Project profile: The Roundhouse

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how Dryvit was used to renovate the New Mexico State Capitol, improving performance without sacrificing historical preservation. 

Santa Fe has a long and storied history as the capital city of New Mexico, even before statehood. In 1610, conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta built the Palace of the Governors in current Santa Fe as the “capital for the Spanish ‘Kingdom of New Mexico.” In 1821, when Mexico won independence from Spain, Santa Fe stayed as a capital, this time to the new Mexican province of Nuevo Mexico. By the time President William Howard Taft signed New Mexico into statehood on January 6, 1912, there was no question that Santa Fe would stay the capital. 

The current New Mexico State Capitol is the 232,000 square-foot Roundhouse. Called this because of its unique curved structure, the Roundhouse is the only round capitol building in the U.S. It was designed by W.C. Kruger based on “elements of New Mexico Territorial style, Pueblo adobe architecture and Greek Revival adaptations.”  

Not only does this design make the Roundhouse an iconic and unique structure, it also creates some unique maintenance requirements. This is something that Winter Finishes had to overcome when they were brought in to work on the Roundhouse’s façade in 2024. The last time the façade had been worked on was when a Dryvit Outsulation® system was installed 25 years ago. 

The goal of the 2024 renovation was to address cracks and minor moisture intrusions while also maintaining the historical integrity of the Roundhouse. To do this, Winter Finishes installed around 50,000 square feet of a Dryvit Direct-Applied system. This system was chosen for its impact- and crack-resistant exterior as well as its ability to secure the building envelope. They then used a custom Quarzputz® textured finish to accurately match the color and texture of the historic stucco.  

The result is a clean, vibrant finish on the New Mexico State Capitol that honors its original architectural design and historic significance without sacrificing performance.