Architecture & Design

Architecture & Design | 15 Malta has undergone rapid development over the past few decades. How do you think this has changed the character of our towns and villages? Malta's rapid development has profoundly changed the character of many of our towns and villages. Growth itself is not necessarily the problem; the difficulty is that individual developments have too often been considered without sufficient regard for their cumulative impact. A series of apparently separate decisions can alter the scale of an entire street, its daylight, its privacy and its relationship with the landscape. We have lost buildings and features that gave places their identity, but we have also weakened the coherence of streets through abrupt changes in height and massing. Traffic has added to that pressure, making many centres less comfortable to walk through or spend time in. We need to consider urban value alongside development value. The question is how to plan growth so that it supports the character and liveability of existing communities. What do you think Maltese architecture is getting right today, and where do you feel there is still significant room for improvement? There is thoughtful contemporary architecture being produced in Malta. Some projects show a careful understanding of materials, light and context, and demonstrate that a new building can contribute positively to an established street. The difficulty is achieving that quality consistently across ordinary development, where most people experience the built environment. We need more attention to the relationship between a building and its neighbours, environmental performance and construction quality. Height, density and floor area cannot tell us whether a proposal is appropriate for a particular site. Planning policy should provide certainty while leaving room for informed design judgement. Good architecture also depends on clients, contractors and public authorities valuing quality throughout the process. The ambition set out in a drawing needs to survive procurement, construction, and how a building is subsequently used. How can Malta balance the need for development with the protection of its architectural heritage and the character of its historic towns and villages? I think we need to begin by understanding what is valuable in each place and what kind of change it can accommodate. That means looking beyond an individual protected building to the " The lasting value of architecture lies in how a building or place is experienced and remains relevant over time. Does a house support the way its occupants live? Is a square welcoming and accessible? Does the work age well, and can it be maintained? D A W L P H O T O C R E D I T: S E A N M A L L I A

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