Building Designers of El Paso; Past and Present

As local El Paso building designers, we have a deep appreciation for El Paso’s great historical architecture. Great buildings make great communities and El Paso is near and dear to our hearts. It’s good to look at some of the historical architectural wonders that lay hidden in our beloved city. New Republic Architects takes pride in continuing the tradition of beautiful and functional buildings that inspire and make the community better.

The Trost Home

In an article outlining the 10 best buildings in Texas, the publication Texas Monthly names this particular house located in El Paso as Number Four. This home belonged to architect Henry Charles Trost, who is also credited for what is now the Bhutanese-style buildings of the University of Texas at El Paso. This house sits in the Sunset Heights neighborhood near the University, rising high on a hill showcasing its illustrious design.  

Henry Trost’s brother, Gustavus, was also a building designer and together they form the Trost & Trost firm that would go on to build more than 500 buildings in the Southwest Region. Other prominent Trost architectural landmarks include:

El Paso High

This is El Paso’s oldest operating high school. It is located on the West Central region of El Paso. It has a reputation for haunted hallways and unexplained occurrences, but is mostly admired for its classical revival-style architecture.

Paso Del Norte

This is the now Camino Real hotel and is famous hotel that opened in 1912 near the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. This hotel is also part of the Historic Hotels of America and is in the National Register of Historic Places.  This hotel is a Beaux-Arts Architecture, a style from mid 19th century France.

Other Architectural Gems

While the Trost & Trost company were very prominent building designers, they were not the only ones that made a mark in the El Paso area by experimenting with varying architectural styles.

Magoffin Home

This was the home of Joseph Magoffin, a Civil War veteran, that became a prominent developer of the area. He helped bring in railroads, utilities, and new businesses in town. The home is build with some Greek and adobe style elements.

The Plaza Theater

One popular destination is the Plaza Theater which has been remodeled and is a place where El Paso sees a variety of theater performances including the Plaza Classic Film Festival. The theater first opened in 1930 and is built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. In 2006 much of the architectural design was accentuated with a full remodel.

Find Innovating Designers

New Republic Architects are El Paso area building designers that specialize in original architecture. We appreciate the many styles of architecture this city has to offer. New Republic wants to continue in this great tradition of aesthetically pleasing architecture while always innovating and employing new architectural designs and ideas.

Building Designers Capture The Wonder of Architecture

Famed Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind said "Architecture is not based on concrete and steel, and the elements of the soil. It's based on wonder." This sentiment is as true and piercing as Libeskind's most well-known structures. Building designers from all around the world understand the true importance of architecture. It is much more than just a physical aspect, every single building serves an understated purpose. Above all else, buildings bring a sense of order and usefulness to this wild world. New Republic Architects, based in El Paso, Texas, offers design assistance to individuals in the Southwest region.

Why Design Matters

Whether designing a home or an enormous business complex, one thing is always true. The building designers working on the job must hold a sense of wonder close. The finished product is much more than a simple building. It will become a home, a livelihood, a place of comfort. That's the true magic and beauty of architecture.

Consider the Building Designer

The language of design is one that may seem like just lines to the layperson but a building designer sees it as a beautiful piece of music. With each line drawn, the designer brings the final product closer to life. Buildings are the most common works of art. They surround us and give us a place to live or work.

Building designers can use their skills and abilities for a variety of reasons. First, a designer can help bring a dream to life. Say you're thinking about opening a shopping center. A building designer will be able to take your hopes and dreams, translating them from your mind and words onto paper. That paper will then go on to have a life of its own.

It may sound simple but building design is just like any other work of art. It takes time for the final product to see the light of day. But like a beautiful Papilio Machaon butterfly taking to the skies once it breaks free from its chrysalis,  a building design has to spend time metamorphosing in the mind of the building designer. The idea and design can be seen as the caterpillar, the building process can be seen as the chrysalis while the final construction can be the beautiful butterfly. As far as metaphors go, this one might be a bit derivative but it's apt in this situation. If you're in the El Paso area and you require design assistance, New Republic Architects can help. Contact us today.