Sprawling across a raw desert site in the far northeast reach of El Paso, the jagged and angled forms of the concrete walls echo the mountain range beyond. Once out of the river plain that is the Pass of the North, Trans-mountain Drive is the only cross-mountain access between the east and west halves of the city. The campus was beyond the edges of residential development at the time it was built, and it still retains its austere presence in a largely undeveloped area. The complex is composed of variously sized and shaped blocks, some grouped around interior courts, giving the sense of a village rather than of a megastructure. The various pieces also reflect the phased growth of the facility, where units are linked internally by a winding irregular spine. Bright colors and banners reflect the regional Mexican heritage.