Jack Faber: Up & Comer
1 December 2006
By Carol Wersich
Taken from courierpress.com

When Jack Faber joined Evansville-based Hafer Associates as a project architect in June 2004, he arrived with a broad mix of work experiences.

He had been a full-time professor of architecture at Ball State University at Muncie, Ind., for six years. At the same time, he worked for Blackburn Architects Inc. in Indianapolis and had a private architect practice designing private residences.

Faber also was president of the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

While with Ball State, he guided students in designing and building a new TV studio, newsroom and classroom on the Muncie campus 1/8 a project that earned them a regional Emmy Award.

He also had the opportunity to teach at Tribhuvan Engineering University in Nepal.

Back in the U.S., the drive each day from Indianapolis to Muncie and back didn't allow Faber to spend as much time as he would have liked with his wife, Laura, and their young children, Sam (now 5) and Emma (now 2).

"Laura was from a large family in Evansville and my family, back in Sunbury, Ohio (north of Columbus), was small. So we decided to move to the Evansville area," Faber explained.

Happy that they made the move, he said Hafer has given him lots of opportunities. He is involved with the Museum Contemporaries, YEP (Young Evansville Professionals) and Leadership Evansville.

He also assists the North Green Spring Valley Homeowners Association in his Newburgh neighborhood in rallying support to solve drainage and flooding problems in the area.

"I figured if I'm going to make this my home, I need to be involved," said Faber, 36.

Q: Where did you study?
FABER: I received a bachelor's degree in architecture from Ohio State University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan.

Q: What are some of the projects that you've undertaken for Hafer?
FABER: My first project involved designing the huge white classical-styled American Patriot office building on the East Side with other people in my office.

Steve Chancellor (an owner of the building) wanted it designed after classical buildings in Washington, D.C.

The American Patriot building was an interesting challenge because Chancellor wanted to do something special for his employees and he wouldn't settle for anything but perfection.

I'm currently designing a new visitors center for Indiana Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Gibson County, Ind.

I'm also working on designs for an education and recreation center, and a research, development and product testing center all for OFS, a Huntingburg, Ind., office furniture manufacturer.

I've also been involved with designing the third floor of the Deaconess Medical Group at the Gateway Medical Professional Building in Warrick County, Ind.

Q: What do you dream of designing that you haven't yet designed?
FABER: Like nearly every other architect, I want to do my own home someday.

I'm a modernist and I'm going to have a contemporary-style house.

I don't want it to be a cookie-cutter model... I want it to have at least one "Wow" feature to catch the passerby's eye. I'll want to also introduce new building materials.

Q: What is your career goal?
FABER: In the next 10 or 20 years I hope to still be in this office (Hafer's) working. My main goal is to have a positive impact on the Evansville area through my design and civic work.

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