Death Valley National Park: Furnace Creek Visitor Center

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center at Death Valley National Park, built in 1959, is a classic example of the Modernism associated with the National Park Service’s “Mission 66” program. Architectural Resources Group, consulting for MACTEC Engineers and Consultants Inc., served as the architect on a rehabilitation project that sought to expand the aging building while bringing it up to the strict sustainability standards that the NPS has adopted. The central challenge of the project revolved around the desire to maximize sustainability while preserving the character-defining features of an architectural style notorious for its disregard of environmental concerns. Despite the challenge the project was designed to achieve a LEED gold rating.