5 Main Styles Of Southwest Architecture

5 Main Styles Of Southwest Architecture

5 Main Styles Of Southwest Architecture

Architectural styles of the southwest vary greatly from the rest of the country. There are no ivy covered, neo-classical facades. Victorian painted ladies and gingerbread are nowhere to be found. Likewise, you would not expect to see stucco and a wrought iron front door in downtown New York City. Instead, the southwest is sprinkled with a variety of divergent architectural styles that mingle with the ancient building traditions of several Native American tribes. However, there are five main styles of southwest architecture that are easily recognizable to many.

1. Spanish Colonial architecture is traditionally a one-story home surrounding an interior courtyard. It also features a long, narrow porch as well as windows with ornamental ironwork and a wrought iron front door. This particular style also featured a flat rook with a parapet wall above the roofline.

2. Pueblo architecture, also called Pueblo Revival, is a hybrid mix of Spanish Colonial and Mission style featuring an earth colored adobe exterior with vigas. These roughhewn logs are the support system on the roof and are often exposed at the exterior wall. Pueblo buildings also feature rounded corners, brick floors and flat roofs.

3. Mission Revival is based on the popularity of the Spanish Mission. Early Spaniards brought over first the Jesuits and later the Franciscans to convert the locals, the built presidios include a fort for the soldier and the elaborate missions. The lovely facades included sweeping arches, curved gables and a long, covered exterior porch.

4. Territorial style is known for its strong lines and traditional row of bricks atop the walls. People often associate the territorial style with New Mexico because it was popular there between 1850 to the turn of the last century. However, today the style can be found throughout the southwest. In fact, it is a mix of traditional Pueblo architecture and Victorian, due in part to the influx of settlers to New Mexico at that time that brought with them their tastes from back east. Other features include decorative wood support post along the length of the front porch as well as vividly painted front doors with wrought iron accents.

5. Santa Fe is another popular style of southwest architecture. The most enduring and recognizable feature is the kiva. A kiva is a semi-circular fireplace, usually built into a corner and covered with stucco. Traditionally flanked by bancos, or built-in stucco covered benches, the kiva today is a wonderful place to relax in front of after a long workweek.

Many people erroneously think that adobe is a style of architecture. It is actually a building technique used in many styles of southwest architecture. Clay and sand were mixed with water and formed into bricks. These bricks are traditionally allowed to cure outside in the sun. They are often finished with a coat of plaster both to protect it from the elements and for aesthetics. The key elements to remember in any southwest style are the stucco exteriors, flat roofs, parapet walls at the roofline and a wrought iron front door.

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