A Look at Southwestern Homes

Southwestern homes are usually finished in stucco and are considered to have many representatives: Mediterranean and Hispanic adobe, Spanish Colonial revival and Pueblo revival. The oldest style of southwestern homes is considered to be the Pueblo revival style with log roof rafters for supporting the room. This type of home is called Southwestern American style, unique from the architectural point of view, being earth-toned and having flat roofs. Rounded corners and irregular exterior surfaces, earthen materials for the ornamental trim are characteristics of these southwestern homes.

The same may be said about the Hispanic adobe houses, also considered representative from this point of view that were built in remote regions, being not that old as the Pueblo revival. The Spanish colonial southwestern homes were specific to the Spanish colonists who came later on the American land, spreading this type of houses especially in California. The same stucco walls, tile roof with exposed rafters and simplicity are the characteristics of this type of southwestern homes.

Colonial revival style and Mediterranean were different from the authentic southwestern homes due to their additional elements to the façade, changes that eventually evolved into the contemporary southwestern architecture. Nevertheless, the southwestern homes preserve a special pre-historic or historic elements and techniques of construction. The maintenance of these old elements attracts the most nowadays, as these old southwestern homes have a special power of suggesting a close connection with nature and a special relationship with its elements. The usage of the old techniques o materials combined with new ones may satisfy any expectations.

The architectural themes and motifs of the southwestern homes tend to be close with the natural landscapes, taking into account the environment as a special recipe for building the house. Another popular style of southwestern homes may be taken into account – the Monterey style – that combines two other important styles – New England and Spanish. The roofs of the houses in this style were covered with wood shakes and clay tiles in other cases, being characterized by authenticity and originality.

Southwestern homes are unique from the architectural point of view, being original and authentic homes in the southwestern part of the country, blending into the landscape and seeming to express a desire of uniting with the natural environment. Southwestern homes are rather different from other types and styles of houses from other regions of the country that are more common to find and build.