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(c) Caroline Begle

When the building boom began in Vorarlberg in the 1970s, the municipality of Zwischenwasser/A chose a different path and laid the foundations for long-term orderly development: it corrected the zoning plan. Propsective farmland and building land became freehold areas for agriculture. In this way Zwischenwasser/A prevented urban sprawl and the creation of large built-up areas while introducing an exceptional building culture in the village. With the help of civic engagement, the community realised many renovation and conversion projects. The old alpine dairy was turned into a multi-purpose building, the community centre was renovated in a resource-saving way, and the kindergarten was awarded the "Klimaaktiv Gold" certificate, the highest national award for energy-efficient buildings. Since 1992, Zwischenwasser/A has also had an advisory board consisting of two alternating architects who advise the building authorities. Public design tasks and spatial development models are advertised as competitions and discussed jointly. The municipality has no building ordinance and therefore assesses each building project individually at its respective location. In addition, Zwischenwasser/A has been an energy-efficient "e5 municipality" since 1998, relies on renewable energy and promotes public transport and electric mobility.

More information: www.zwischenwasser.at (de), www.landluft.at/2012/public/zwischenwasser.pdf (de), ortschafftort.landluft.at/die-gemeinden.html (de), www.zwischenwasser.at/buergerservice/rathaus/abteilungen (de)