The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso built seventy-three units of low-i ncome senior housing in an industrial area near the Rio Grande in South El Paso, taking the opportunity to make the project the first net-zero-energy public housing project in the United States. Workshop8 of Boulder, Colorado, arranged the apartments in four east–west-oriented blocks and a long north–south-oriented block so that all units have minimal sun exposure. Inset balconies and staggered building blocks create shade. The design is modern, with rectangular massing, stucco finishes, and flat roofs, yet uses colors, courtyards, and desert landscaping to connect to the locale. Energy-efficient features include highly insulated walls, solar panels, high-efficiency lighting and appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and recycled materials.