southwestern design q&a

yes, horno? Traditional beehive ovens, once the only easy-bake option in the Southwest, still offer functional backyard beauty. Our experts also suggest shade options, how to work with architectural review committees, and how to make diamonds from mud.
Edited by Alicia Kellogg Photograph by Jack Parsons

Horno essentials
Q: What is an horno, how is one made, and what is it used for?

A: Hornos are traditional adobe beehive-shaped ovens built outdoors. Although they are sometimes used today—and those who have tried bread baked in an horno attest that you can taste the difference—three or four hundred years ago, the horno was your sole oven, says Francisco Uviña Contreras, architectural/technical manager of Cornerstones Community Partnerships. Cornerstones works with Hispanic and Native American communities to restore and preserve historic structures and promote traditional building practices and cultural values.

Hornos go back in Southwestern United States history, but according to Uviña Contreras, the tradition is Arabic and was later brought here through Mexico. Today visitors can observe hornos in use at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a historic Spanish Colonial ranch south of Santa Fe that now operates as a living history museum. There, large hornos are used to bake a dozen loaves of bread at once, and chile is roasted in smaller hornos. Uviña Contreras says it’s helpful to see a completed horno in person before building one. In fact, Cornerstones Community Partnerships assists with festivals at the ranch, and Uviña Contreras has constructed an horno there himself.

When preparing to bake bread at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a fire burns in the horno for two hours, then a piece of fleece is set on a wooden paddle and placed inside. If the fleece crumbles to brown, the oven is 350 degrees; if it turns black, the horno is too hot. When the horno reaches the proper temperature, the ashes are scraped out and the bread dough is placed inside with the paddle. A wet covering is placed over the wooden horno door, and the chimney is sealed as well. The bread takes about 35 minutes to bake.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from May through the first week in October. At the Harvest Festival October 6 and 7, along with other activities, visitors can see hornos in use and sample the bread.

When building an horno, Uviña Contreras says the most important thing is using natural adobe bricks, rather than stabilized adobes, because you will be preparing food in the structure. (When you talk to the adobe makers, tell them you’re building an horno, he advises.) Using tapered adobe bricks can make it easier to build up the curved sides of the oven.

The inside of an horno has a stone base to retain heat. You’ll cover the rocks with mud plaster to form the floor, but the adobe interior does not require a coat of plaster, Uviña Contreras says.

Work slowly as you build the horno with adobe bricks. The mud will shrink, so every four courses, allow the adobes to set. As you work toward the top of the domed oven, building will become more difficult. Slow down, and allow the courses to dry, Uviña Contreras instructs. You’ll need an exit vent near the top of the crown, nearly opposite the door. This vent allows smoke to escape the oven.

When the adobes are in place, let the horno dry for a couple of days before plastering the exterior. Hornos are covered with a temporary or sacrificial coat of plaster, Uviña Contreras says. This protects the adobes from the elements and should be reapplied every year or whenever a new coat is needed. Running a wet rag over existing mud plaster can make the old coat look better, he adds.

Do not seal the outside of the adobe oven or use cement plaster, according to Uviña Contreras. Instead, use the traditional method of covering the horno with permeable mud plaster. Shield the horno with a tarp during rain to further guard against water damage.

Investigating how hornos are built might lead you to Myrtle and Wilfred Stedman’s classic writings on Santa Fe style adobe architecture, which include a description of constructing an horno, or Indian oven, complete with illustrations and notes on baking bread and roasting turkey (Adobe Architecture: A Guide to the Use of Adobe in Building by Myrtle Stedman and Wilfred Stedman, Sunstone Press, Santa Fe).

Barbara Furr, who works at the shop at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, recommends Build Your Own Earth Oven by Kiko Denzer (Hand Print Press) as an excellent book that explains how to build an horno and includes bread recipes.

If you aren’t quite so hands-on, you could also have an horno built for you. Adobe Factory in Alcalde, New Mexico, builds hornos with specialized bricks of traditional adobe. The company constructs hornos on-site within New Mexico, according to owner Mel Medina. “Contact us, and we’ll take it from there,” he says.

