The Center is a place of gathering amidst a great natural landscape. Although sited on the National border dividing the United States and Mexico, this park celebrates a shared vernacular, overlapping ecological resources and providing a place for family recreation. Educational exhibits and butterfly gardens allow local residents and tourists alike to understand the importance of these insects in the greater chain of environmental interactions.

Materials:

Cement block, white

Galvanized aluminum coping at top of walls

Interior:

Paint: Benjamin Moore “Limelight”

Wood joists

Concrete floor

Polycarbonate screen panels

Aluminum shop front

Materials Description:

A galvanized aluminum cornice glistens against the pale blue sky. The walls are built with an oversized (4” by 16”) Mexican white block, laid vertically over traditional wood frame/plywood cladding. The interior, saturated in “limelight,” is seen as a counterpoint. All interior surfaces including the epoxy floor, the timber ceiling and the walls are the same color. A sinuous configuration of display tables for exhibition and retail weaves through the orthogonal geometry. Polycarbonate panels are used to define office areas and a small café.