Why Is Roof Line Staggered On Southwestern Adobe Houses

Adobe has been used for thousands of years as a building material.

Why is roof line staggered on southwestern adobe houses. Both flat roofs mostly associated with adobe homes and red tiled roofs more closely associated with spanish roots are found on southwest house plans. Adobe is a spanish word that comes from the arabic word atob which means sun dried brick. My wife and i plan to move to new mexico and i would like to build a small 760sqft adobe house. These houses borrow architectural details from the earthen homes of early native americans and feature massive round edge walls flat roofs stepped levels heavy timbers extending through the walls to support the roof deep window and door openings and simple windows.

East and west are the killer solar gainers after the roof. The thickness of the walls is evident in the deep set windows which are often framed by wooden lintels. Southwestern house plans are common in the southern regions of the united states where the sun shines brightly on the red tiled roofs that help keep them cool. The multistoried permanent attached homes typical of this tradition are modeled after the cliff dwellings built by the ancestral pueblo anasazi culture beginning in approximately ad 1150.

North glazing is a bit harder to protect. Adobe style homes were first built with adobe bricks of tightly compacted earth clay and straw. Plant a line of trees on the east and west sides or park a semi trailer there to stop the sun. The walls typically rise higher than the roof which is supported by wooden beams whose ends extend through the wall.

Southwestern house plans reflect a rich history of colonial spanish and native american styles and are usually one story with flat roofs covered porches and round log ceiling beams. Another very local and historical derivation of spanish colonial and native american styles the pueblo home is still very popular in the american southwest. Upper stories may be set back like the pueblos of their ancestors. Sometimes called adobes pueblo house plans are characterized by massive earth colored stucco or adobe brick walls with wood roof beams that project from the exterior walls.

Southwest style house plans with their earth toned exteriors and low roof lines are set low to the ground allow them blend with their natural desert environment. Adobe house plans are typically one or two stories. Walls of southwestern style homes are often stucco or stone and have overhangs or trellises to provide shade from the desert sun. Adobe style adobe style homes can be found throughout the southwest.

Free of excessive ornamentation these mostly ranch homes may include exposed rafters large beam supports and arched openings. Your contractor may suggest that you create an extension to your adobe roof that partially covers your patio or courtyard. Pueblo architecture traditional architecture of the pueblo indians of the southwestern united states. In recent years contractors have created contemporary southwestern roofs that draw inspiration from the past but provide their very own flair.