United States Consulate
Nogales, Mexico

In collaboration with Ennead Architects, Spacesmith developed the planning and interior design of 57,000 sf of office space for the US Department of State’s New Consulate Compound in Nogales, Mexico.

Nogales serves as an important point of entry to the US and is Arizona’s largest border community. Located five kilometers from the Arizona border, the new US Consulate Nogales, Mexico is situated between commercial and residential districts on a steep hilltop site with expansive mountain views. With limited street frontage, the consulate is primarily seen from a distance and is an important symbol of US interest in the region.

Community programs open onto a shaded northeast-facing terrace with views of the mountains and the US beyond. The building encourages community well-being through the integration of a wide and gracious ornamental stair at the heart of the building. Locally inspired materials, selected for their connection to the desert, are used to highlight the importance of shade as a refuge from the strong Sonoran sun.

Prioritizing the significance of consular affairs, the Arrival Court is designed as protected environment, compressed and intimate with shaded circulation paths and seating for the hundreds of daily visitors.