Homes out of Caves
Canary Islands are famous for the homes carved out of caves. Whole villages with cave homes can be found in Artenara, Cueva Bermeia, Guavadeque, La Atalaya de Santa Brigida, Hoya de Pineda and several other places across the Canary Islands. These homes were excavated out of the mountains. The entry was through a rectangular room to which other rooms were added on the sides. A large patio, open to the air, in the front of the home served for ventilation. The side rooms served as bedrooms. A kitchen, a workshop, a lounge and a garden were added to the homes.
Traditional Canarian Architecture
The availability of material largely determined the kind of architecture in the Canary Islands. It is generally very simple, modest and closely associated with the agricultural activity of the region. The houses have rectangular floors which later evolved into L shaped rooms as additions were made to the home. Sometimes the rectangles resolved themselves into U shaped homes as wings were added to the homes. However the characteristic building consisted of one or two floors with a portada de silleria(entrance made with block of stone), a balcony, an entrance hall and a central patio. The upper floor was constructed around the patio and the balconies atop the building give a distinct local flavour to the architecture.
The patio sometimes extended to the outside and amalgamated with the front door and the balcony above it to give it a uniformity of appearance. Normally there is a window at the top of the front door which is vertical or the doors are divided into four parts with each part being opened separately. The doors are finished elaborately to give an impression that they are made of wood or metal and have enormous keys and guillotine windows without double glazing.
The roofs of these houses are ridged or flat depending on the amount of rainfall in the region. The western parts of the island have flat roofs while the eastern and coastal zones have ridged roofs.
Modernist Architecture
The modernist style is decorative and can be see across the Canary islands and in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife. A number of beautiful modern complexes have been constructed with one, two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms and communal gardens. Swimming pools, Tennis courts and landscaped areas are integrated into the complex to enhance their value. Alternately investors can also consider Townhouses which are two storied or three storied properties with a terrace, a small garden. These are usually built on the outskirts of the town and offer owners, privacy and freedom from the noise and bustle of city life. Villas or Quads are popular detached or semi detached houses that are found along the coast and inland. These have private gardens and swimming pools and such other facilities as the owner may wish to include.
Rural Architecture
The rural house is built on a large plot of agricultural land away from the town. It is generally a one storied house. The bedrooms are the most important part of the house. Generally small shelves are built in the bedrooms and the kitchen for storage of wine. The central portion of the house would contain the living room, store rooms, lofts, drying rooms, corrals, stables and patios. These white rendered clay houses are simple in construction and have walls that are 40 to 70 centimetres thick, built of rubble of different shapes and sizes held together with mortar. The roof is slightly sloped to allow rain water to run off. Some of the houses have terraces finished with a coat of clay. The Calcareous stone used for the construction of these houses offers great resistance to weather conditions and is light weight and easy to cut and shape. Semi circular ovens are placed outside the house for cooking. A number of these houses have been converted into guest houses to preserve them.
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