United States Land Port of Entry

Derby Line, Vermont | 51,000 SF

This 23 acre border security campus is designed to provide a 500% expansion beyond current Port facilities while maintaining ongoing operations and heavy commercial traffic at the northern terminus of Interstate 91. Significant highway design realigns all inbound traffic through a 200 foot primary canopy creating a singular gateway to the US and Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

The town of Derby Line literally spans the US | Canada border; paint lines on local streets denote the international boundary and subsequent movement through the community. These patterns resurface in the Port site design, with surface materials and building volumes developing a linear sequence of horizontal and vertical cues to inform vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow among the five buildings comprising the campus.

Exterior materials create a muted palette of white siding, natural wood and clear-finish metals echoing the vernacular convention of municipal buildings throughout Vermont. Simple orthogonal building designs enhance this reading and focus driver attention to the primary canopy – the one off-grid element on the campus, aligned with the highway itself. This project is currently in early design and is being developed through the GSA’s Design Excellence Program.