Viga is a Spanish architectural term meaning beam. It refers specifically to the heavy round timber beams used in traditional adobe construction of the American Southwest. The word entered Southwestern English via Spanish Colonial builders. It is now the standard term for these projecting roof beams across New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado. A viga is the structural roof support, typically Ponderosa pine or Engelmann spruce, eight to twelve inches in diameter. The beam rests on the load-bearing adobe walls and spans the room. The bare ends projecting through the exterior plaster are the visible signature of Pueblo, Spanish Colonial, and Pueblo Revival architecture.
More questions
All questions →