The building methods which have typically been used in Alpine regions have always focused on the needs of the population living there and the necessities of survival. It is therefore an architectural style which has been dictated by the limitations and peculiarities of the regions themselves. The old buildings which are today considered typical or traditional are not the result of informed decisions, but the consequences of necessity. The different settlements, houses, stables, places of worship and outbuildings were built not according to particular architectural styles or personal tastes, but as a consequence of binding criteria and based on a balance which had to be struck. So is there such a thing as a modern architecture in the Alps? Additional relevant material on the issue can be found in other language versions of this page.