Adobe Factory studied the pueblos of northern New Mexico to come up with guidelines for the horno sizes it would offer, Medina says. Two general sizes shaped what the company constructs. The small horno has a cooking area diameter of three feet, the outside is five feet in diameter, and it stands five feet tall. The large horno is five feet across on the inside, seven feet outside, and six feet tall. For both, the cooking table is 18 inches above the ground so you don’t have to stoop to reach the food you are preparing.

Adobe Factory’s hornos are made with a river rock and mud foundation. Earthen mud is poured for the cooking table, and the walls are built up with traditional adobe bricks that are tapered to facilitate building the domed structure. The horno’s exterior is finished with earthen plaster. Prices are given by quote and depend on factors such as the horno’s size, the site of the horno itself, and the destination within the state, Medina says.

A number of years ago Adobe Factory encountered a barrage of requests for hornos, Medina says. “People want them not only for the look but also for the cooking.” Medina notes that using an horno takes practice and people end up burning some food in the process. Experience makes the difference.

Medina mentions horno-baked pizza, ribs, bread, cookies, and turkey. “It’s really open for anything you might want to use it for,” he says. “And the look is terrific.”

Advice from Francisco Uviña Contreras, Cornerstones Community Partnerships; Mel Medina, Adobe Factory; and El Rancho de las Golondrinas

A place in the sun
Q: I am purchasing a “pseudo” Southwestern style home here in Scottsdale, Arizona. It has a flat roof, smooth stucco exterior, and a walled front courtyard. The problem is the living room has a western exposure (brutal under Arizona sun) with a large picture window, which looks out on the courtyard. I will landscape this courtyard and will want to see it, but how do I shade the front window? I will be planting a tree or two, but that is a ways off in terms of shade. I’m contemplating a viga and latilla shade structure of some sort, but will that look strange on the front of the house? —BakeR Scottsdale, Arizona

A:Negotiating rays remains an important concern for homes in the sun-drenched Southwest. In general, one of the best strategies for a western exposure is to plant trees in appropriate spots, according to architect Paul Gibson with Edward Fitzgerald/Architects in Albuquerque.

David Salman, president and chief horticulturist of Santa Fe Greenhouses, also recommends planting well-placed shade trees. He says deciduous trees will provide shade in the summer and drop their leaves in winter, which admits low-angle sun into the house for warmth. This will help you take advantage of energy savings, as well as provide relief from the western exposure.

Salman says one tree should provide the shade you need for your window. Planting shade trees on the south and west sides of the home, in general, provides energy savings, he adds.

If you have a single-story house, Salman says a tree that grows to be 15 to 20 feet tall should provide adequate shade. Avoid trees that grow to be exceptionally large, like cottonwoods, he notes, and don’t plant trees too close to your home. A large tree right next to the house could drop a limb and cause damage. Purchase a boxed tree and plant it approximately 15 feet from the side of the house, depending on the exact species, to give it room, Salman says.

Alternatively, you could shade your picture window with a ramada and a deciduous vine, though Salman favors planting trees. “I find that a tree is a much more economical solution,” he says, once you purchase the materials for the ramada and consider the cost to maintain it. Shade trees add value to the home, as well as beauty and comfort, he adds.

Salman suggests contacting your local greenhouse for tree recommendations for your specific area. Particularly in the west, it’s important to obtain local experts’ advice, Salman says.

For the Tucson-Phoenix area, he says various acacia are good choices. Cercidium (common name paloverde) and desert willow (Chilopsis) are also good selections. All three are excellent desert tree species, Salman says.

For anywhere in New Mexico, Salman recommends the imperial honey locust, a clean, seedless, moderately sized shade tree, ‘Autumn Purple’ white ash, and tree form Gambel oak.

If other conditions exist and a tree alone does not solve the shading problem, another solution is a long overhang on the west side of the house, explains Paul Gibson of Edward Fitzgerald/Architects. You can work with an architect to design a long overhang, a process that involves a sun angle study. The depth of the overhang, for instance, depends on the height of the window.

