Rethinking our architectural identity
Courtesy Trey Jordan Architects
Honoring Santa Fe’s historic buildings depends almost entirely on one thing: innovative contemporary architecture. Fine older buildings deserve to sit gracefully on their sites, exuding the craft, style, and cultural values of their era. This does not, however, imply that they should be locked in time, or, just as bad, surrounded by a sea of cloyingly imitative architecture—architecture that only robs these historic treasures of their true identity.
Ideally, historic districts that develop over time express an honest narrative. Unfortunately, this has not been the case recently in Santa Fe where, even though designs are restricted in areas like height, form, color, massing, materials, size of windows, and solid-wall area—to name a few—recent rulings by the city’s Historic Design Review Board have required architects and homeowners to modify the most picayune of details (such as the metal finish color of an exterior light fixture, or the specific curvature of a building corner) in order to receive approval. This severely limits architectural expression by requiring that all new construction be strongly imitative of historic buildings, down to the smallest detail, removing much of the latitude provided in the ordinances. This narrow view of what is permissible seems clearly outside the intent of the ordinance, given that “Recent Santa Fe Style” (in contrast to “Old Santa Fe Style”) is specifically codified in the ordinance. This enforcement of a false vernacular—“weathered” adobe buildings that are “preserved” in order to create the appearance of an older streetscape—reduces architectural expression to the style of a bygone era. By trying so hard to be “historic,” we are, paradoxically, creating an architectural environment that is ahistorical.
This “moment-in-time” approach is dangerous for two major reasons. First, it forms a damaging context for historically significant buildings. It robs them of their apparent age by setting them among newer buildings that were designed to look historic. Second, suppressing innovative architecture results in an environment of rote expression and bland structures that, because they lack unique character and artistic value, are fodder for frequent renovation. Given that a building must be maintained and unaltered for 50 years in order to be classified as historically significant, few, if any, buildings constructed today will attain historic status as “contributing” or “significant.”
Historic districts remain most vital when creativity is allowed to flourish in them—when new buildings are designed in a way that shows an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the underlying architectural vernacular of the area. Santa Fe’s rich history of Pueblo Revival and Territorial architecture gives architects a broad vocabulary of details and historic reference to interpret in new ways. And yet our historic ordinances fail to grant architects the latitude necessary for creativity—even a symbiotic creativity between old and new buildings. Given the right parameters, Santa Fe’s streetscapes could sustain a variety of architectural expressions and still harmoniously reflect the history of its districts. The best, most appropriate parameters would allow the fabric of the city to honestly reflect the current cultural values of the people who live in Santa Fe and have lived here throughout its rich and evolving history.
As an architect practicing in Santa Fe, I strive to create buildings that people value for their beauty and integrity. With a strong knowledge of the historic vernacular of our city, my work references the materials, spatial relationships, organizing principals, and historic details of Santa Fe’s historic buildings while trying to express current tastes and cultural values, just as architects have done throughout the past century. This is how our historic districts will stay vital. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements for an architect is to design a building that is respected and valued, and therefore preserved without alterations, long enough to become historically significant. I hope Santa Fe can resurrect an environment that makes that possible.
Trey Jordan is the principal architect and owner of Trey Jordan Architects.
