Résumé

Draftsman, Richard Neutra, San Francisco, CA, c. 1939-1940.

Partner, Confer and Ostwald, Architects, Berkeley, CA, 1947-1954.

Principal, John Hans Ostwald, Architect, Berkeley, CA, 1954- .

Partner, Ostwald and [E. Paul] Kelly, Architects, Berkeley, CA.

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects, East Bay Chapter, c. 1953.

Member, AIA, "Meet the Architect" panel discussion, 04/06/1953. Other members of this panel included Harry A. Bruno (1908-2002), Roger Y. Lee (1920-1981), and Frank B. Hunt (born 1915). "Economics in building, site selection and landscaping, climate control and how to overcome design prejudices will be discussed." This panel was presented as a part of the Sixth Annual Architects Exhibit held at Breuner's Furniture Store, 03/30/1953-04/11/1953, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, East Bay Chapter. (See "Eastbay Architects to Present Exhibit Monday," Oakland Tribune, 03/26/1953, p. 43.)

College

B.A., Law Degree, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 1933. M.A., Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, 1938; Ph.D. in Architecture, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, 1948.

Relocation

Born in Berlin, Ostwald enjoyed an upper-middle-class existence in Germany in a cultured Jewish family. He attended university in Vienna, before having to flee Austria/Germany during the Nazi era. He traveled to Zurich, where he obtained two degrees between 1938 and 1948. Ostwald emigrated to the US after earning his Master's in Architecture at ETH Zurich in 1938, coming to San Francisco during the year of the International Golden Gate Exposition, 1939. He worked for his father-in-law’s classmate, and fellow émigré, Richard Neutra, in San Francisco, while the latter built the Sidney Kahn House (1939-1940). Ostwald worked for the Standard Oil Company of California as an architect from 1941-1946; Standard of California, also called Chevron, operated a large office and refinery in Richmond, CA.

After Chevron, Ostwald worked with architect Frederick Confer (1903-1970) for seven years, and then opened up his own practice in Berkeley, CA, in 1954. He resided at 912 Indian Rock Avenue in Berkeley during the 1950s through the 1970s.

Ostwald died in Alameda County, CA, at the age of 59.