Gibson says he personally prefers to overcome this shading challenge by planting trees. Double-paned low-E windows are a must, he adds.

Low-E refers to a microscopically thin layer of precious metals such as silver oxide or titanium oxide that coats glass, says Dan Thompson with Pella Windows & Doors. The coating is designed to reflect heat in summer and retain heat in winter—an asset for west-facing windows combating strong sunlight.

When shopping for windows, Thompson recommends finding out the NFRC rating (designated by the National Fenestration Rating Council), which will tell you the window’s energy performance. He notes that efficientwindows.org, an interactive website for consumers, is a helpful resource when purchasing windows.

Advice from Paul Gibson, Edward Fitzgerald/Architects; David Salman, Santa Fe Greenhouses; and Dan Thompson, Pella Windows & Doors

Group dynamics
Q: We are in the process of designing a home to build in Mesquite, Nevada. We have presented what we consider to be an allowed Southwest Contemporary design to the architectural design committee; however, they are resisting. In discussions with their architect they seem to be moving us more toward a Spanish Mission design. Do you have a good definition of Southwest Contemporary? —L. Scovill, Sandy, Utah

A:Architectural design committees are extremely common in the Southwest, according to Mike Cabber, a designer with residential design company Cabber & Hepker Inc. in Albuquerque. Committees determine architectural styles allowed within a development, and members can include developers, architects, designers, and homeowners. Although designers (and their clients) want freedom for creativity, these committees serve an important purpose.

“A strong architectural control committee is able to protect your investment,” Cabber explains. He considers safeguarding the subdivision’s value the driving force of these restrictions, rather than a desire for uniformity. Covenants prevent neighbors from building whatever they want, potentially changing the look of the neighborhood.

Before beginning a home design, Cabber recommends getting a handle on the objective for the entire subdivision. The homeowner should hold a predesign meeting with the architectural design committee and the designer. Before this meeting, Cabber suggests reading the covenants and writing down questions if the covenants do not include a clear definition of a design style.

In the specific case described here, Cabber advises meeting with the committee to learn what portion of the design the members are dissatisfied with. In speaking with the group, you have the opportunity to reconcile different opinions and express that you want a design that works for the subdivision. Determine whether you know specifically what the design committee is asking for and what the group classifies as Southwest Contemporary design. The committee should have a definition of what it is after and be able to explain why your proposed design is not acceptable.

After the initial meeting, present your design to the committee to hear objections and obtain preliminary approval—a strategy Cabber suggests rather than having a full set of plans turned down. Once your plans have been approved, you can move forward with the building process.

Stylistic definitions can vary from committee to committee, and your group could have its own views of contemporary design, Cabber says. Southwest Contemporary is harder to pin down than other styles, he adds; unless a design has zero Southwestern influence, it’s a bit more difficult for the committee to argue against.

The term “contemporary” opens up many options, Cabber says. He defines Southwest Contemporary design as a contemporary structure with Southwestern influences. This can incorporate Pueblo aspects, such as a flat roof, but squared parapets, stucco finishes, and Southwestern influences in the portales and patio, Cabber says.

“To me Southwest Contemporary architecture is regionally responsive to climate, materials, and an honest expression of those materials,” explains architect Laura van Amburgh. This means not making a wood frame wall look like an adobe wall. (Amburgh and her husband, architect Antonio Parés, are based in Seattle, Washington, but continue to work in Santa Fe. The pair won an honor award in the Su Casa/AIA Albuquerque Residential Design competition for the Slotten-Murphy residence in the East Mountains near Albuquerque.)

“Traditionally homes were enclosed with small openings to keep out the environment,” she adds. “The influence of Japan on modern architecture brought the idea of extending the outdoors in and the indoors out. This could be achieved by extending forms and surfaces from the inside of the house to the outside and using floor-to-ceiling glass in order to dissolve the barriers with nature.”

Van Amburgh says examples of architects doing contemporary work in the Southwest include Antoine Predock, Will Bruder, and Rick Joy.

