Big Bend National Park Boquillas Crossing Visitor Contact/Border Station Big Bend, Texas
- Architecture
- Landscape Architecture
- Planning & Landscape Architecture
- Public Architecture
The NPS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) partnered on construction of this 1,600 SF joint use facility that includes a lobby for visitor contact, restrooms, CBP space, and building support spaces. The goal was to provide access for park visitors and other members of the public to cross the border between the US and Mexico at the historic crossing location that had been closed since 2001.
A Sustainable Design for a Historic Border Crossing
The lobby houses automated US Customs scanning kiosks, maps, and general information on Big Bend NP and Mexican conservation areas just across the border. Site design included a parking area, an external breezeway, and exterior plaza area with a covered trellis for shade in this desert location. This facility was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification and integrates simple, but sustainable systems for ease of maintenance.