| 
           Concentration of Rental Revenue (Details) 
         | 
        12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          region 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          tenant 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          United States Government 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2010
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          United States Government 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2009
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          United States Government 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Northrop Grumman Corporation 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2010
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Northrop Grumman Corporation 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2009
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Northrop Grumman Corporation 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2010
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2009
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Five largest tenants 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2010
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Five largest tenants 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2009
 
          Rental revenue
 
          Tenants
 
          Five largest tenants 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2011
 
          Construction contract revenue
 
          United States Government 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2010
 
          Construction contract revenue
 
          United States Government 
         | 
        
           Dec. 31, 2009
 
          Construction contract revenue
 
          United States Government 
         | 
      |
| Concentration Risk | |||||||||||||||||
| Percentage required for qualification as major customer | 5.00% | ||||||||||||||||
| Percentage of revenue | 17.00% | 16.00% | 15.00% | 8.00% | 9.00% | 8.00% | 6.00% | 5.00% | 6.00% | 38.00% | 35.00% | 34.00% | 90.00% | 90.00% | 90.00% | ||
| Number of tenants from which the entity has recognized the most rental revenue aggregated for revenue concentration disclosure | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Number of regions with real estate operations which are not located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States | 2 | ||||||||||||||||