The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives building serves as the national headquarters for a government agency with the highest security requirements. Located at the intersection of New York and Florida avenues, this building has been a catalyst for urban renewal and rejuvenation in the surrounding district. The program called for general office space, extensive training facilities, an auditorium, and auxiliary services.

Notwithstanding security setback requirements, the complex engages and animates the surrounding street edges. The entrance is positioned across from the new Metro station on the southeast corner; retail facilities line 2nd Street (to the east); and a trellised garden wall defines N Street (to the south). In addition a three-story planted, arcaded crescent contains the site to the north and west, enclosing a 48,500-square-foot internal garden and inconspicuously serving as a security barrier.

Auxiliary elements such as loading docks and an inspection booth are integrated into the overall fabric of buildings and garden walls. The provision of a technical subfloor for the distribution of data and mechanical services allows for maximum flexibility. The office space consists of relatively narrow floor plates surrounding a large atrium, thus affording daylight for all workspaces.

Moshe Safdie was invited to submit a competition proposal for a civic center in Beverly Hills on a site partially occupied by the historic City Hall. The competition identified the need for a new Police facility, a Fire Department headquarters, and a Community Cultural Resources facility. The new Civic Complex proposed by Safdie featured two glass pavilions for small ceremonies, a "Great Hall" with adjustable seating for larger performances, and a sunken rectangular reflecting pool, surrounded by terraced garden walkways at the centre. the jury noted that his scheme "excelled in the development of an architecture of meeting."