Truly green kitchens and baths include design elements that will stand the test of time. These projects should age in place along with their owners, while at the same time optimizing energy use and water efficiency.

HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE both sustainability and design that can weather ever-changing trends in a kitchen or bathroom? It’s not easy, and it also depends on whether you’re designing a remodel or a new construction project.

Sharing your home in the sharing economy—and making a little money in the process—has never been easier, thanks to the existence of owner-direct rental sites like Airbnb.com and FlipKey.com. These web-based services are helping second homes that would otherwise remain vacant stay occupied—and bringing in extra cash for homeowners.

When planning for the construction of a vacation or second home, this list of guidelines will help you minimize its footprint—and even turn it into a “power house.”

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY is responsible for five percent of the GDP—but also for 38 percent of the country’s carbon emissions. The industry also loses $120 billion annually due to labor inefficiencies, miscommunication and wasted materials. Yet among construction professionals, the adoption rate of new technologies that can seriously help eliminate such issues is surprisingly slow.