Heinz Meier: Bridging Continents Through Architecture and Art
From his early years as a teenager growing up in Basel, Switzerland, Heinz loved to travel. To his parent's dismay, he disappeared more than once on long hitchhiking adventures, to explore the sunnier southern regions of Spain and France. His love of sketching the new places he visited began in these early years.
He chose architecture as the perfect career that blended his technical abilities with his fascination with aesthetic beauty. After receiving a rigorous architectural education at ETH in Zurich, Heinz embarked on a life-changing journey in the 1970s, moving first to New York, and eventually to Los Angeles.
Although he and his new wife Ruth only expected to stay in the US for a few years, they eventually found themselves settling down in Pacific Palisades to raise two new members of their family, Thomas and Philip.
During Heinz' early years in Los Angeles, he first worked for larger firms. But later he broke away to establish his own business. In those initial years as he worked to establish a US license and reach out to new clients, he also took up furniture design. Many of his modern and stylish pieces were manufactured by Landes, and some were even featured in the Smithsonian Museum.
But Heinz' specialty was residential remodels. Over four decades, he built a reputation for thoughtful, innovative designs that transformed houses into homes. His work uniquely blends Swiss precision with American creativity, resulting in spaces that are both functional and deeply personal to their inhabitants.
While architecture was Heinz's profession, travel sketching became his passion. Armed with a pencil and sketchbook, he has documented his journeys across the globe, capturing the essence of buildings and cityscapes with a few deft strokes. These sketches, particularly of buildings, are more than just souvenirs—they're a means of studying and appreciating architectural forms, and their interconnected cultural expressions, from around the world.
Heinz's drawing style is characterized by its paradoxical looseness and precision. The architect's eye for detail and structure is evident, yet there's a freedom and expressiveness that reveals the artist's soul. These travel sketches serve as a visual diary of Heinz's life, chronicling not just the places he's been, but his evolving artistic journey.
Throughout his career, Heinz has balanced his professional and artistic pursuits with family life. He and his wife raised two sons in the United States, infusing their home with creativity and an appreciation for both Swiss and American cultures.
When the January 2025 wildfire in Pacific Palisades claimed Heinz’ home, the only thing which survived was an underground safe filled with Heinz’ sketchbooks. Heinz of course designed his own house, and it was thanks to his foresight that the safe, embedded in concrete, survived.
Today, Heinz Meier's influence extends far beyond the homes he's remodeled or the sketches he's created. It lives on in the lives he's touched—his family, his clients, and those inspired by his art and his story. His work stands as a bridge between his Swiss heritage and his American life, between architecture and fine art, and between the physical world of buildings and the emotional world of human experience.
Although Heinz now lives with Parkinson’s and Alzheimers and can no longer draw, he loves to share his art with you. If you enjoy his drawings, please let us know, and we will relay your message to Heinz!
