This paper examines the impact of a natural phenomenon - the environment - on the evolution of colonial church architectural configuration and construction technology. It primarily examines the design and construction evolution of churches built during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the northern coastal region of Peru. Though El Niño rains accomplished the destruction of a few churches, seismic activity, which the Spanish builders failed to consider initially, was the main natural phenomenon that drove the changes in the architectural configurations of these churches. This study emphasizes the fact that architects and engineers must always consider the physical environment of their projects; this is especially important when designer and builders accept projects beyond their normal areas of professional practice.