TABLE OF CONTENTS
• A BORDER IS MORE THAN A LINE • CONCEPT MANIFESTO • REGIONAL CONTEXT • SITE PLAN • SITE PROGRAM • SITE 1 RENDER • SITE 3 RENDER • STRUCTURAL LOGIC • PROGRAMING • PHYSICAL MODEL • EXPLOATED AXON • CIRCULATION DIAGRAMS • E FRANKLIN FACADE RENDER • E FRANKLIN SECTION • EL PASO ST AND N OREGON ST SECTION • PLANS • RENDER LIBRARY GALERIA • RENDER SECOND FLOOR • MATERIALS
FORT BLISS AND EL PASO
CONCEPT MANIFESTO This project proposes a community centered building in El Paso. Designed to provide protection, opportunity, and visibility for vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants, displaced families, and minority groups. An open and safe environment where people can gather, express themselves, and organize without exclusion. It actively supports small businesses, artists, and street vendors by creating space for these activities to flourish, strengthening both local economies and community networks.
SITE 1 SOCCER FIELD AND COMUNITY PARK
SITE 2: MAIN BUILDING
The proposal unfolds across three interconnected sites. • The first site operates as an open civic community park, anchored by a soccer field and designed as a space for gathering, recreation, and informal exchange. • The second site is the main building, organized around two courtyards that establish a spatial connection between the street and the interior, blurring the boundary between public and private space. • The third site, located adjacent to San Jacinto Plaza, functions as a community marketplace, directly linking local vendors with the everyday life of the plaza.
SITE 3: COMUNITY MARKET
SOCCER FIELD
COMMUNITY MARKET
STRUCTURAL LOGIC The architecture is organized through a 24-by-24-foot modular grid. Each module operates as a flexible unit capable of accommodating a wide range of programs, including classrooms, workshops, meeting rooms, and communal spaces. Structurally, the project is anchored by a load-bearing wall in the back of the building were all services are located. Round columns align with the modular grid, while structural glazing defines the building’s most distinctive feature, a curved façade that contrasts with the underlying orthogonal system. The curvature of the façade emerges from the echo of the Rio Grande riverbed, which serves as the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. Like the river, it meanders, transforms, and redefines space as it extends from the exterior into the interior of the building. The curve draws the public inward and defines spaces such as the library, the gallery, and the terraces. Environmental performance is addressed through the integration of perforated metal panels, which filter daylight and mitigate harsh solar exposure. This strategy enhances interior comfort while contributing to the building’s layered and dynamic façade expression.
PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL PUBLIC ASSEMBLY
RECREATIONAL AND RETAIL
ADMINISTRATIVE
CIRCULATION
MECHANICAL
OPEN SPACE
POLICY AND HEALTH RESOURCES
OUTDOOR
PHYSICAL MODEL
CIRCULATION DIAGRAMS
E FRANKLIN AVE FACADE RENDER
E FRANKLIN AVE FACADE ELEVATION AND SECTION
SCALE 1’=1/16”
EL PASO ST FACADE ELEVATION
SCALE 1’=1/16”
N OREGON ST FACADE ELEVATION
LIBRARY AND GALLERIA
SECOND FLOOR