University of Texas at El Paso - Campus Transformation Project
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) serves as the educational hub at the U.S.-Mexico border, welcoming more than 23,000 students each year. To mark its centennial, UTEP transformed its campus core from an asphalt-dominated, car-centric space into an inviting landscape that celebrates the beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert.

This 11.5-acre campus transformation replaced sloping streets and surface parking with vibrant, pedestrian-oriented green space designed to promote outdoor learning, restore natural systems, and reconnect the university with the surrounding city. The project emphasizes water-conscious design in one of the most arid regions of Texas, while creating a high-performance public realm that welcomes both students and local residents.

As one of the first and largest green infrastructure projects in the El Paso region, the transformation features a constructed network of vegetated arroyos that capture, convey, and filter stormwater—replacing outdated drainage systems where water once flowed unchecked across paved surfaces. These green corridors not only improve on-site hydrology but offer educational and visual interest during storm events.

The landscape showcases the ecological richness of the Chihuahuan Desert by using a diverse palette of low-water-use native plants. Local and salvaged materials were thoughtfully integrated into the site to link the new design to the region’s cultural and historical context while reducing waste and embodied carbon.
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Supporting broader sustainability goals, the project enhances ecological resilience, reduces water demand, improves air quality, and promotes well-being by connecting people to nature. UTEP’s Campus Transformation was awarded SITES Silver and is recognized as the first project certified under SITES v2, setting a precedent for sustainable campus development throughout the Southwest.

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​Location:  El Paso, Texas
Size:  11.5  Acres
Client:  UTEP
Scope:  SITES consultant
​Completion: 2015
Project team:  ​Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Lake Flato Architects, Quantum Civil Engineers, Architectural Engineers Collaborative, EEA Consulting Engineers, Rider Levett Bucknall, Altura Solutions, Biohabitats, Yarnell Associates, Jordan Foster Construction
Awards:  2023 National ASLA General Design Honor Award; 2017 Texas ASLA Award of Excellence; 2016 SCUP Excellence in Landscape Architecture Honor Award; SITES  Silver - first project in the world to achieve SITES v2 certification.