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It seems totally appropriate that the Mesilla Valley in Southern New Mexico is the site of one of the world’s most exciting feats of modern human exploration. Ever since the 1500s when Spanish Conquistadors scouted this beautiful valley along the Rio Grande River, this enchanted territory has seen travelers, traders, and tourists pass through its hostile reaches in search of better lives and new horizons. In the past, the Mesilla Valley was a place to pass through along the historic Camino Real for travelers on the trade route from Mexico City to Santa Fe. In the future, however, it will be an exciting destination, with the development of Spaceport America, the world’s first private spaceport.

Follow our step-by-step guide and successfully install track lighting.

Installing track lighting in your home can really spruce up a room and give it new ambiance. Join our host, Jeff Wilson, as he demonstrates how to easily install new track lighting to brighten up your home.

Sustainable living in metropolitan areas tends to take the form of large, LEED-certified developments; the majority of plant and wildlife habitat conservation still takes place on public lands. Somewhere in between lies a third option: the blending of human habitation and nature conservancy on the same plot of land. Exploring this option is the Santa Lucia Preserve, located near the coast in central California and occupying acreage that was originally part of the Mexican Land Grants of the 1830s. The owners of House Ocho had been searching unsuccessfully for a home to remodel when they found their lot in the Santa Lucia Preserve.

Manufacturers are updating their product lines with renewable, plant-based materials.

Throughout the last decade, flooring manufacturers have embraced sustainability as a catalyst for reducing waste; improving manufacturing processes; and developing innovative, more environmentally friendly flooring options. As a result of these efforts to minimize environmental impact, the standard synthetic raw materials utilized in the flooring of years past are now being replaced (or used in conjunction) with unconventional, biobased plant materials, such as corn starch, soybean oil, and castor bean oil.

Recently completed is architect Renzo Piano's addition to Le Corbusier's Ronchamp Chapel. The expansion includes a visitor's center as well as an Oratory and housing for nuns from the Community of Poor Clares.

No student escapes architecture school without learning about—and likely becoming enamored of—the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier. This icon of 20th century architecture is situated atop a hillside in Ronchamp, France, a single structure in communion with the natural landscape. Now it has company.

Melon Design's studio in Castries, the capital of Saint Lucia, is not only a cool workplace, it's a rarity in contemporary Caribbean architecture – it's not air conditioned. 

Insulation can save you money. Homeowners heat and cool their houses with various types of energy which fluctuate in price on a regular basis due to a variety of variables that are outside of their control. Lowering your thermostat, installing a programmable thermostat, or enrolling in a monthly budget plan could lower your bills; however, you may have overlooked the one thing that can truly lower your energy expenses, insulation. Investing in insulation can save you money, paying you back over time through reduced monthly energy expenses, as well as providing greater year-round comfort and a quieter indoor environment.

London, England, hosts the Summer Olympic Games for the third time, and constructing the buildings and infrastructure required to support the  Olympic Games is on a par with constructing an entire new city. Although some events can be accommodated within existing buildings in the city and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, London’s new Olympic Park, located near Stratford City in East London on the site of a former industrial park, will comprise several significant structures by notable architects.

A glance at recent work by internationally influential architects shows a shift in fundamental building forms.

Although there are far more residential fires than those involving non-residential structures, commercial fires still have a hefty price: in 2009 the 103,500 non-residential fires cost 105 lives and over $3 billion in losses, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Preventive actions are critical to avoid these losses altogether. That’s where a properly designed and installed fire alarm system comes in.

Learn how to utilize the unique small spaces in your home using a collection of vintage crates, sewing drawers, and shipping boxes creatively repurposed into a funky shelving unit. Rachael Ranney, host of Buildipedia’s {Re}habitat, takes you step by step through this super easy project, a perfect way to add storage and style to your home on the cheap.

The bathroom – most often the smallest room in the house, and home to perhaps the greatest variety of stuff – is the first challenge that I have decided to tackle while settling into my new home.

Remnants of dirt, debris, and soap that are not rinsed down the drain can harden on the surface of a bathtub or shower, forming a residue. Limiting the amount of residue is important because mildew often grows in areas where residue is not properly removed. Also, areas that are prone to water infiltration should be regularly inspected and repaired as necessary.