Restoration of an 1840 Heritage House in Gex
The restoration of this 1840 heritage townhouse, located in the historic center of Gex and 15 km from Geneva, aims to safeguard an important element of the town’s architectural and social memory. Formerly home to the Café Clément and later to the bistro L’Aubrevoir, the building functioned for decades as a central space of sociability and civic life. It is also closely linked to the legacy of Maria Locca, a member of the local Resistance during the Second World War, whose family owned the property and contributed significantly to the cultural and social fabric of the region.
After twenty years of closure, the project undertakes a comprehensive rehabilitation of the building’s five levels — cellar, ground floor, first and second floors, and attic — with the dual objective of preserving its historical character and adapting it to contemporary standards of energy performance and public use.
The intervention prioritizes sustainable materials, including wood‑fiber and bio‑based insulation, locally sourced Jura fir flooring, natural stone, and hand‑crafted hydraulic tiles inspired by the original 19th‑century patterns. The entire wooden structure is being restored, with exposed beams reintroduced as a defining architectural element.
In alignment with broader cultural and territorial development strategies, the project reactivates the building’s historical role as a place of encounter. Alongside its function as a private residence, the house will host an artist’s studio and a public cultural space on the ground floor, reinforcing its contribution to local cultural life and fostering new forms of artistic engagement and community participation.
Through this restoration, the building regains its relevance as a living heritage site, honoring its past while opening new possibilities for cultural creation and collective use.
Project in progres
Architect & Site Coordinator: Bruna Battistini
Construction teams:
Electricity: Art-Elec
Heating & Plumbing: Gérard Germain
Insulation: Avisun & Martinez
Masonry: Fabien Drapeau
Plasterer: Bollon