In April 2022, Asociación Sumpul organized a participatory workshop in the municipality of Las Vueltas as part of the Surviving Memory Postwar El Salvador initiative. The workshop included survivors, community members, local leaders, architects, and representatives from KU Leuven, Western University, and the School of Arts at the University of El Salvador, and the discussion was focused on ways to enhance annual commemorations of the massacres at La Laguna de San Ramón (also known as La Laguna Seca). This location, significant during the Salvadoran civil war, is a site of remembrance where approximately 300 people gather annually on March 11 to commemorate victims of massacres and bombardments between 1979 and 1983.

The design process for the memorial began with the initial idea of a horizontal platform. Emphasis was placed on creating a symbolic and respectful design that would also allow for community use beyond the commemorative events. The proposal included mobile elements such as an "altar" and reliquaries to support the processional nature of the commemorations. Developing the project gave way to a series of design principles. First, creating tiered seating that follows the natural topography and incorporates an acoustic reflector wall featuring the names of victims. Second, planting jacaranda trees that bloom in March along the commemorative path to enhance visibility and community engagement with the memorial.

By early 2023, after community input and approval, the design was presented to engineer Guillermo Candela, who addressed water pressure issues on retaining walls. The revised design features lighter steel structures, including a curved acoustic reflector that appears to float, harmonizing with the valley landscape. This ethereal element honors the victims while integrating with the natural surroundings.

Further design developments included workshops with UCA’s Space Organization Department to create mobile altars and reliquaries, involving around 150 first-year students. These workshops aimed to design practical and meaningful elements for the memorial. The results were presented to the community in August 2023, fostering ongoing discussion and evaluation of the memorial's design and purpose.