In idyllic western Austria, Ingo Metzler’s goat breeding farm with its striking light wood panelling and big glass facades sets itself apart, aiming to survive in a sector in crisis. “Architecture is a way of expressing our innovative approach and our values,” says Metzler, 58, who took over and spruced up the family farm in Vorarlberg, a region which is a pioneer in sustainable design. In the past three decades, the Alpine nation of nine million people has lost more than half of its 200,000 farms with the agricultural sector today accounting for only 1.5 percent of its GDP. Vorarlberg — with more than 200 architects for around 410,000 inhabitants — has “a very old tradition of wooden construction… with a network of artisans always focused on the spirit of the times” and sought after all over the world, according to Metzler. Metzler said he had no other choice but to move upmarket in the face of “difficult conditions: sloping terrain, harsh climate, small production with significant fixed costs”. “We knew that we would not win the price war,” said the farmer, who now sells cheese from goats’ milk but also high-end beauty products containing whey.