Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1502337
Architecture & Design | 11 Alan: The thrill of my career is looking back and seeing completed works. The difficulties to get a project to a complete state are difficult to explain or understand until you go through it, so when I look back and see that over the past decade we have quite a number of completed projects being used, lived or worked in and being enjoyed by the users in a way that we imagined and made happen makes it all worthwhile. Can you comment on some of your recent projects? Simon: We are very lucky to have some fantastic clients who believe in us and our work. Our work varies in scale and budget. On the one hand we have some very interesting interventions being done within historical contexts and on the other commercial projects for some highly reputable brands. Both are equally important to us. Alan: At the moment we have some really interesting work going on. We are very fortunate to have some nice brand names trusting us with the design of their commercial outlets, offices and eateries and then we have some beautiful and historically important residential buildings that require renovation and our input to adapt them to modern lifestyles. Which are the projects you are most proud of and which are your least favourite? Simon: All projects teach you something; the good, the bad and the ugly. They are all important. The good teach you how to do architecture, the bad and the ugly teach you how not to do architecture. Architectural intelligence is important, to learn from each experience. Such a question is like asking a person with several children which is your favorite child; each project is a commitment with its ups and downs. Great effort is put into each one, and they all turnout different, each having their own special identity. Alan: It is difficult to pick favourite projects but in general, all the works we publish make me extremely proud. With regards to my least favourite, they are generally the ones where there is too much interference from authorities and/or the clients themselves which takes away all the joy and many times the scope in designing and implementing a project. You will never see these kinds of projects on our social media. TA S T E , VA L L E T TA P h o t o c r e d i t : A l e x A t t a r d