Cabazon Travel Center

Beyond incomparable roadside services and amenities, this travel center presents an engaging cultural gateway for the Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians to share their rich story with visitors. An overarching design goal was to elevate the typical travel center customer experience to make it a preferred destination attracting truckers, travelers and concert goers while providing a meaningful cultural and community touchpoint. The design team engaged in visioning exercises with the tribal council and Director of Cultural Affairs to learn about tribal history and the story they wanted to tell honoring tribal heritage, local culture, and the powerful surrounding desert landscape.  

The 40-acre site is organized to accommodate a careful choreography of high-traffic activities. Thoughtful adjacencies include separate entries for truckers and travelers and facilitating discreet back-of-house logistics for storage, receiving, and institutional-scale kitchen functions. To uplevel the convenience store vibe, these elements are layered into a program that not only includes fuel, but food services, retail, a business center, amenities like laundry and showers, gaming, and shaded outdoor gathering areas to give the center a more retail marketplace and ‘community hub’ feel to also draw local visitors. The restroom experience presents a polished yet practical presence able to withstand multiple daily cleanings. 

Site buildings are grounded in the landscape with angular forms echoing the silhouette of surrounding jagged mountains. The exterior combines cast-in-place concrete panels with decorative stones sourced from tribal lands, and weathered metal siding with no applied finishes or coatings—materials chosen to age gracefully and reduce long-term maintenance. Perforated metal screens offset solar gain on large windows while casting dynamic shadows inside, creating an ever-changing desert light experience. At night, a striking illuminated glow transforms the structure into an identifiable beacon. Welcoming interiors feature glulam beams, warm wood-wrapped walls, curated murals, and framed mountain views, offering both respite and a connection to place. Graphics inspired by tribal basket weaving celebrate a revered tribal craft.  

Responding to the harsh desert climate, sustainability and resiliency was a driving force for both form and function at the center. Energy modeling guided the inclusion of photovoltaic solar canopies and EV charging, targeting an increasingly off-grid energy footprint that anticipates peak summer demand and wildfire resilience.