The U.S. and Canada share 5,525 miles of borderand there are just over 100 border crossings between Washington and Maine. These portals between countries facilitate the flow of goods and people. Theyre also harbingers of diplomatic relations more broadly, where international policy choices play out in space. Siegel, a New York City office, recently completed a new U.S. Land Port of Entry (USLPOE) that connects Madawaska, Maineand Edmundston, Canadaa small town in New Brunswick with about 16,000 people. That firm was tasked with ideating a replacement structure on the road between the two towns.Separate bays divide traffic under the canopy, which is tall enough for B-Train size trucks. (Paul Warchol)The first station between Madawaska and Edmundston was built in 1959, a building which over time became ill-equipped for modern needs. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) eventually stepped in, and sought out architects to replace it. The new USLPOE by Siegel is 52,000 square feet and sits on an 11-acre site. It hosts a bevy of uses, including administration, training, staff support, processing, enforcement, agricultural inspection, and general inspection.The building, Siegel said, more broadly serves as a symbolic representation of America as the first and last interaction with the country for those who travel through it.The interiors are sheathed in wood finishes. (Paul Warchol)The training room sits next to a gym. (Paul Warchol)Siegel opted to give the USLPOEs exterior an industrial look, a nod to the corrugated metal siding common on nearby warehouses. The interiors are sheathed in warm wood finishings. The roof has only a slight pitch and recessed canopies. These features were safety precautions to prevent snow and ice hazards. It is cold there, after all. The expanse between the ground and roof plane had to be large enough for B-Train size trucks (which are about 15 feet tall) to easily go through, so the design by Siegel responds accordingly. This is essential for trucks going to and from a nearby paper mill in Maine. The glass and concrete is quite thick to ensure ballistic resiliency.Concrete was used in the warehouse (Paul Warchol)A coffee room, break room, conference room, and lockers for border guards are interspersed throughout the building, whose pronounced canopy makes for its defining feature. It also has a large warehouse for processing goods.The design by Siegel achieved SITES Silver and LEED Gold certification.