Keeping in the Element

Keeping in the Element

January 25, 2020

When constructing a luxury home in Santa Fe, NM, it’s important to create a property that blends well with its environment. Nothing looks more out of place in this unique landscape than a traditional Tudor style or Colonial Revival home. Custom ranch construction in Santa Fe, NM will allow you to create a home more suitable to this setting.

By partnering with a Southwestern construction company in Santa Fe, NM, you’ll have access to the latest styles and can design a home with all the amenities imaginable. Together, you can create the home of your dreams. Check out the following inspirations to get started.

Pueblo-style adobe architecture

The first group of people to inhabit the Santa Fe area were the Anasazi. They constructed homes inside caves and in canyons that were made of stone and mud. This style became the foundation for traditional New Mexican homes. This Pueblo style consists of clay bricks mixed with grass, then covered with protective layers of mud. Long beams support the roof.

The Pueblo architectural style also includes elements such as adobe-brick fireplaces, adobe benches in the walls and niches, which are small wall indentations. You can also recognize these adobe homes by their rounded corners and flat roofs.

Today, you can still find this architectural style. However, few of the homes built by Southwestern construction companies in Santa Fe, NM are actually built of adobe. Today, contractors use wood and plasterboard, then stucco over this finish to mimic the architectural style of Pueblo homes. Designers incorporate many materials into the construction, stacking and layering them, then covering them. The finished product is often indistinguishable from traditionally-built Pueblos.

Spanish influence

When the Spaniards came to the area, they added distinctive elements to the Pueblo style. You’ll see their influence in enclosed patios, bell towers, portals and arches. The heavy wooden doors and carved post supports you see in many of the structures around Santa Fe are also remnants of the Spanish influence, as they brought in these elements from Moorish architecture.

Territorial style

Territorial-style architecture is also present in Santa Fe’s buildings. These features include cornices, porches and brick facades. To identify buildings of this style, look for millwork on doors, Victorian bric-a-brac and double-hung windows. You’ll also see many second-story porches.

Architectural examples

For great examples of traditional Santa Fe architecture, visit Santa Fe Plaza, St. Francis Cathedral and Loretto Chapel. You can also contact your local Southwestern construction company in Santa Fe, NM for samples of their work or design ideas. These experts are a great source of knowledge about custom ranch construction in Santa Fe, NM, and can help you choose the best elements of Santa Fe architecture to incorporate into your next home.

Choose your elements

Apple Construction LLC specializes in design consultation and planning, remodels, new construction and additions. If you want custom ranch construction in Santa Fe, NM that results in a home perfectly suited for its environment, we are your go-to source. Locally owned and operated, we are committed to creating properties our customers will love for a lifetime. Give us a call today, and we’ll get started on your dream home!

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