The General Services Administration offers its administrator one of the largest executive offices in the federal government. It is on the seventh floor of GSA's main building at 1800 F Street N.W. in Washington, D.C.
The office has a working fireplace, the walls are wood-paneled, and the ceilings are high and arched. Contemporary paintings of nature scenes decorate the room, and windows on each of the three outer walls offer panoramic views of downtown Washington to the south, east and west.
Lurita Doan, GSA's new administrator, said that large office overwhelmed her. "I just said, 'This is insane,'" she said.
Instead, she settled into a side office off the main room to do her daily work. "It's wood-paneled and really quite lovely," she added.
The larger room is suitable for intimate meetings near the fireplace. For larger, more formal meetings, she uses two tables, both of which seat eight people.
Doan has added personal touches on the smaller office. She has a photograph a friend took of Vice President Dick Cheney swearing her in for her new position while she waits to receive an official photo from the White House.
When winter arrives, Doan said, the fireplace might make the large office a cozy place for business meetings.
