Revitalization of El Portal Visitors’ Center at El Yunque National Forest

Revitalization of El Portal Visitors’ Center at El Yunque National Forest

Revitalization of El Portal Visitors’ Center at El Yunque National Forest

Nestled within El Yunque National Forest—the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest System—the Visitors’ Center has been thoughtfully transformed to honor the surrounding landscape and its history. Originally designed by Puerto Rican firm Sierra Cardona & Ferrer in the 1990s, it occupies 5.31 acres of the forest. The site and structures had already experienced significant aging before they were extensively damaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The USDA Forest Service then decided to overhaul and update El Portal’s offerings. The facility was modified to give way to a newer design vision, address current needs, and comply with current codes and sustainability standards. The interior and exterior programs were re-envisioned to accommodate community-centered uses and implement climate-ready measures throughout.

The landscape is conceived as a catena of habitats that follow the main internal circulation road from the state highway to the entry plaza and through the site. The sequence takes the visitor from native wild forest to the more human-influenced environment of naturalized vegetation close to the Visitors’ Center buildings. Endemic species appear early in the sequence and give way to naturalized species that have been part of the idea of Caribbeaness for 500 years. The entry plaza is conceived as a “forest opening” and contains a bosquet of Cecropia schreberiana, an iconic pioneer species in El Yunque’s forest openings. Forest openings, as archetypal landscapes of human encounter and storytelling, served as design inspiration for the project.

One of the toughest landscape design challenges was retrofitting the site to federal stormwater management standards, which require fully managing the 95th percentile storm within the site boundaries. This was particularly difficult at EYNF, the wettest region of Puerto Rico, which receives 152+ inches of rain per year. The standard was achieved through a variety of landscape strategies, including increased planting areas, rainwater harvesting, permeable paving, vegetated swales, rain gardens, and bioretention cells. The large landscape structures, some of which have 8-foot-deep profiles, are built of reinforced concrete, engineered soils, and a mixture of native plants tolerant of constant wet-dry cycles. After over three years in operation, the new green infrastructure system has successfully handled all storms.

The facility is not just exhibition spaces and government offices - the renovated El Portal is now a comprehensive community hub with a collaborative space for community organizations and flexible event spaces, all focused on promoting local economic growth, social equity, community engagement, and inclusivity. Inclusivity also extended to the physical planning and design of the landscape. The new design includes the first and only accessible trail in the entire El Yunque National Forest.

The Visitors’ Center now serves as an educational tool to understand the unique environment, history, and culture of the place. The new arrival plaza, universally accessible trails, local flora, green infrastructure, and water harvesting strategies seamlessly work together, allowing the project to achieve the maximum possible LEED points for site design. Visitors are now welcomed into a vibrant, sustainable landscape reflecting Puerto Rico’s unique ecological and cultural heritage.

LEED Gold certified. 

The uploaded file names include the project photographer/copyright holder information. Project photographers: 

© Raquel Pérez-Puig

© Diana Serrano

18.3392438, -65.7613607

Collaborators
USDA Forest Service
Interlink Construction
EBP Design Group Consulting Engineers, PSC
DG3A Design Group, PSC
Joaquin de Mari Monserrate, PE
Jorge Torres Scandali, PE
Jorge Ledon Webster, PE, PSC
JR Requena and Asociados
Split Rock Studios
Pieri Architects
RAP Consulting Engineer, PSC
EDSA
Year of the project conception
2019
Year of completion of the project
2021
COST (€/m²) ($/m²) (€/ha) ($/ha)
$194.46/sq. m.
Price category
Intersection
Price subcategory
Parques no urbanos
Surface
93077.7
Customer type
Administració pública
Customer Name
USDA Forest Service, Interlink Construction Inc.
U.M.
sq. m.
Construction company
Interlink Construction
Works management
USDA Forest Service
Maintenance manager
USDA Forest Service
Address
El Yunque National Forest, State Road PR-191, Km. 4.3
Coordinates UTM
20 Q 208269 2029774
City / Place
Rio Grande
Region
Puerto Rico
Country
Puerto Rico