James V. Forrestal Building

James V. Forrestal Building
The James V. Forrestal Building, which houses the U.S. Department of Energy, in 2006
Location within Central Washington, D.C.
Alternative names	United States Department of Energy Headquarters
General information
Type	Government office building
Architectural style	Modernist
Address	1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′13″N 77°01′34″W / 38.887024°N 77.025987°W / 38.887024; -77.025987
Construction started	September 1965
Completed	November 18, 1969
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Curtis & Davis; Fordyce and Hamby Associates; Frank Grad & Sons
Website
Energy.gov

The James V. Forrestal Building is a low-rise Brutalist office building in Washington, D.C. Originally known as Federal Office Building 5, and nicknamed the Little Pentagon, the Forrestal Building was constructed between 1965 and 1969 to accommodate United States armed forces personnel. It is named after James Forrestal, the first United States Secretary of Defense. It became the headquarters of the United States Department of Energy after that agency's creation in 1977.

The 1,688,484-square-foot (156,865.3 m²) Forrestal Building is located at 1000 Independence Avenue SW. It consists of three structures: an East Building with eight floors above ground, the North Building with four floors above ground, and a West Building with two floors above ground. All three structures are connected by two floors of underground office space. In order to provide access to L'Enfant Plaza, the North Building is raised up on 35-foot-high (11 m) pilotis (or columns).