A viga is a round, debarked timber roof beam used in the traditional adobe architecture of the American Southwest. Common species are Ponderosa pine and Engelmann spruce, eight to twelve inches in diameter. In genuine adobe construction the viga is the main structural member. It rests on the bond beam, spans the room, and carries the roof load to the load-bearing wall. The exposed end projects past the exterior plaster. That projection is the diagnostic feature of Pueblo, Spanish Colonial, and Pueblo Revival buildings. Smaller poles laid perpendicular across the vigas are called latillas. The word is Spanish for beam, transmitted via the Spanish Colonial building tradition.
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