University of Texas, El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso is located on the U.S.-Mexico border in the heart of the Chihuahuan desert, which allows us to offer vast and unique academic and research opportunities critical to our nation’s future. We play a key role in contributing to the region’s intellectual, economic and cultural capital.

UTEP’s architectural history began in the early 1900s, when Kathleen Worrell, wife of then-dean Steven Worrell, read the article “Castles in the Air” about Bhutan in National Geographic. She was awed by the similarities between the mountains in El Paso and those in Bhutan.
Built in 1917 after a fire destroyed the original buildings, Old Main, Graham Hall and Quinn Hall stand as the university’s oldest buildings. Since then, our buildings have been modeled after Bhutanese monasteries, featuring sloping walls, high inset windows and projecting roof eaves.
Today, the majority of the university’s 90 buildings feature the Bhutanese-style architecture.  Most notable are the dark bands of brick with mosaic tiles in the shape of mandalas, the symbol of unity and wholeness – inspiring those who visit, teach, learn and dream here.