Henri Vatable Jova (1919-2014) was an American architect and preservationist. With Stanley Daniels and John Busby, he founded Jova/Daniels/Busby, a multidisciplinary design firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, which designed several notable projects in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast from 1966 to 2013. Jova is noted for his pioneering support of mixed-use development and interest in the development of Midtown Atlanta.
Background and early career
Jova was born into a prominent European/Caribbean family. His grandfather, Juan Jacinto Jova y Gonzalez-Abreu, had immigrated from Cuba to New York City in 1874 as a sugar broker, then gone into brickmaking around 1884; his father, Juan Louis Jova, was a ceramic engineer and director of the plant. His grandmother, Marie Gabrielle Vatable, originally of Basse-Terre, was a sister of Baron Louis François Vatable, the French governor-general of Guadeloupe. The MarquesSabas Marin, another great-uncle, was governor-general of Cuba and Puerto Rico. His mother, Maria Gonzalez Fernandez Cavada, was the daughter of a Spanish diplomat, and a great-great-niece to Federico Fernández Cavada, commander of the Cuban insurrectionists against Spain in the Ten Years' War.[1]
He worked as a designer for Harrison & Abramovitz in New York City from 1952 to 1954, then relocated to Atlanta seeking a less frantic lifestyle.[3] He joined his first cousin's firm, Abreu & Robeson, and served as their chief of design from 1954 to 1966.
Relocation to Midtown
In 1960, Jova moved to Midtown Atlanta, at the time in decline. Seeing potential in the neighborhood, he became a major promoter, encouraging friends and colleagues to relocate there.[4] He organized the Midtown Neighborhood Association in 1963, and sponsored a home improvement contest, judged by mayor Ivan Allen Jr., to encourage owners to invest in their properties.[4] Jova himself bought and renovated several properties on Seventh Street and Mentelle Drive.[5]
Jova/Daniels/Busby
In 1966, he joined fellow Midtown residents Stanley Daniels and John Busby to form Jova/Daniels/Busby, which became known for fusing classical element with modern designs.
Jova stepped down as chair of Jova/Daniels/Busby in 2002. After retirement, he relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida with David Rinehart, his longtime partner, to whom he was wed only a few months before his death.
