ABSTRACT
Lake Constance is one of the largest lakes in Europe, and it borders three countries: Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The homes featured here are on the northern and western shores in Germany, in the towns or villages of Überlingen, Ruschweiler, Wahlwies-Stockach, Bonndorf and Herdwangen-Schönach. Lake Constance is a beautiful and affluent area, and a prime holiday destination. Self-build is much more common in Germany than the UK, with more than 60% of homeowners building their own homes. According to the founder of Sägezahn, Alexander Ilg, there are no traditional houses more than 250 years old around Lake Constance due to British bombing in the First World War. Vernacular buildings in the Lake Constance area are mostly represented by workers’ cottages or farmhouses. Everyone liked the appearance, though all appreciated that it wasn’t for everyone. The main improvements on ordinary German homes are careful embodied-energy calculations and very good energy efficiency, air quality and the sense that everything is crafted.
