Southwest Region Office Building
Over centuries, inhabitants of the southwest desert developed building traditions to mediate the region’s harsh climate and provide security for their communities. Drawing inspiration from these long-proven strategies, Page designed a new energy-efficient, 21st-century office building that blends seamlessly with its surroundings.
Borrowing from the region’s indigenous architecture, the two-story building centers around a courtyard. Double-height glazing surrounds this open-air space, introducing daylight deep into offices, public areas, and circulation routes. A series of overhead, cable-supported wood slats provide sun screening for those enjoying a moment of rest or an impromptu meeting. Trees, drought-resistant plants, and benches encourage daily use of the courtyard, a controlled microclimate in the warm southwest.
Flanking the courtyard, offices are configured to maximize interdepartmental communication. Visitor and conference spaces occupy the ground floor, allowing the second floor to house secure workspaces.
Awards
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1Design Award, General Services Administration
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2Design Award, AIA Austin
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3Citation, Wood Design Award, World Architecture News
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4Wood Design Award, WoodWorks Regional
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5Design Award, U.S. Wood Council
The facility is heavily influenced by its very particular site, with building orientation designed to maximize daylighting and sun control while affording greater views of the Sandia Mountains. Landscaping draws largely from local vegetation, with a wide variety of cacti, grasses, and succulents. The overall effect is a building that appears to have always been here, working in harmony with the geology, topography, and ecology of its environment.
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