Saratoga News
News
Honor Heid and seek his work at museum
By Chris Vongsarath
His mark is all over Saratoga. His vision, his creation and his legacy is in almost 1,000 residential and commercial buildings in this city, but most people wouldn't even know it.
And as he approaches 84 years of life and 50 years of work, architect Warren Heid is still on the job.
January will mark the 50th anniversary of Heid opening his office in the Village at 14630 Big Basin Way, a building he designed.
From now through that time, the Saratoga History Museum will honor Heid with an exhibit showcasing his life's work. Included in the exhibit are awards and certificates, newspaper clippings of notable moments and photographs and models of some of the buildings he has designed in and out of Saratoga.
Interestingly, Heid is a chameleon of sorts, never projecting his ideas on a project, but instead working with clients to fulfill their needs.
"I've always prided myself with not having a theme," he said. "None of my buildings look the same."
In Saratoga, the list of Heid's buildings stretches from The Inn at Saratoga on Fourth Street to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on Saratoga Avenue, with many in between. By his estimation, he has designed or added to 26 different buildings along Big Basin Way.
Outside of the city, Heid has had his hands on the San Jose Mercury News building and Te Tiare Beach Resort on Huahine Island in French Polynesia near Tahiti.
The San Jose Mercury News project, one of Heid's first, was especially challenging for him.
"They asked for something that was timeless, something you couldn't tell was designed 40 years ago or five years ago," he said. "It doesn't have a period style, just clean lines."
Heid's high customer satisfaction rate can be attributed to his philosophy of work. He works under two simple principles: Make a good design that is architecturally safe, which ensures that the client is getting what he or she wants, and make sure the building follows the city's building codes and ordinances.
For example, when Heid designed the Mercury News building in 1963, the city called for a reservoir that the fire department could use in case of an emergency. As a sign of his versatility and creativity, Heid designed a pond and fountain in front of the building to meet the needs of the city while preserving the aesthetic appeal of the building.
Peggy Schoppe, exhibits chairwoman for the Saratoga Historical Foundation, said Heid has had a successful career in Saratoga, but not too many people realize his contribution to the community.
"It's a tremendous legacy," she said. "Everywhere a person goes in Saratoga, they're near something he's done. That's why we wanted to do this exhibit because people don't know that."
Schoppe was also appreciative of Heid's philosophy, she said.
"So many architects want to impose their thoughts, but Warren is the type of architect who wants to design what the client wants," said Schoppe. "Many of them may have an idea, but to turn that into a building is a real challenge."
Administrator Bruce Friesen of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church has not met the man who designed the building he works in. He said the building's uniqueness may be a surprise to some visitors.
"It's got size on the inside without looking monstrous on the outside," he said. "It's a beautiful structure, both inside and out."
With such a footprint in Saratoga, it's difficult to believe Heid initially wanted to be in music education. After discovering his drawing talents during World War II, Heid developed an interest in engineering and studied architecture at UC-Berkeley, where he married a woman whom he had known since the third grade.
"I thought architecture was a good balance between engineering and music," he said.
Looking back at his life and career, Heid is grateful for the opportunity he's been given.
"I like Saratoga and I like the people I've met," he said. "I can't think of anyone that I haven't enjoyed working with. It's been a great career."
Timeless ... suits him well, doesn't it?
Warren Heid's exhibit is on display at the Saratoga History Museum at 20450 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road until January. For more information, visit www.saratogahistory.com or call 408.867.4311.
