The Warroad Land Port of Entry (LPOE) is a 40,108 sf facility that supports the mission-driven demands of U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Inflected building forms facilitate intuitive use by visitors, the officers’ ability to survey the entire site and vehicle access to secondary and commercial inspection areas. The entire facility is clad in sustainably harvested cedar siding, embracing the “north-woods” identity of the region. 

Vehicular inspection areas and the public spaces use expanses of glass and warm cedar siding to create a transparent, welcoming presence. The exterior cedar siding is finished in a black stain, anchoring the building to its site. This strong contrast reinforces the threshold creating a material warmth and richness in the cold winter months for officers and visitors through the port. 

The port design responds to a complex set of operational issues including site circulation of commercial, POV and recreational traffic; state-of-the-art vehicle inspection areas, holding areas, an officer training area; a firing range and work areas. The latest technologies for securing the border are integrated into the inspection lanes and booths, secondary and commercial inspection structures and officer work areas. 

The project received LEED Gold Certification within the stated budget which required only a LEED Silver rating. Recently, it was recognized with an AIA COTE award recognizing the nation’s ten best sustainable projects. Geothermal heating and cooling, rain water capture and daylight harvesting are among just a few of the strategies employed. In addition to meeting programmatic and operational issues, the port stands as a gateway to our nation representing the open and democratic values of transparency, dignity, fairness and humaneness of our federal government.