Texas Border Business
By Alexis Alvarado
The competition is to design a four million dollar building that can house 500 immigrant families in need of food and shelter that can be a safe haven of brotherly love and compassion. Richard Braxton Hornbuckle, a junior at the International Baccalaureate program at Lamar Academy, heard about this competition through his teacher, Mrs. Vivian Tamez, and made the decision to follow the IB principles and face the challenge. He has an interest in engineering and physics but is also interested in architecture, so he decided to give it a go.
The competition is named: “Open Call: Design a Humanitarian Respite Center- restoring Human Dignity on the Border.” Located on Beaumont street in Downtown McAllen, Texas, the center will house immigrants who are granted asylum and need a place to stay while they wait to travel to a destination in the United States where they have family or a sponsor. It is a safe place where they are granted a shower, clothes, food, and company. The organization “responds to people in crisis and spaces of welcome and support to help the most vulnerable regain hope and dignity for their difficult journeys ahead,” (“Building a Humanitarian Respite Center”).
Sister Norma Pimentel, the founder of the Humanitarian Respite Center, was recognized for her efforts to assist immigrants in need by Pope Francis in 2015 and has been interviewed for her valuable work by news outlets such as USA Today.
“I didn’t know the extent of the amount of work,” Braxton Hornbuckle states. “The competition has a lot at stake. I am competing against large firms from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.”
When asked about why he decided to enter this competition, Hornbuckle said, “I am very passionate about this issue. I am putting a lot of time into [this project]. I love hearing people’s stories. These people are going to be a part of the future workforce, so we better give them something good.”
The new site for the Humanitarian Respite Center is on Chicago Ave, behind the Sacred Heart Church in Downtown McAllen.Â
“The area is 18,000 square feet. There will be more room to work with,” Hornbuckle says. “I have surveyed the site, and there are a lot of opportunities. There can be natural lighting and air conditioning. I would like to cut down on the cost of utilities and make it less crowded than it is now. I don’t want to make a bland, block building. I’m looking into futurist, Italian style architecture that is minimalist.” He has also asked for IB students to submit artwork, so he can use them in his design.
After visiting the current Humanitarian Respite Center, Hornbuckle noted that the current building was in dire need of repairs. “A lot of things are broken–they only have about two bathrooms and lights always go down. They pay $3,000 in utilities each month and soon they will reach critical condition.”
Hornbuckle admits he is not an architecture person, but more of an engineering, physics person, but  he “loves the idea of helping the immigrant community and believes they are a vital part of the Valley.”
When asked why he decided to pursue this project, Hornbuckle stated, “I like the idea of philanthropy and caring for the common man.” He says. “I am tired of seeing pointless protests and marches which aren’t getting anything done. The time for talking is over–It’s time for action.”
Also, Hornbuckle talked about the challenges he has faced when working on this project. “[The Humanitarian Respite Center is] basically the first thing the immigrants see when they get to the U.S, so it better look good. That’s where the challenge comes in–making it look good, finding the balance between form and function. “
During this process, he has been mentored by Chanin Engineering, a local engineering and architectural firm based in McAllen, Texas. Miguel Chanin, the CEO of the company is a McAllen Memorial High School graduate. His company has worked on local buildings such as the Rio Grande Valley PAWS Laurie. P. Andrews Center and the Europa Cuisine & Entertainment Center in Mission, Texas, and was awarded the 2017 Best Engineering Firm of Rio Grande Valley Chapter Associated General Contractors in January 2018. Chanin, an experienced engineer, agreed to mentor a fellow McAllen ISD student, being an alumnus, himself.
“I am extremely grateful to them and for all of their help,” Hornbuckle said. “They have a company to run. What do they want from me? They don’t have much to gain from this. I truly appreciate it.”
Hornbuckle gave advice to students who would like to pursue a project of equal rigor. “Manage your time,” He says. “Set aside time from school and to work on this. It is a lot more than I anticipated. It’s okay if you have never done anything like it before, everyone has to start somewhere. “
Hornbuckle believes that his design has a strong possibility of making it far in the competition. Even though they are competing against the mega-corporations, he believes they have the home-field advantage. “I did what I felt I do best. I used my skills with engineering, and design to try and make an impact. We are caring for thy neighbor,” He says. “We know what is best for the Valley and for our neighbors across the border.”
When asked about his future, Hornbuckle stated, “My passion is mechanical things. Where there is something and important to work on architecture, that is when I am ready to put on the hard hat and call myself an architect.”
Hornbuckle says he has a larger project planned for his CAS project for people to be excited about. “I am looking into free energy. That is all I have to say,” Hornbuckle says.Â
The submission deadline for the building’s design was Friday, November 9, and the competition results will be revealed in January of 2019. Everyone at Lamar Academy is proud of Braxton Hornbuckle’s dedication to this project, and support his hard work to design a building that will stand through times and be a monument to compassion and love to our fellow brothers and sisters from countries around the world.
For more information about this project, contact Richard Braxton Hornbuckle at (956) 279-9695.
Works Cited:
“Building a Humanitarian Respite Center.” Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, www.catholiccharitiesrgv.org/respitecenter/home.aspx.
