Project Team

There are a number of partners involved in the Vauban project:

Forum Vauban

The main roles of Forum Vauban have been in organising citizen participation, supporting the community-based building projects, working towards the realisation of a sustainable model district and co-ordinating the social work and implementation of a neighbourhood centre. Forum Vauban was initiated by a group of active citizens and is supported by an honorary executive board and several working groups.

Participation has been much stronger than expected, with people really 'identifying' with their district and taking part in workshops and local initiatives.

Buergerbau - Citizen's Building Stock Corporation

The Buergerbau (Citizens' Building Stock Corporation) specialises in co-ordinating the building cooperatives (Baugruppen). The corporation offer a range of services throughout the project development, right up until the builders move into their homes. These services include guiding the building group and answering any questions during the planning and building process, controlling costs, schedules and quality and overseeing the implementation of the community building project. In
Vauban, Buergerbau currently manage five co-operative housing groups.

Baugruppen - Building Co-Operatives

One of the development goals at Vauban is the creation of a variety of housing and a balance of social groups. The formation of Baugruppen is a good way to achieve these goals. Several households get together, decide on a piece of land, plan a building and hire an architect and building team, thus saving money and time. Ecological building becomes more affordable through this process, and social interactions through the planning and building process help knit community early on in the process.

Genova Housing Association

The Genova Housing Association originated from Forum Vauban and was founded in 1997 to allow people with low incomes to be part of the Vauban project. They have built 36 housing units in the first phase of development, and 40 units in the second phase. Genova works to the principle of the traditional cooperative society - the creation of affordable and 'shapeable' living space for different people through joint ownership with self-management. An ecological and inexpensive building concept has been adopted, and people of different ages and lifestyles are integrated into the project.

The residents participate in the planning process through the architecture, orientation and design of buildings, facades, colours) and the plans for the individual apartments. This participation takes the form of workshops, a co-operative council and residents' representatives on the management team.

Students Union / SUSI

Before the urban planning had begun at Vauban, ten barrack buildings had been given to the Students' Organisation and the SUSI initiative (Self-organised Independent Settlement Initiative). The Students' Organisation created dormitories with rooms for 600 students in six old barracks and three new buildings.

The SUSI is a grassroots initiative and self-help project creating low-cost and ecologically sustainable living space in four of the old barracks.

The SUSI buildings are characterised by large balconies, external wooden staircases and their ecological qualities: maximum preservation of the barracks buildings, reuse of old building materials, outer insulation of walls with cork and cellulose, roof and loft insulation, and the use of ecologically sound building material (domestic wood, clay).