Community Vision
Architectural Character
A detailed Pattern Book has been created to guide the architectural crafting of the community. With the form and character of housing types from Arizona, California and Mexico in mind, Laurel’s town architects have adapted the following architectural patterns.
Spanish Revival
Spanish Revival houses derive from the Spanish architecture of the colonial Southwest. Revival of this architectural style first occurred in California during the early 1900s.
Spanish Revival houses in Laurel build on the essential characteristics of simple forms with heavy walls, often with white stucco contrasting the dark wood and tile details. Exterior walls encircle the gardens and connect directly into the architecture of the house, unifying the indoors and outdoors. Low pitch tile roofs, arched openings, and intricate balconies add depth to the facade. The style’s fundamental charm lies in the contrast of warm sunlight and cool shadows (light and shade), in the use of materials, in texture and color, and in austere simplicity.
Spanish Provincial
The Spanish Provincial style is based on regional styles in the southwest and Mexico. Influenced by Spanish Colonial and Pueblo styles, the elements of the Spanish Provincial are seen throughout the desert regions where stucco and adobe materials, tight shaded courtyards and thick walls were ideal for enduring the hot sun.
An early genesis of this style emerged between 1815 and 1860. These houses used Colonial window and door detailing borrowed from New England carpentry techniques and added rustic timber details such as rafters and columns. Blending these techniques with regional Spanish details and hues, the Laurel Spanish Provincial style is a colorful blend of geometric walled buildings, punctuated by occasional eye-catching features, such as a slender wrought iron rail, wood trellis, or brightly painted tile.
Laurel Territorial
The Laurel Territorial style is a local adaptation of the Ranch and Stick styles. Over time, these styles blended and mixed with the popular Craftsman influences that had already been adapted to the Southwestern climate and availability of materials.
Local versions are characterized by exposed structural elements such as rafters, columns, and lintels. For houses in Laurel, simple forms with distinctive eave elements characterize the Territorial style. Vertically proportioned windows and simple compositions are complemented by long low porches and shutter accents. Meanwhile, rich, earthy colors are often offset by a vibrant trim palette.