Heintz Georges - HKy architectes

VILLA ADA HEILIGENBERG
1984-86. Alsace.
Private commission
The client wanted his house to be named Ada like his wife on that holy mountain (Heiligenberg). I should have been suspicious… The beautiful view was oriented to the ruins of the féodal castle Guirbaden detached from the elegant curves of the Vogesian mountains. Where I am actually, just underneath and 40 years later building a school and a bibliothèque on a slope site too with the same major architectural choice. Not being parallel to the slope like Neutra major villa’s but perpendicular ! The South structure over the void is organised by a East lign of round wooden high columns like the Pinus trees all around, held by a strong GLT beam on West side supported by à powerful concrete and stone blocs pillar that perfore the living room becoming a fire cheminee and finally a paratonnerre over the rooftop. I remember at the same time starting with Xaveer de Geyter and Rem Koolhaas the sketches for the villa dall’ Ava in Saint Cloud for Dominique Boudet… There is no architectural project without structural project. On North a compact massive stone block for the entrance and garage anchor the fragile house in the top of the hill like a bridge abutment. The building is floating on the slope over the dense forest of tenenbaums. On the roof top to the heights of the tall pines the sun deck duplicate the curve of the Curzio Malaparte villa of Adalbberto Libera where Brigitte Bardot offer his body to the Capri sun. And this beautiful arrogance was in fully junction with the owner’s character. Probably too mutch. Finally the client, a crook went to jail for a moment, and did not pay me, in response I didn’t draw his prison either … Bastard !
But I used later a drawing (red) for a conference in Kyoto and for my personal exhibition in Paris IFA ( Institut Français d’Architecture) in 1996… Andrée Putman told me at the opening that she came because of the fascination the image on her desk held on her. I like that …

Villa Burg
Private commission
1988

The first time we visit the sloping site facing south where to build the house with the client. Three gigantic Alsatian dog jumped from the meadow to the fence and bark angrily, terrorizing the wife !
First sketch, a long and high north/south wall clad in stone arranged in opus incertum gigantum running at 5 meters along the neighborhood boundary and pierced by two L-shaped volumes which will structure the organization of the general plan . Finally the big wall will become inside the house the support art gallery for the 50’s glass pieces collection of the couple… when programm fits with ”voisinage ” ! Only the kitchen and the bathroom will overpass to the neighbor as cantilevers. He have as a new skyline a double high blind black wall. Concrete, steel and wood completed the structural and skin materials on a very simple and efficient plan. The large glass block living room is open to the main view and sun protected by the sheltered roof top sun deck. Finally the client called me a week end asking if it was not obviously better to have children first then building a house ? I told him to do many children and to call me back later. They never called me back. I should have become a psychologist…
Heintz Georges