Albuquerque-area builder David Peterson creates lovely, traditional, understated New Mexico adobe homes that seem to extract every delightful nuance from this ancient construction medium.

Designer Paul Richard has elevated an old Taos dairy into an example of great vernacular architecture. The result is a no frills, down to earth, practical, reliable house with soul—and considerable beauty.

Michael Hurd has spent nearly three decades restoring and enhancing the legacy of his famous painter parents, Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth, at the Sentinel Ranch in San Patricio. The result is an inspiring marriage of New Mexican Territorial, Mexican folk colonial, and genteel sophistication.

Developing new housing projects inside the city offers less expensive infrastructure, shorter commutes, and interesting neighborhoods marked by urban vitality and secluded serenity.