A bright mural on the wall over a map of the river
 by edxmaster2016

Big Bend Rio Grande Village

Big Bend National Park, TX

Highlighting river ecology and international cooperation to preserve unique natural resources.

The Rio Grande Village Visitor Center sits on the edge of the river whose dramatic bend gives Big Bend National Park its name. This is a premier spot for birding and other wildlife sightings, and it is also a unique point of cultural reflection. EDX designed exhibits that highlight the ongoing efforts between the US and Mexico to preserve this stunning and complex landscape. Outdoor orientation exhibits and plaza elements are designed to serve visitors year-round, enhancing their understanding of the Rio’s bustling ecosystem.

EDX has designed five additional visitor centers at Big Bend National Park. They include: Magdalena House Visitor Center, focused on cultural history along the border between US and Mexico; Chisos Basin Visitor Center, highlighting the diversity of animals and habitats in the park; Persimmon Gap Visitor Center, orienting new visitors to the park; Panther Junction Visitor Center, interpreting the natural history of the mountains, river, and desert; and Fossil Discovery Exhibit, a unique open-air, sustainable facility, that interprets the park’s rich paleontological history.

A bright mural on the wall over a map of the river
Exhibits line the porch of the visitor center
A reading rail with a curved bottom sits below the window
Outdoor tactile map with reading rail and interpretive panel
Larger than life tactile catfish
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Realistic statues of a goat and chickens outside of an old building.
 by edxmaster2016

Big Bend Magdalena House

Big Bend National Park, TX

A cross-cultural history in a place of natural desert beauty.

Big Bend National Park boasts spectacular scenery, diverse wildlife, and a rich, cross-border cultural history. Magdalena House was named after Magdalena Silvas, a Mexican-American cook who lived here and raised her family in the early 20th century. Exhibits explore life in this isolated area when people of diverse cultures and backgrounds moved easily across the Rio Grande between the US and Mexico.

EDX has designed five additional visitor centers at Big Bend National Park. They include: Rio Grande Village Visitor Center, focused on the ecology of the river, and highlighting the history of bi-national cooperation between the US and Mexico; Chisos Basin Visitor Center, highlighting the diversity of animals and habitats in the park; Persimmon Gap Visitor Center, orienting new visitors to the park; Panther Junction Visitor Center, interpreting the natural history of the mountains, river, and desert; and Fossil Discovery Exhibit, a unique open-air, sustainable facility, that interprets the park’s rich paleontological history.

Realistic statues of a goat and chickens outside of an old building.
Realistic statues of a goat and chickens outside of an old building.
A tactile relief map stands in the middle of a room with interpretive panels on the walls around it.
Interpretive panels in both English and Spanish surround a window
White enamel dishware on top of a wooden table with a carved design on the sides. Interpretive panels are on the walls around it.
White enamel dishware on top of a wooden table with a carved design on the sides. Interpretive panels are on the walls around it.
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Sketch of people walking on path along exhibits and people fishing
 by edxmaster2016

Snake River Interpretive Plan and Exhibit Design

Snake River Gateways
Grand Teton National Park, WY

Interpreting the Snake River corridor connecting stunning landscapes, intact ecosystems, and diverse human experiences.

The Snake River—tranquil and serene, mighty and powerful— gives Grand Teton National Park life. The river runs through the entirety of the park from headwaters in Yellowstone National Park to the park’s south boundary, travelling over 1,000 miles to the Columbia River and and the Pacific Ocean.

To enhance the experience of visitors who fish, kayak, canoe, and raft this beautiful and dynamic river, EDX is working with the park and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation to enhance interpretation at 10 sites along the Snake River corridor—creating a sequence of meaningful visitor experiences.

Sketch of people walking on path along exhibits and people fishing
Sketch of people interacting with boat frames in front of outdoor panels
Sketch of people on upper plaza of landing
People standing on large paper with map of landings
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 by edxmaster2016

Trails and Waysides

Washington State

Helping visitors find and enjoy the scenery—and make lasting connections.

In exterior plazas and on trails, we understand the challenges of providing orientation, interpretation, and even entertainment for visitors in motion. We strive to complement the main attraction—from great ideas to beautiful views, geologic legacies to historic landscapes.

Ice Age Floods, Wenatchee
Red Brick Road Park, Bothell
Trail Tales Interpretive Program, Anacortes
Holmes Harbor is Home, Freeland

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 by edxmaster2016

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde, CO

Introducing visitors to some of the best-preserved archeological sites in the U.S.

EDX designed exhibits for the long-awaited visitor center at Mesa Verde National Park. Located just off the main highway, the center is designed to provide visitors with orientation to the park’s resources, the story of the Ancestral Pueblo people, and a place to purchase tour tickets for the spectacular cliff palaces.

nai-award-2014

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 by edxmaster2016

Grand Canyon National Park Plaza

South Rim, Grand Canyon, AZ

Inviting exploration while bringing clarity to a busy plaza.

EDX participated in a four-year multi-disciplinary process involving planners, designers, and artists in the redevelopment of Canyon View visitor center and plaza as a primary arrival point for South Rim visitors. EDX participated in planning and design efforts that re-envisioned the plaza and walkway to Mather Point, developed unified building and directional signage, and integrated interpretive elements throughout the visitor experience.

EDX worked with The Selinda Group to evaluate the effectiveness of our designs in communicating the choices, challenges, and highlights of this premier national park. Self-orientation panels outside the visitor center welcome visitors, help them choose an appropriate canyon hike, provide detailed trail overviews, describe cultural history sites, and emphasize safety.

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 by edxmaster2016

Coronado National Memorial

Hereford, AZ

Sampling the rich cultural blend of a border region.

Bilingual exhibits at Coronado National Monument explore the heritage shared today by the peoples of both Mexico and the United States, highlighting the ongoing influences of Spanish, American Indian, Mexican, Anglo, and other cultures.

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado’s journey in 1542—the beginning of a Spanish era of exploration and settlement in the American Southwest—is where the story begins. Coronado’s expedition failed to find the cities of gold it was seeking, yet the newcomers changed the region’s culture forever.

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 by edxmaster2016

Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial

Bainbridge Island, WA

Honoring Americans forced from their homes during WWII.

Working in close collaboration with Bainbridge Island community members, EDX designed the exhibit experience for a memorial wall, part of a larger site designed by Seattle architects Jones + Jones. The wall commemorates the strength and perseverance of 272 Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes during World War II. Located on a site of historical significance, this memorial marks the path they walked to the ferry they boarded on March 30, 1942.

New York Times article about Bainbridge Island’s history and the memorial.

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 by edxmaster2016

Arches National Park

Moab, UT

Bridging inside and out to highlight an amazing geological story

An essential first destination for park visitors, the visitor center tells the story of the park’s rich geological and natural history. Large-scale recreations of rock features give the experience drama and scale while providing structure for exhibit elements. Multimedia exhibits help visitors plan their trip and make a hands-on connection with park resources before they venture out.

Working in collaboration with architects VCBO, EDX began with consultation on a building that takes advantage of impressive views of rock features outside, making the interior of the space a continuation of the exterior geology.

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