Sketch of proposed "stone
corral" entry into Barranca del Pueblo by Architect
Scott Prickett, AIA
The entrance into the
community of Barranca del Pueblo is to be marked by the “stone corral”
pictured here. Massive stone walls dominate this place built around an
imaginary 100-foot square. The primitive style of the corral reflects
an Anasazi influence, walls of red stone interwoven with intermittent
layers of a thinner, yellow-grey cleftstone. The entrance road curves
to the northeast into the corral bringing into view the magnificent
Sangre de Cristo Mountains, visible beyond the Barranca del Pueblo
logo at a break in the wall.
Thick, tilted walls establish points of passage as one enters. These
are aligned with sections of rustic cobblestone pavers. Weathered
steel baskets of river rock form a sense of border in several places
without an actual fence; an elongated boundary along on the exit drive
and a series of low cylinders restricting the entrance drive to a
single lane. A covered bench at the mailbox area features a rainwater
catcher, which helps support a small garden of native perennials.
The design is such that entrance and exit gates could be added, if
desired by the homeowners. A turnaround is provided so that if there
are gates, an approaching vehicle can easily circle around to go back
out when the gates are closed.
