President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring the classical style of architecture as the preferred style for federal buildings in the nation’s capital, a White House official said on Monday, Bloomberg reports.

Instead of outright mandating that all newly constructed federal buildings are built in the classical style, the order states rather simply that they must be “beautiful.”

The other specific architectural styles allowed, as mentioned in an emailed statement from the office of the White House press secretary, are the Neoclassical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco styles. On the other hand, styles akin to brutalism and modernism, which became popular during the mid-20th Century, will not be preferred.

In accordance with the order, a “Council for Improving Federal Civic Architecture” will be created to recommend updates to the General Services Administration’s (GSA) architectural guidelines.

For months, the administration has been drafting this executive order, according to Bloomberg. On top of that, an early version that would have prohibited modernist design triggered a strong rebuke from the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“Architecture should be designed for the specific communities that it serves, reflecting our rich nation’s diverse places, thought, culture and climates,” the AIA said in a statement. “Architects are committed to honoring our past as well as reflecting our future progress, protecting the freedom of thought and expression that are essential to democracy.”

In spite of this rebuke, the White House official said that polling revealed a vast majority of Americans prefer traditional designs and said some modern structures weren’t easily identifiable as public buildings, according to Bloomberg. New construction should command respect by the general public and not just architectural elites, the official said.

The GSA, before selecting a design, will also be required by the executive order to seek design input from the general public and future staff of federal buildings.

There are some Democrats, though, who have bashed the White House’s measure to enforce a unified and classic architectural design across federal buildings, with Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) introducing legislation that would prohibit the GSA from blocking modernist designs.

“Imposing a preferred architectural style for federal facilities runs counter to our nation’s democratic traditions,” Titus wrote in a letter to GSA Administrator Emily Murphy. “Attempting to implement this misguided mandate from Washington, D.C., by circumventing Congress and gutting decades of GSA policy and practice without any public notice or hearing is even worse.”

With 30 days until Trump leaves the White House, he and his team have been trying to solidify a legacy that will outlive him. This rather small but consequential executive order will likely impact the way Washington, DC and other places are adorned with grand federal buildings in the coming years.

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.