Lovingly crafted photo book of San Miguel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site consistently voted one of the most beautiful cities in the world. San Miguel de Allende is an exquisitely beautiful, well-preserved Spanish colonial town. This charming 480-year-old city, considered to be one of the most picturesque towns in Mexico, sits at an elevation of 6,400 feet on a vast plateau of rolling hills in the Sierra Madre mountain range. The rhythms of day and night in San Miguel are modulated by the deeply resonant sounds of church bells as they ring out the quarter hoursconnecting everyone into the web of humanity that occupies this beautiful town. Over 700 images in this reasonably priced coffee-table book lovingly capture these and other scenes that embody the charm and life of this thriving town. All of San Miguel's 17th-century architecture, people, festivals, and culture are shown. Divided into the following sections: Architecture; The Arts; Holy Days; People; Markets; Festivals; Reflections.

Art and especially architecture are often seen as the exclusive realm of formally trained experts. Award-winning architects Steven and Cathi House explore the other side of that reality in a part of the world that has been at the crossroads of history for thousands of years. With more than 500 photographs and insightful commentary, they reveal the remarkable beauty of the people, land, villages, textiles, and vernacular architecture across seven countries of West Africa, situated between the Sahara Desert and Atlantic Ocean. The book celebrates the artisanship of tribal people who use building methods that are both practical and ingenious and that respond not just to local climate, materials, and topography, but also to the needs of the inhabitants with poetic insight, creating environments that are stimulating and sustainable. With their clarity, function, and beauty, these villages are living models of what community life can be.

For twenty-five years, House + House Architects has created intimate, personal architecture. Cathi and Steven House are well known for their sensitivity to form, colour, light and movement. Their ideas draw from their extensive travel experiences translating sparkling sunlight and dramatic surprise into a tangible spirit within each of the homes that they design. House + House understands a dwelling as a dialogue between site, space, materials and client. Recognised for site-specific well-choreographed, harmonious environments, they strive to bring serenity and awe to those who experience their diverse body of work. This new publication documents the firm's recent residential work throughout California, Mexico and the Caribbean, and examines their design process through exploratory sketches and exquisite photography.

HOME explores notions of home from a range of young people's perspectives, both in the physical and emotional senses, examining with humour and passion themes of place, belonging and prejudice. THE BRIDGE tells the story of Aaron, a young man deeply affected by the death of his friend, a young man at risk. He and his family are struggling to come to terms with the impact of guilt and self-doubt and the isolation of rural lives and the pressures of adolescence. THE YUM YUM ROOM was commissioned by The City of Mount Gambier as a response to high rates of youth suicide in the region. Honest, moving and intimate, this country town story goes straight to the heart and reflects all the paradoxical complexities of living in the here and now. CROWDED HOUSE is set in the future when times are troubled. The cities are crowded places where work, food and shelter are hard to find and the streets are patrolled by sweepers, whose purpose is to eliminate the young.