Adobe architecture is a defining characteristic of the built environment of New Mexico.
It is a style and method of construction that began with the native peoples of the region, was recognized as ingenious by the Spanish when they arrived, and has been preserved further by more recent waves of immigrants.
Adobe bricks are made from mud and straw. The material is used to construct thick walled buildings that preserve cool air when it is hot in the New Mexican desert and hold warmth when temperatures fall at night, during the fall and winter, or in the higher elevations.
Above: Top - The San Francisco de Asís Catholic Mission Church in Taos. And the Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe.
Most adobe buildings are no more than three stories tall. Many have interior courtyards. Most have flat roofs and exposed structural wood beams on the interior and exterior. Most are natural earth shades.
The material tends to have a calming effect inside and out. Many of the buildings have unusual shapes and angles when compared to conventional buildings seen in most other parts of the country. Made of earth, the material and construction style blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.
In many parts of the world, including the United States, as times change so does the architecture.
In New Mexico, generations of inhabitants - both indigenous and those who have come from other places - have all agreed that adobe is the material, method and style that works best in this climate and this environment. No one has seen any need to change it and - in fact - today's New Mexicans have taken strong steps to preserve it and build on the tradition.
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© Dean Pagani 2023
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© Dean Pagani 2023