Architecture - New Mexico

University Degree Architecture, Building and Planning

Bryan Stearley

Architecture 101

December 3, 2002

Term paper

New Mexico

As with other places in the world, New Mexico’s climate, culture, and landscape play a pivotal role in the architectural structure of houses and buildings. Being dry, warm and surrounded by mountains, most well built structures are environmentally appropriate. Also, New Mexico is one of the most poverty stricken states in the U.S. Thus the reason for some of the manners in which things are built.

New Mexico’s climate is particularly warm and dry. But can also become very cold in the depths of winter. This being the case for quite some time, early builders such as the Native Americans and Spanish settlers built homes that would be of the most benefit. Adobe was originally made from a mixture of mud/clay and sticks and/or grass. This would prevent the extreme heat of the summer from seeping through the cool mud walls. Also adobe was very helpful in the winter because the sometimes blistering cold couldn’t be felt through the thickness of the walls. Early adobe homes were often built rather small. This also factored into the climate control. The smaller a structure was, the easier it was to heat and cool during the year. Interior space was not of much concern at this time. The living or siting room was often used as the room in which everyone slept. Lack of plumbing eliminated the need for bathroom space and the kitchen and living room may of often times shared a fireplace by a separating wall (if there was one) and one chimney for both sides. This conserved firewood, material to build the house and also made heating easier in the winter.

Structures in New Mexico in comparison with those in other parts of the country, and world, differ quite a bit. For example, houses and buildings in much colder climates would be more heavily insulated than those of the southwest. Also more fireplaces may be put in, in which more materials have to be used. This causes heating for the structure to take much more effort. New Mexico is also fortunate to have the clay like mud in which to build with. Other places do not benefit from this natural resource so they must use what is available to them. Usually ...

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Culture has also had a large part to do with how our local environment has developed. When people were first settling in New Mexico, they came to find that the Native Americans depended solely on the land and their beliefs to survive. This in part is still true to this day. Not so much soul dependency on the land, but the ideas and beliefs that have been past down. Many houses and buildings of today are built and decorated in the traditional southwestern style. The arched doorways and flat rooftops are just some of the signature trademarks of southwestern architecture. Adobe style has lived through generations to evolve into what we recognize today as stucco. Even though they are two different materials entirely, stucco homes are modeled after the early adobe homes. New Mexico is also recognized for this as well as its clay. Stucco is not found in many other parts of the U.S. Especially out of the southwest. Its popularity doesn’t thrive well anywhere else in very large part to culture. Our unique architecture is famous because it is usually only seen here. It captures the interest of others across the nation because it is not successfully duplicated anywhere else.

The southwest, particularly New Mexico, is praised for its landscape. New Mexico has the perfect combination of dessert, mountains, and plains. Being the only state in the southwest that has mountains on three surrounding sides. In the middle of these mountains lies the flat, open dessert like plateaus. Many Indian reservations have the rolling plains. Many homes and buildings designed today are meant to show off the surrounding area. Structures that go up in the mountains, for example, often have large windows incorporated to accentuate the structure, offer good day lighting, and utilize the serenity of nature. Also, many mountain homes here are built on stilts to help avoid being trapped by the heavy snows that New Mexico sometimes has. Our dry and dusty landscape is often the inspiration for many buildings and homes throughout the state. Earthtones like browns, greys, and tans are used for the stucco homes you see today and the flat plateaus of the land make the flat roofs of buildings and houses fit perfectly in the surrounding areas.

New Mexico may be dry and dusty, but there is no doubt that it has a beauty and originality of its own. With our unique architectural styles, New Mexico and its structures are truly captivating. The culture, landscape, and climate all play a big role in how our traditional style was made. Without all those aspects, New Mexico would not be the same today and would not have the same type of style that make the state different from almost all others.