Following reporting by the Questa del Rio News and the Taos News in December of 2025 regarding the Village of Questa’s exploration of workforce housing, a large-scale development project is moving through the initial stages of planning this April. The “flagship” initiative, led by ESTEE (Earth Space Technical Ecosystem Enterprises), aims to bring both attainable housing and a year-round indoor farm to the village.

The project is headed by environmental entrepreneur Omar Fayed and CTO Baptiste Cunin, who selected a site adjacent to the Questa industrial park for their first Earth-based sustainable community. Designed in collaboration with Taos architect Mark Goldman, the development would feature “air-concrete” homes—a fire-resistant, highly insulated material intended to lower utility costs for residents. This comes as the Questa Economic Development Fund (QEDF) continues to highlight a critical shortage of attainable housing in the region.

According to Taos News story in December 2025, Paige Ryan of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, stated the project was originally planned for the Santa Fe area but stalled during negotiations with the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM). Following outreach to Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, northern Taos County emerged as a viable alternative for the project’s high-efficiency goals.

A central piece of the proposal is a Plant Production Factory which plans to offer year round produce some items which are not yet being offered. This indoor facility is designed to use solar power and rainwater harvesting to grow produce year-round, creating local jobs and increasing food security.

For a full report on the project see the May edition of the Questa del Rio News.