Barton Estate Renovation

Typology: Education
Location: Genève, GE
Client: Graduate Institute (IHEID)

Year: 2020-2023
Surface area: 3200 m²

The Barton Estate, a landscaped jewel on the shores of Lake Geneva, brings together a 19th-century villa and five Gaillard pavilions from the 1960s, now serving the Graduate Institute (IHEID). To lead the extensive transformation of this historic site, our firm was appointed as Owner’s Representative (AMO) — entrusted with supporting, coordinating, and safeguarding the client’s interests from the earliest planning stages through to the full commissioning of the renovated estate.

Our mission was to transform a complex heritage property into a modern and functional campus while preserving its cultural and landscape identity. Acting as the client’s strategic partner, we steered key decisions, coordinated multiple stakeholders, and ensured that quality, budget, and schedule objectives were fully met.

The Villa Barton was completely redesigned: only its load-bearing walls, façades, and roof were retained, while the listed woodwork by Jean Jaquet was protected in place through a dedicated technical solution ensuring its preservation. The estate is now powered by a renewable heating and cooling system using a heat pump drawing energy from Lake Geneva.

The Gaillard pavilions were modernized to host housing and conferences, while the Jacques-Freymond Auditorium was restructured, fitted with new technical installations, and topped with a roof integrating solar photovoltaic panels. The entire project was carried out without compromising the park’s historic landscape character, which remains open to the public.