Suhasini AYER-GUIGAN

Biography

Suhasini AYER-GUIGAN lives and works in Auroville, an international community in South India whose aim is human unity. She manages the architecture department at the Auroville Building Centre, where she is involved with alternative building materials and energy such as earth and ferro-cement, photovolotic and thermal solar energy, wind pumps and wastewater recycling. The group undertakes research, training, and constructing demonstration buildings using these technologies. They have received The International Hassan Fathy Award for one of their projects, which was later nominated for the Aga Khan Award '95. The Housing and Urban Development Cooperation (HUDCO) of India has nominated Auroville Building Centre as the best building centre for three consecutive years.

Auroville was started in 1968 by 'The Mother', who was in charge of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. The aim of this 'international township' is to create a place where men and women of any race, color, nationality and ethnic diversity can live in progressive harmony and strive to create a better society. The community focuses on afforestation, land reclaimation, watershed management, education, health services, handicrafts, electronic industries, alternative energy and building materials, organic agriculture and food processing, rural development programs, housing and infrastructure development, and art and culture.

This biography was last updated on July 10, 2007