When you think about the architecture in the American Southwest, you probably have the same few images in mind every time. Cliff dwellings carved into rock, iconic missions, big-name architects, and their famous desert estates, etc.
And not that those places aren’t important, but they don’t tell the whole story.
In deserts and canyons, builders didn’t have many choices in terms of building materials, so they worked with what they had at hand – stone, more stone, timber, dirt, and a bit more stone.
And the way structures were built was 100% about functionality. They were built to keep them cool on hot days but still warm on cold nights. They were also built to conserve water and last forever with minimal required maintenance. Looks/aesthetics were completely disregarded.
If you’d pay attention to these not-so-famous structures, you’d see patterns that show again and again in the Southwest.
Looking Past the Obvious in the Southwest Architecture
If you slow down and stop looking for famous names, you notice that the architecture in the Southwest tells a different story.
Different in a good way, of course, because this is some of the most interesting architecture you’ll get to see.
Taos Pueblo Multi-Story Adobe Housing (New Mexico)
Taos Pueblo doesn’t look like a design experiment, but it’s one of the most refined responses to the environment anywhere in the region.
The adobe walls are thick for a reason, and that reason is – insulation. They’re made from a mixture of mud (earth + water) and straw, and because of their thickness, they actually insulate incredibly well. The same reason is that when you dig a few feet into the ground, the soil would be cold, even if it’s super hot outside.
The structures were also built to rise, rather than spread out/going wide. This helped conserve land.
Everything that was built had a functional purpose.
Decoration, visuals? None.
Desert View Watchtower Support Buildings (Arizona)
While the watchtower near the Grand Canyon gets most of the attention, it’s very interesting to check out the smaller structures around it. They’re JUST as interesting, and people often miss them completely. These ‘support’ structures are designed to sit low to the ground, and they’ve been built entirely from nearby stone. So, in a way, they completely blend into the nature around them.
The material, thickness, and construction technique allow these structures to withstand strong winds and regulate temperature inside very efficiently.
They exist to do their job, which is exactly why they work so well.
Earthship Biotecture Residences (New Mexico)
These look unusual, but their ideas are surprisingly simple.
They’re built to run off the grid using recycled and natural materials. Walls packed with earth help control thetemperatures indoors, and the buildings are placed to make the most of the sunlight. And while the style is pretty modern, the idea behind it is anything but new. It follows the same logic people in the desert used for generations – use what’s around you and use as little as possible.
This exact mindset can be seen in park model homes New Mexico residents use, where you can clearly see how they’re made with efficiency in mind to resist/handle heat, wind, and drought exceptionally well.
And because of their cost and efficiency, they’re a great investment that provides you with maximum functionality while being able to dodge most regulatory constraints that traditional\ buildings would have imposed on them.
Mission-Era Auxiliary Buildings (Desert Regions in Arizona and California)
Large mission churches can’t help but draw attention, but, actually, everyday life happened in the smaller buildings nearby. Living spaces and storage rooms were built with thick walls and shaded walkways to better manage heat.
The point of these structures wasn’t to impress anyone but to support daily routines.
Layouts are simple, as are materials, and the guiding design principle was primarily function.
Civilian Conservation Corps Desert Cabins and Shelters (1930s)
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built cabins and shelters in remote desert areas.
These buildings all have basic, repeatable designs, and the focus was on strength and easy upkeep. Stone and timber were common because they lasted and could be sourced locally for the most part.
The result? A set of practical structures that still hold up even though it’s been decades.
Navajo Hogan Structures (Four Corners Region)
Hogans are built into a round shape, which helps with airflow.
The materials used to build them were those found in nature at the time – logs, stone, and dirt. And all these materials are natural insulators, the hogan was also cool inside during summers, but still warm during chilly nights.
Regarding the design of the most recent hogans, it’s been discovered that they weren’t built this efficiently from the start, but rather the result of decades of trial and error and improvements on what already worked.
So no formal building plans, just nature.
And that’s exactly why they fit into the environment so well.
Vernacular Stone and Adobe Homestead in Remote Desert Areas
Small homesteads built by early settlers are scattered all across the Southwest.
These homes usually have thick walls and small windows, which are fully made of stone and adobe, and because they’re small, they retain heat very well.
Of course, they don’t stand out visually much. And because of this, people won’t give them much thought/attention. But they’re super interesting because they show how people adapted quickly to the desert with simple, yet effective solutions.
Conclusion
It sometimes feels as if Southwest architecture is more of a mindset than a design. That probably has a lot to do with how little effort went into the actual aesthetic design, but still, they turned out iconic.
Think about it – you disregard looks and 100% focus on functionality/purpose, and you get a home run.
Use what’s available, make it last, and that’s that.
And once you start noticing these quieter buildings, you won’t be able to see past them anymore. And you shouldn’t because they change how you read the landscape and what you expect architecture to do.
