Sierra Alta is located to the north of San Salvador on the slope of a dormant volcano.  The site has densely forested ravines and ridges.  The master plan places development on portions of the site that have gentler slopes or clearings that have less ecological value than the steeper slopes.  Preserving the vegetated slopes also lessens the risk of erosion and landslides.  Most of the residential units are attached types such as flats, rowhouses, and courtyard houses.  The location of the site, and the arrangement of streets, plazas, and buildings, allows for the majority of the units to have long-range views of the City of San Salvador or towards the volcano. The compact hamlets allow for a large and continuous swath of forest to be preserved on the property.  The project includes a mixed-use village center, located at the main entrance to the property along a busy street.  Designers sought to provide security without gating and enclosing the whole neighborhood, as is the typical practice in most new developments in Latin America.  The solution was to provide security at the level of the building and block, and maintain streets and plazas completely permeable and accessible.