White house

The chief urban planner of the US capital, Washington, was French-American engineer Pierre “Peter” Charles L’Enfant.

An excerpt from the article 17 facts about White house

The plan he prepared, intended as the permanent seat of the US government, specified, among other things, the location of two buildings–the “House of Congress” (United States Capitol), and “The President’s House.” The presidential residence was to have public gardens and monumental architecture. It was to be five times higher than the building constructed, becoming the tallest residence in the US.