Adobe is the main architectural theme raised in Santa Fe. By city ordinance, most Plaza and downtown buildings must adhere to adobe styles. Adobe is a recipe for energy-efficient construction. Mix water, sand, straw, dirt, and let it dry in the desert sun. This earthen construction retains heat in the winter and releases heat in the summer. This is an imprint from the religious and sacred roots of Santa Fe.

Pueblo Revival houses became popular in the early 1900s and are still a popular style in the southwestern regions of the United States. These modern-day Pueblos might not be made of adobe. Instead, some contemporary adobe homes are made with concrete blocks or other materials covered with adobe, stucco, plaster, or mortar. Spanish settlers revamped the preexisting Pueblo adobe architecture by adding the kiva fireplace to the interior and the horno to the exterior. Kivas gain their name from round, Pueblo ceremonial chambers. The kiva fireplaces also are round-shaped and usually are in the corner of a room. The horno is an outdoor, beehive-shaped cooking tool inspired by Moorish structures in Spain. These features integrate both the fortress appeal of Spanish, catholic missions and the intimacy of Pueblo ceremonial rooms.

Typical color palette includes:
Simple: it's tans and browns. Santa Fe homes blend in to the landscape around them.

Distinctive Features:

• Fireplaces – It’s hard to find a Santa Fe home without one. And many homes have multiple fireplaces, including one outside, on the portal. A curved fireplace, placed in a corner, is called a kiva. There's nothing cozier than pion logs burning in the fireplace on a snowy Santa Fe evening.
• Nichos – The nicho is Santa Fe's answer to a showcase. It's a small, recessed area of a wall-the perfect place to display a piece of sculpture or, for the traditionalists, the carved santo that you got at Spanish Market.
• Front Door – It's often heavy, carved, antique, or antique–looking–and the door hardware is just as distinctive, whether it's hand–wrought or just looks like it.
• Courtyard – Outdoor living is a feature of life in Santa Fe, and many homes have courtyards–often as part of the entryway. They're inviting outdoor spaces, often featuring a fountain or sculpture, and lush container plantings.
• Portal – Another popular feature of Santa Fe homes, the portal is a covered patio, ideal for dining, entertaining, or just enjoying those fabulous Santa Fe sunsets.
• Floors – Brick, stone and tile floors are more Santa Fe style. But look for area rugs to soften and add color to a room's dcor.
• Vigas – Santa Fe ceilings are anything but plain. Look up and you'll often see vigas, long beams that support the roof. Latillas are the wood strips between the vigas. On the house's exterior, you'll see the ends of the vigas. Canales channel water from the roof, where water–wise Santa Feans often place a rain barrel.
• Bancos – Picture an adobe wall that bumps out and becomes a bench. That bench is a banco. But you don't have to use it for seating; it's a good display area too.