How to talk Santa Fe
Talking to someone in Santa Fe about architecture can be an adventure. Terms like ‘viga’ and ‘nicho’ are tossed about as readily as ‘window’ and ‘fence’. If you’re planning a trip to Santa Fe, brush up on these northern New Mexico terms to fully appreciate the local architecture.
- Acequia
- Man made irrigation ditch.
- Adobe
- Mud brick that is dried in the sun. The first adobe bricks were used 8,500 years ago in the Middle East.
- Alameda
- Spanish for “Cottonwood Tree.” This word has come to mean a road bordered by cottonwoods.
- Anasazi
- Ancestral Pueblo Indians; the “Ancients.”
- Arroyo
- Dry riverbed that fills occasionally.
- Aspen Tree
- High elevation deciduous (drops it’s leaves in fall) tree with leaves that turn gold in the fall.
- Banco
- A bench made of adobe and covered with plaster.
- Bosque
- Low-lying area near rivers, densely forested with cottonwoods and other deciduous trees.
- Camino
- “Road” in Spanish.
- Canale
- A roof spout that carries water off a flat pueblo roof.
- Casa
- “House” or “home” in Spanish.
- Coping
- Decorative detail on the top edge of a building and around doors and windows.
- Corbel
- Short sculpted beam lying on top of a post or wall.
- Escarpment Ordinances
- New laws in the Santa Fe area prohibiting building on and excavation of mountainsides beyond a certain steepness.
- Farolito
- “Little Lantern,” typically a paper bag with a sand ballast and candle, lighted for Christmas festivities. Referred to as a Luminaria outside of Santa Fe.
- Flagstone
- Flat sheets of red or white stone mined locally, used for flooring in homes and on patios.
- Historic Styles Ordinances
- Regulations governing the architectural style of all buildings within the Historic District of downtown Santa Fe.
- Horno
- Freestanding adobe bread oven found at most pueblos and Indian homes.
- Juniper Tree
- High-desert evergreen that seldom grows more than 15 feet tall.
- Kiva
- A small “beehive-shaped” fireplace.
- La Fonda
- “The Hotel” in Spanish.
- La Posada
- “The Inn” in Spanish.
- Latillas
- Small branches used as ceiling planking, made of Aspen, pine or cedar.
- Lintel
- Wooden beam bridging window or door openings.
- Luminaria
- Fire built on the sidewalk on Christmas Eve for carolers to gather around. (See also Farolito.)
- Mesa
- Flattop mountain called “a table” in Spanish.
- Nicho
- Small shelf carved into a wall.
- Paseo
- Passage or walkway, or “to promenade.”
- Piñon Tree
- High-desert nut-bearing evergreen tree.
- Plaza
- Public square in the center of town, site of traditional evening paseo or “promenade.”
- Portal
- Patio attached to a home, covered with a fixed roof supported by posts.
- Puerta
- “Door” in Spanish.
- Rumford Fireplace
- Tall, shallow fireplace known for great efficiency.
- Saltillo Tile
- Simple fired earthen tile made in Saltillo, Mexico.
- Stucco
- Final cement color coat plastered in the exterior of an adobe-style building.
- Talavera Tile
- Colorful hand-decorated Mexican tile used for counter tops and trim.
- Ventana
- “Window” in Spanish.
- Vigas
- Round logs used as ceiling beams, either shaved or raw.