Advice from Mike Cabber, Cabber & Hepker Inc., and Laura van Amburgh, David Vandervort Architects

Faux diamond finish
Q: We’d like to create the diamond plaster look that we saw so often in the art galleries in Santa Fe where every once and a while, the almond base coat shows through, with high-gloss white diamond topcoat. Half of our walls are plaster and half are dry wall. Is plastering our only choice, or is there a faux technique that can create this same look? —Julea, Ohio

A:Diamond finish plastering involves a multistep process requiring lath and coats of plaster. You can bypass the traditional method with faux painting or with an alternative plaster technique.

Decorative artist John McClendon, owner of Old World Finishes in Albuquerque, suggests the plastering option for the most authentic results. If your walls are textured, start by smoothing them with drywall compound then sanding them for a smooth texture, he says. Once you have smooth walls to work with, apply dry wall primer. McClendon suggests using Behr Venetian Plaster for this plastering technique. You can custom match the plaster to the almond color you want, which becomes important if you want to match other walls in the house. Trowel on three coats of this background color, McClendon instructs. Smooth and burnish the walls according to the directions.

To create a diamond topcoat over the almond base, apply Behr’s untinted Venetian Plaster, McClendon says. Use a skip trowel method to create a brocade finish, leaving portions of the background color visible. Apply two to three coats, depending on the plaster’s coverage. From here, burnish the walls according to the plaster directions, then follow up with Behr Venetian Plaster topcoat to create a shiny finish, McClendon says. Although this is not a traditional diamond coat plaster, the Venetian plaster effect is a higher-end finish that creates a similar appearance.

This look can also be achieved with paint—a technique you can pursue even if your walls are textured, McClendon says. First paint the walls an almond background color with latex satin paint. Next make a white glaze using latex glazing medium and white paint. Usually he recommends six parts glaze to one part paint.

From here, use a faux-finishing technique to apply glaze over the brown base coat. One person can roll or brush paint in three foot by three foot squares. Rag and pat the paint to your liking to remove the excess glaze and reveal the background color. Complete this technique with a clear coat with a satin finish, McClendon says.

Plastering is more physically intense than the painting technique and should probably be done by a professional, McClendon advises, while the painting technique may be better suited for a do-it-yourself project.

Andrea Gilbert of Kiva Diva in Santa Fe agrees that diamond finish plaster—which has a special high-end quality but requires a hard-troweled technique that is more complicated and costly—can be replicated with paint. You can go right up to plaster with paint, she adds, so starting with different wall materials is not a problem.

Layering three or four tones of paint in varying colors and finishing with a sealer buffed to a high gloss will imitate the diamond finish look, though she says the paint won’t appear quite as luminous as plaster. Gilbert notes that faux finishing requires skill and artistic sensibility to emulate the troweled look of the diamond finish plaster seen in Southwestern homes and galleries.

Advice from John McClendon, Old World Finishes, and Andrea Gilbert, Kiva Diva

Expert contact info:
Horno essentials: Francisco Uviña Contreras, architectural/technical manager, Cornerstones Community Partnerships, Santa Fe, 505/982-9521, cstones.org.
Mel Medina, owner, Adobe Factory, Alcalde, New Mexico, 505/852-4131, adobefactory.com.
El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Santa Fe, 505/471-2261, golondrinas.org.
A place in the sun: Paul Gibson, architect, Edward Fitzgerald/Architects, Albuquerque, 505/268-9055.
David Salman, president and chief horticulturist, Santa Fe Greenhouses, Santa Fe, 505/473-2700, santafegreenhouses.com and highcountrygardens.com.
Dan Thompson, sales assistant, Pella Windows & Doors, Albuquerque, 505/345-3501, pella.com.
Group dynamics: Mike Cabber, residential home designer, Cabber & Hepker Inc., Albuquerque, 505/323-1848.
Laura van Amburgh, architect, David Vandervort Architects, Seattle, Washington, 206/784-1614, vandervort.com.
Faux diamond finish: John McClendon, decorative artist and owner, Old World Finishes, Albuquerque, 505/254-7748.
Andrea Gilbert, principal and owner, Kiva Diva, Santa Fe, 505/920-2985, kivadiva.com.