Zwischenwasser: good, better, exemplary

Concentrated construction in Europe's most energy-efficient municipalities

Zwischenwasser © Pierre Moreau
Zwischenwasser

Urban sprawl is an urbanistic concern throughout Vorarlberg and therefore also in Zwischenwasser. Sections of the community consist of dispersed residential areas. The living quality is very high, but so is the land consumption. That is why, twenty years ago, the municipality reviewed its zoning plan. Today Zwischenwasser has embraced sustainable construction methods: Batschuns is the site of Austria's very first compacted passive house residential area, and Muntlix the location of the Hennabühel single-family passive house estate. The architects, tradesmen and timber as the building material are all from the region. In 2009 Zwischenwasser, a member of the Climate Alliance and the Alliance in the Alps network of municipalities, was nominated as Europe's most energy-efficient municipality and received the European Energy Award in Gold - also for its citizens' large-scale endorsement of sustainable building.