Spanish Home Architecture

Spanish Home Architecture — Spanish colonization of the Americas introduced exquisite architectural features in many buildings. This movement gave rise to the Spanish Colonial Revival Style. The buildings consider climate and environment while avoiding excessive sophistication in form and components. Spanish’s home usually feature spacious courtyards, thick stucco walls, and iconic red-tiled roofs.

In the early 20th century, Spanish Revival Style adopted many Mediterranean architectural traits. Common features strongly reaffirm this distinctive style. Spanish explorers and commoners practiced this style for centuries. Skilled craftsmen executed it with inherited precision. Over time, the style lost some Spanish and Mexican traits while adopting local elements from Spanish territories.

Key elements:

Spanish Architecture emphasizes using native and locally sourced materials. Builders often use adobe in the Southwest and coquina rock in Florida.
Builders always include thick stucco walls as both style and function. These walls absorb heat during the day. Later, they gently release warmth inside during cooler evenings.
Spanish homes usually feature small open windows with wrought iron gates, not glass panes. Builders place windows carefully to capture breezes and avoid harsh sunlight. They usually avoid window shutters. If shutters exist, builders traditionally fix them inside the window opening.
It is single storied; the ranch style house has its roots in this style.
Adornments are limited. These informal homes tend to restrict ornamentations to building components like arches on entranceways, principal windows and interior passages. At times, the decoration can be applied in the forms of intricate stone or tile work, detailed chimney tops and square towers.
The wooden beams stay extended outwards from the exterior walls as observed in classic Spanish Colonials.
Whether used for cooking in fresh air or for the purpose of informal gatherings with extended family members or friends, an inner courtyard, patio or porch remains an integral element of this style.