Structural Materials
- Made from adobe, with interior walls roughly plastered over the adobe
- Stucco or smooth stone can be used instead
- Simple wood, brick, and stucco construction
- If adobe is not used, it is simulated by incorporating rounded corners, irregular parapets, and thick, battered walls
- Red tile roofs (Spanish style) – Flat roofs (Adobe style)
Shape and Form
- Typically low-slung, one-story designs
- Flat or low-pitched roof and little overhang
- Log, narrow porch
- Asymmetrical exteriors with small, irregularly placed windows
- Use of arches inside and out
Layout/Floorplan Elements
- Rooms arranged to interact with the outdoors while keeping the interior cool and shady
- Many floor plans feature courtyards, patios, or other outdoor living areas
- Doors often open onto a covered portal or patio
- Extensive gardens – a cactus garden or cascading tropical plants (such as bougainvilleas)