A maze of twisting passages, conclusion

I theorize that both the problems with this office building I have gone over in exhaustive detail and the problems we don't have that one might expect are both due to the pressures unique to federal government facilities.

Obviously, the federal government has a ton of money and people, and more security than even the biggest corporation. All of this makes it willing and able to take the long-term view. But at the same time, people in charge of federal departments have less personal investment in the job. At the very highest levels, political appointees are expected to change with every new president, and at every level I think a mentality of service to the organization is more common in government than in private industry. And of course, there's a huge austerity mentality in government. Fraud and waste exist of course, because government is staffed by homo sapiens, but it's rarely in ostentatious ways. Private industry will splurge on a modern, fancy-looking building or pleasant interior design if they can barely afford it, because private industry recognizes the importance of employee morale and a good public image. In government, though, no one wants to explain to a Congressman with a hardon for budget-cutting why you didn't take the very lowest bid. In government, a bad image is a good message. But then, pushing back in the other direction yet again, it's very easy to justify computers and desks. Obviously, everyone needs to sit somewhere and type on something, right? And it's easy to buy that kind of thing in bulk. Likewise, there's a certain expectation that a government agency will educate and inform people about its domain, so it's not too hard to throw in decorations and miniature exhibits relating to that - even if the building is not generally open to the public.

So the people who work here get a building with floorplans that are simple on paper but very user-unfriendly when you're walking around in them, computers newer than the software on them, private spaces fit for lawyers' offices and public spaces fit for struggling small businesses, and cheap but plentiful art and exhibitions even though no one from the public ever sees them. Bizarre until you think about it.