The Foundation

Rebuilding through sustainable projects

Fondazione Canova is dedicated to the recovery, conservation, and valorization of architecture, promoting an approach that combines research, training, and fieldwork experimentation.

The objective is to preserve and renew the historic heritage through sustainable projects and collaborations with universities, cultural institutions, and local entities, in a continuous dialogue between the local and international dimensions.

Since 2001, the Foundation has been active in the recovery of the villages of Canova and Ghesc, in Val d’Ossola: a permanent laboratory where construction tradition meets innovation, giving life to new intervention methodologies also applied in different contexts.

From our headquarters in Ghesc, the knowledge of stone building is studied, handed down, and put into practice, involving students, architects, and artisans from all over the world in a shared path of research and transformation.

Ghesc:

our headquarters the permanent laboratory the educational construction site

Ancient techniques, places that are reborn

Immersed in the woods of Val d’Ossola, Ghesc is a medieval village that the Foundation has transformed into its operational headquarters and permanent research laboratory on architecture. Here, recovery methodologies are developed and tested to be applied in projects across the national territory. This creates an educational construction site where students and professionals can learn conservative restoration techniques by working directly in the field.

Since 2008, over 2000 students from Italian and international universities have participated in training programs, contributing to the regeneration of the village and the safeguarding of its building heritage. Ghesc demonstrates how a forgotten place can return to life, thanks to the sharing of knowledge and the collaboration between experts and new generations.

Today, the village is a model of sustainable recovery, made of ancient knowledge and innovative technologies that meet to give new life to architecture.

Board of Directors

Maurizio Cesprini | president

Expert in the conservation of architectural heritage, lecturer, and promoter of the Ghesc Laboratory Village. With consolidated experience in the protection and valorization of traditional architecture, he guides the Foundation with the objective of combining research, training, and concrete interventions on the territory.

Ken Marquardt | founder

Curator of the recovery of the village of Canova and of various restoration projects of traditional stone buildings. His work was fundamental in the creation of the Foundation and in the development of a conservation model that unites practice and international research.

Paola Gardin | board member

Architect specialized in restoration, integration of sustainable materials, and promotion of cultural heritage. She collaborates in defining strategies for the valorization of traditional architecture through an innovative and interdisciplinary approach.

Andrea Mantello | board member

Architect and lighting designer, active at the intersection of architecture, art, and design. His experience in the design and lighting technology sector contributes to the research and implementation of solutions that respect the historical character of the buildings, improving their usability.

Advisory Board

Erik Heijdelberg

Erik Heijdelberg

Consultant in the international public health sector and former CEO in forensic care and child protection, currently presiding over supervisory boards in Amsterdam and the Caribbean.

Peter Cox

Peter Cox

Peter Cox, Managing Director of Carrig Conservation, has over 35 years of experience in the field of conservation and heritage policies. He was President of ICOMOS Ireland.

Carol Wilson

Carol Wilson

Carol A. Wilson, FAIA, works in Portland, Maine (USA) since 1981. She founded her studio in 1986. She also carries out academic and outreach activities through teaching assignments and conferences.

Andreas Fries

Andreas Fries

Senior Partner of Herzog & de Meuron studio in Basel, lecturer, and member of the Federation of Swiss Architects BSA/FSA.