Fabian                                                Gallery

"I want to build a bridge between the local building culture and contemporary, modern architecture."

Fabian Ostner, a young architect (1968) from Germany, started to walk this bridge when he came to Auroville in August 1994. But what has an ambitious architect to seek for in rural south India?
This is how it all started..

Education in Germany

1992 - 97 School of Applied Science Bremen - Diplom Ingenieur Architektur
Aug. 94 - June 95 Practical training Auroville Building Centre
1997- 99 School of Arts Berlin - Weissensee -Postgraduate course
Nov.97 - Feb.98 Gruentuch & Ernst Architekten, Berlin
Oct.98 - Feb.99 Rahul Mehrothra Associates, Mumbai
Sept.00 - Mar.02 Associate Architect Auroville Building Centre/Earth Unit
Since March 02 Associate Architect Brand New Day/Auroville

During the third study year in Bremen's School of Applied Science, students were requested to find a place for a one-year practical field training. Just about that time, AuroSatprem, an Aurovilian architect, came to Europe to give a lecture at the school and this was a first lead to Auroville for Fabian. Coincidence? Fate? Who knows, but Fabian - who was already fascinated by India and its vast culture at the time due to two earlier travel experiences - followed the call and arrived in Auroville in August 1994 to start his training at the Auroville Building Centre.

India comes closer

With the background of that one first year of living and working in Auroville, Fabian took up the design for a German Cultural Pavilion in Auroville as the topic of his final thesis at the Bremen School, which included five months of preparatory work in Auroville in 1996 (financed by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD). These experiences, some friends and a deep seated interest in Auroville and the Indian culture surrounding it, lead Fabian to the decision to join Auroville. He became newcomer in September 2000.

Understanding the components of life

"The quality and the context of the site, the cultural background, the client's imagination and needs are important aspects of any architectural project. In my work I aim to understand the essence of these aspects, to give the right answers to arising questions and to fuse them into a contemporary building form - spiced with some funky masala of the architect's choice and taste. I feel free to experiment with all materials available, be it earth, concrete, steel, glass, aluminum and plastic as each one of them has its own qualities and aesthetics. I believe that there are no negative or positive materials, it all depends on how you use them. I love architecture as it is all about understanding the components of life and the communication between so many involved beings. I am very glad to work in an office where teamwork, design discussions and joy are part of the day to day practice…"

Building experience in Auroville thus far

• Construction and site supervision of parts of the former Mirra Mukhi school 1994-95 (designed by AuroSatprem/Auroville Building Centre)

• The German Pavilion, a thus far theoretical project, as thesis work in 1997

• Bobby's house, a flexible steel structure as attempt to create interesting and aesthetic living spaces with the use of industrial materials (in process, see gallery)

• Semi-collective housing project in Auromodel (not realised)

• Individual residence (Klara's house) in Auromodel - a hybrid and structurally challenging construct made of massive and light materials (in process, see gallery)
  
  

Since March 2002 Fabian is associate architect in Brand New Day, a building unit around Canadian architect Dominic Dubé.

Favorite structures and buildings in Auroville

• Light structures like the innumerous keet (thatched roof) structures in AV's Greenbelt: All of them fantastic, creative, open, flexible, climatically responsive as well as cost efficient

• Cornelius' house in Sve Dame because of its very challenging experimental character

• Last School Library in Aspiration, rooted firmly in the ground and with a beautiful inner courtyard

• Inge's house in Kottakarai, as it fits gracefully into the surrounding nature and has expressive quality and fluidity of space

• The house of Joy & Jean in Dana

Fabian lives temporarily in a small room in a collective house and is dreaming of starting a new community with some friends in the north of Auroville.

Contact: fabian_ostnerauroville.org.in 

>> See gallery