noun
- Thin wooden strips or laths, especially those used in construction or as structural supports in Southwestern architecture.
- In Pueblo and Spanish colonial architecture, small wooden poles or branches laid across vigas (main beams) to form a ceiling or roof structure.
Usage: plural form; regional (Southwestern U.S.); from Spanish
Usage: plural form; architectural; regional (Southwestern U.S.)
Examples
- The traditional adobe house featured latillas arranged in a decorative pattern across the vigas.
- Carpenters carefully placed the latillas to create a sturdy yet rustic ceiling.
- The restoration project required replacing damaged latillas with wood of similar dimensions.
- Latillas are a characteristic feature of Pueblo Revival architecture in New Mexico.
- The builder selected straight latillas from local timber for the construction.