André Vera

He was an advocate of the formal French garden, with strictly geometrical designs based on lines and squares in place of the curvilinear forms of Art Nouveau.

In urban design he stressed the importance of including trees as architectural elements, which he thought would enhance the mental and physical health of the residents.

[3] This originated with the work of Louis Süe, and was described by André Vera in his manifesto Le Nouveau Style published in L'Art décoratif in January 1912.

Vera rejected internationalism and pastiche and called for respect for French traditions, in particular for the rationalism of the Louis XVI period and the more comfortable Louis-Philippe style.

"[6] The Vera brothers joined with other artists to create L'Atalier Français, a cooperative business that borrowed organizational idea from the Wiener Werkstätte.

André Vera wrote a manifesto that defined the goal of the group as combining traditional and modern ideas to bring clarity, order and aesthetic unity to interior design.

[9] Responding in 1912 to a survey of views about Le Nôtre's work, Vera wrote, "We share a liking for the regular garden (jardin régulier).

[13] Vera's gardens had a geometrical layout with orthogonal axes, with the lines and pure forms of the composition were emphasized by trees, flower beds and hedges.

The rigidly symmetrical and geometrical design combined classical and modern elements, using topiary, vegetation carefully selected for its colors, and new materials such as reinforced concrete.

[21] He recommended preserving sites such as Le Nôtre's terrace at Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, and recreating "incomplete landscapes" that industry had "mutilated" to make continuous green flows spanning several suburban areas.

[20] During the war Vera supported Marshal Petain's Vichy government, which he saw as an opportunity to eliminate the "negative style" that had developed in the 1930s, and to renew morals, arts and crafts.

[22] In his 1941 Manifeste pour le renouveau de l'art français Vera recommended choosing trees and shrubs that were native to the region to show affection to the province, rather than exotics such as Cedar of Lebanon or catalpa.