
“Although we are shocked by the government’s decision to move forward with the project’s mandate, we are happy that the request is not as comprehensive as previously thought,” said Robert Ivy, CEO of the American Institute of Architects, in a statement in Tempo.
It was one of several executive orders of the Trump era that the Biden White House declared null on Wednesday. Biden also rescinded an order that threatened the financing of cities that the Trump administration considered to have reduced support for local police amid the summer’s anti-racism protests. Biden also launched an executive action that suspended new visas amid the coronavirus economic crisis.