Feds name Shepherd chief architect

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. General Services Administration has named Les Shepherd as its chief architect to oversee the design of new government buildings.

Shepherd is a veteran of the agency, which has a $1 billion annual construction portfolio and projects all over the United States.

The Chicago Tribune noted Monday that in naming Shepherd, the GSA bypassed Notre Dame's Thomas Gordon Smith, who was at the center of a debate over modern versus traditional designs for federal buildings.