Architecture & Design

Architecture & Design | 9 WHAT ARE YOUR EARLIEST MEMORIES OF ARCHITECTURE? I must admit that I have always been fascinated with architecture, ever since I can remember there was no doubt in my mind that this was the profession I wished to pursue. The primary school I attended was within walking distance of my uncle's architectural office. After school, I would make my way there on a daily basis to be picked up by my father to take me home. I recall being fascinated by the drawings, sketches and plans being developed by the architects and the draftspeople working in the studio. Even from such a young age, I was mesmerised by the creative process and I enjoyed every minute of their company. As I grew older, I also become more and more intrigued by the creative ability of my father who had the passion and talent to create any object he would dream of producing. From Christmas cribs to functional model steam engines, from doll houses to pieces of furniture… anything could be created with passion and detail. I will always cherish these moments spent with him, and in particular I believe this was a major influence in my determination to also develop a creative ability to design buildings in the same way that my father created objects. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK? This is a particularly difficult question to answer, how does one explain how their style has transformed over more than thirty years? Architectural style often begins from a gut feeling, when creative inspiration kicks in. In very few words, if I had to describe my work, I would say it is creative, contextual and unassuming. However, above all, my work is a consequence of the many talented individuals who work with me and who share the same stylistic goals – we strive to create quality spaces by looking to design not just the building themselves but to consider the new spaces that are created between buildings. HOW HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR CAREER EVOLVE OVER THE PAST YEARS? HAS YOUR PERSONAL APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURE CHANGED? It certainly has. As a young architect, always very eager to develop projects, in particular as an urban designer keen to apply what I learnt from my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the UK, I was determined to design contemporary buildings in an iconic fashion but yet very much in context with their surroundings. It is said that experience is the best teacher, and architecture is no exception. With time, I became more and more involved in the rehabilitation of abandoned and forlorn buildings, many of which form an integral part of our architectural heritage. The satisfaction of intervening to breathe new life into such buildings is immense in spite of the difficult challenges one faces. The active conservation and restoration of such buildings, such as the British Building at AUM, the Treasury Building and the Macina at Cottonera, Domus Zamittello at Valletta and the Old Brewery at Hamrun, to name just a few, have proved to be very rewarding for my whole firm. The lessons one can learn from the engineering and architectural design of such historic buildings has helped me to grow as an architect. WHAT LED TO YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS AS AN ARCHITECT? I would like to believe that my biggest success as an architect is my contribution towards the improvement of the quality of life of people from all strata through effective architecture and urban design. This is something that I stress not only through the work carried out by my office but also through my continued interaction with young aspiring architects as the University of Malta, where I lecture. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS? As an undergraduate student I gained invaluable experience in the public sector and indeed continued to be involved in the Works Departments for some years. However, my work experience in the UK made me realise that spearheading a team of carefully selected talented architects and engineers would provide me with important support to design and build projects as a team, each contributing to our collective vision of the design. At EM Architects we believe in a holistic approach to all developments, and we look at any project from the architectural, structural engineering, and interior design aspects from the initial preliminary concept stages. Architecture can often be interpreted as an individual pursuit however the detailed process required to bring a project to fruition requires the collective investment of many professionals. WHAT HAVE YOU BROUGHT TO ARCHITECTURE IN MALTA? Such a question is difficult for me to answer; one can only reply by explaining what one hoped to have achieved and what I am continuously striving for. Both through the work carried out by my firm and through my interaction with the University of Malta students, I try to encourage a higher standard of architectural design and urban planning. By working tirelessly for all my projects, in particular those which sought to rehabilitate and restore abandoned buildings left to decay, one hopes to improve the architectural landscape for future generations. I would like to think that through my small contribution, the projects completed by our office have somehow served to enhance the quality of life of the Maltese people. For example, if we consider the AUM project, the people at Dock no1. no longer have a building at their waterfront full of dangerous material which previously housed anti-social behaviour. CAN YOU COMMENT ON SOME OF YOUR RECENT PROJECTS? Our office has been fortunate enough to have completed many fulfilling projects and it is hard to describe only a few examples. We were entrusted with the design of the old brewery project in Hamrun, which was one of the first examples of Maltese Art Deco architecture, and we wanted not only restore the building but to rehabilitate it and to accommodate commercial activities besides residential units to provide a connection between the original commercial use of the building and its present one. We have also recently completed the new Hotel Verdi at the Sliema strand, a new and luxurious hotel development where we were entrusted with the entire design of the new development. We have also recently successfully completed many industrial projects, such as the SRT aircraft hangar facility at Luqa, which houses one of the largest prestressed arches in the Mediterranean, as well as the re-development and extension of the Has Saptan Enemed fuel storage I try to encourage a higher standard of architectural design and urban planning. By working tirelessly for all my projects, in particular those which sought to rehabilitate and restore abandoned buildings left to decay, one hopes to improve the architectural landscape for future generations " "

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