Saint-Gilles captivates with its architectural abundance, from the sumptuous Art Nouveau facades of the Chaussée de Waterloo to the bourgeois buildings around the Porte de Hal, bearing witness to a rich heritage.
Region: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale URL: https://cula.be/renovation/saint-gilles
CULA is the preferred partner for your renovations in Saint-Gilles, where every project is an opportunity to magnify the existing heritage. We combine elegance with functionality to create unique and contemporary living spaces.
Saint-Gilles holds an exceptional share of Brussels' Art Nouveau heritage, with the Hôtel Hannon, the Horta Museum and many narrow, deep townhouses around the Parvis and the Barrière de Saint-Gilles. Many have been divided into apartments.
Renovating apartments on the upper floors of townhouses, restoring parquet, mouldings and fireplaces, bringing electrics and water stacks up to date, creating bathrooms in former rooms, roof and dormers.
Many buildings are protected or lie within a protection zone: façade, windows, front doors, stained glass and ironwork are restored respecting what exists, with a permit and sometimes the heritage department's opinion (urban.brussels). In divided houses, any work on common parts (stairs, roof, stacks) goes through the co-ownership. Allow for those delays.
In Saint-Gilles we work in mansion houses and Art Nouveau buildings divided into apartments. For the projects we see most often here, expect in general: a full renovation of 90 m² (premium range): €152,500 to €200,500; a complete 5 m² bathroom (premium range): €18,000 to €23,500; painting 200 m² of walls and ceilings (premium range): €6,000 to €10,500. Amounts include 6% VAT (home over 10 years old), for a site in average condition. The exact price depends on the property's condition: we set it after the free visit.
The RENOLUTION grants will not return: the 2027 regional budget, agreed on 4 October 2026, plans zero-interest loans for energy renovation instead, expected in spring 2027. On obligations, every Brussels home will need an EPB certificate and must reach class E (275 kWh/m²/year) by 1 January 2033 at the latest. And since 1 June 2025, no oil boiler may be installed during works.
What should be done with original features (stained glass, tiles, woodwork)?
They are what gives the home its value. We protect them during the works, restore them where possible and only replace them if their condition requires it. For a protected building it is also an obligation.
Can an extra bathroom be installed in a divided townhouse?
Often yes, but the drain has to join an existing stack with enough fall. Depending on the co-ownership, the syndic's and a neighbour's approval may be needed.
Can a protected property in Saint-Gilles be energy-renovated?
Yes, with suitable solutions: inside insulation, roof, windows restored or remade identically. For a listed property, the works go through the municipality and the Region: we prepare the file with you.
CULA (CuLa Enterprise General) is a general renovation company founded by Tomasz Cutter, based in Dilbeek on the outskirts of Brussels. We operate throughout Belgium for residential and commercial renovation projects.