Posts from the Pampas
Dispatch #10 — Architecture and Style
Joyce made an apt observation the other week. She pointed out that we have seen almost no mansions homes in Santa Fe Province. Well, let me clarify that. We did see saw one. It was a bulky, rectangular structure with little sense of style. Rumor has it that it belongs to a corrupt politician.
By the same token, we have seen no shacks. Most houses are modest in size (about 1,200 square feet at best), are well maintained and architecturally attractive.
In the past, homes here were made of a heavy concrete construction. The one on the left is over 70 years old and has a lot of classic touches, like the three vertical stripes flanking each wing. The one on the right has become run down. Whoever buys it will likely tear it down and rebuild.
Construction techniques have changed. Builders use a blocky, hollow brick-like material to construct the walls of the home. The blocks much lighter than cinderblock. They are brought to the site on plastic wrapped wooden pallets.
Once the walls are erected, they are finished with brick or with stone tile. Sometimes the styles are mixed.
Take a look at the house below. It’s modest sized, like most of the homes here. And, like many homes, it combines a brick exterior with varnished wood doors and window frames. The black tile roof is also found on a number of homes, an attempt to harness the warmth of the sun during the winter.
The house below has a mixed style, with both whitish-gray bricks and gray stone tiles. It belongs to Oscar and Suzannah. On occasion I play tennis doubles with Oscar, who is 70 years old.
The house has a flat roof, which is not uncommon.
Perhaps you noticed the white roll-down shutters on the right. They serve two purposes. They block out the sun during the summer. They also protect the home against theft. And don’t overlook the four-fold accordion garage door, which is the standard here in new construction. The right panels serves as a side door to the house. When you want to bring in the car for the night, you flip up the locking switches on the frame, fold the door to the left, bring in the car and then reverse the process to close the door.
The home above is typical of many homes. It is brick with red glazed roof tiles. The windows are covered with varnished wooden shutters that crank open or shut, sort of like venetian blinds. The entry door is set a little back and fronted by a small patio.
There are very few two story structures. Posted below are pictures of two of them. The one on the right has very nice aesthetics, with the pitched roof and small balcony.
A number of the newer homes have opted for a more modern, sleek approach. The horizontal fencing and gate in front of the home double as a security feature. These homes do not have any shutters or wrought iron over the windows. The first one reminds me a little of Frank Lloyd Wright’s approach, with the windows on the side (and probably the back) of the home rather than the front. You may have also noted some writing on the driveway. This may have related to a quinceañera, the celebration a family holds for when their daughter reaches 15 years of age. The daughter’s friends often paint a message for her on the driveway. (More on that in a later dispatch).
There are two things to take note of in the above picture — the metal cover on the left, about four feet high, and the dark plate in the sidewalk. The one on the wall houses the electric meter. (There is no central gas system; houses use large canisters of gas for cooking and water heating). The one on the sidewalk is in the event that the city puts in a municipal water system. Currently, each home relies on a well.
Fortunately this area does not suffer from the theft problem which plagued Granada, Nicaragua, where we once taught. There, people would pry off the water meter covers, as well the water meters located under the covers. They would sell it as scrap metal. The result was huge holes in the middle of the sidewalk, perfectly designed for sprained ankles and broken bones. Pictured below are examples taken from our stay in Granada.
Needless to say, I never jogged on the sidewalks there.
And let me close out with a comment on mixed usage. In these pueblos, it is not unusual to find small stores randomly scattered in residential neighborhoods. Consider the picture below.
A regular house. But at night it undergoes a transformation. It becomes a rotiseria, which is the local version of a take out store.
Somebody approached the rotiseria owner, whom I have never met, and warned her that there was a strange man taking pictures of the place. Describe him, she said. Well, he’s older, very tall, thin and wears a broad white hat. Oh, she responded, I know him. He’s teaching at the institute… Such is word of mouth in small towns.
