Among architecture theorists the single-family house is often criticised: it is asserted that, in comparison to denser forms of housing, the single-family house makes excessive use of resources and that granting public subsidies to this building type is irresponsible - these are just two of the many reasons given why we should not build single-family houses or present them positively in the media. But this fatwa from the scholars falls far short of the mark. A single-family house is not a single-family house; here we need precise differentiation. First of all there are enormous regional differences: in South Tyrol, for instance, according to the legislation that applies to farmsteads, new buildings with a maximum volume of 300 cubic meters can only be erected among existing groups of houses. The amount of ground used is therefore minimal. Elsewhere new buildings are not permitted at all; only conversions of existing structures into single-family houses or replacements are allowed. Therefore in making this year's selection of private paradises we have confined ourselves to responsible projects of these kinds - conversions, additions, substitutes for existing buildings.
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