Information

La Mujer Obrera

Smeltertown, El Paso, TX
June 2023



“The commodifying of death and violence through the United States and international beauty industry reinforces the patriarchal norms of México by reproducing the violence inflicted upon women as problematic performances evacuated of life, reasoning for death, and subjectivity.” - Bernadine Hernandez, Dying to Be Beautiful: (Re)Membering the Women of Juárez, the Commodification of Death, and the Nonuniversal Standards of Beauty


Inspired by Bernadine Hernandez’s writing about womens’ lives in Juarez and Chamizal neighborhood, the project investigates borderlands through the story of Smeltertown. Smeltertown was once the home to generations of migrant workers on the banks of the Rio Grande. In the 1970s, residents were suddenly forced to evacuate due to the discovery of high levels of lead contamination. The site has been abandoned since- now a flat piece of land. The University of Texas recently sought to purchase the land to develop as academic buildings and student apartments, but the deal fell through. 

This project proposes to reclaim and remediate the land for migrant workers, specifically women, who want job training and educational resources. Women are not an infinite source of cheap labor and that progress does not means they are the ones who must sacrifice.  

• Address the problem of gender violence in trans-border communities
• Heal the land through phytoremediation
• Protect and celebrate Latin and indigenous heritage




The project is a 1.5 acre commercial, educational, and ecological complex grounded in a desert botanical garden and park that serves two large purposes: To give space for local NGOs like La Mujer Obrera to operate from, and to remediate the soil in Smeltertown. The impact of these program pieces are multi-faceted. The desert botanical garden is dedicated to planting xerophytes, which are resilient and low-water plants. For example, cacti are considered great contaminant absorbents for phytoremediation in dry climates. The cacti, shrublands, and other xero-ethnic plants populate the once desolate site, reintroduce wildlife, generate profit, and provide employment opportunities. The complex is designed to provide employment and job training, environmental education opportunities, and a mixed eco-cultural program that meets the needs of lowincome women and their families.



The desert botanical garden cultivates ethno-xeric plants like lechuguilla, honey mesquite, barrel cactus, soaptree yucca, agave plant, prickly pear, and many more. Chihuahuan wildlife return can also be expected: desert cottontail, black-tailed prairie dog, golden eagle and Mexican spotted owl. Plant roots and vegetation will take decades to grow and clean the soil, thus situating the project for further future imaginings.

The complex utilizes a gutter system and underground storage tanks to efficiently capture and clean water during the rainy months of June to October. El Paso receives an average of 10 inches of rainfall annually. The complex can capture an estimated 300,000 gallons of water in a year. This quantity can provide potable water for roughly 1,020 people every year.

Section Model




Lily Gucfa