Californian Architecture in Santa Barbara

Following a devastating earthquake in 1925 that destroyed most of Santa Barbara’s significant buildings, the city became the first in the country to have a controlled building plan that encouraged a unified style using elements of Spanish colonial architecture.

With airy broad patios, thick adobe walls, and warm-colored tile roofs, Californian architecture is beautifully distinctive. The product of many architects, it combines the harmony and color of Spanish colonial style with some of …