Matthew J Mercieca gutted and rebuilt a maisonette in Balzan, Malta to create an open concept home. Key features include a combined kitchen, dining and living area opening to a backyard, separate study and three bedrooms. Mercieca designed the home's layout to feel like a journey, guiding occupants from the entrance through the home via dimensional correlations between architectural elements and out to the garden. Storage solutions and energy efficient design prioritize insulation.

1. A JOURNEY THROUGH
SPACE. photos:
PETER MERCIECA
words:
ZILLAH BUGEJA
MASS MOVEMENT: A GROUND FLOOR MAISONETTE IN BALZAN IS GUTTED AND REBUILT BY PERIT
MATTHEW J MERCIECA AS A SOPHISTICATED FAMILY HOME WITH PLENTY OF CONTEMPORARY
WOW FACTOR. THE ENTIRE OPEN PLAN AND INDOOR/OUTDOOR CONCEPT HAS CREATED A
LANDSCAPE TO BE TAKEN IN AT ONE’S LEISURE. IT’S NOT JUST A CASE OF A ROOM WITH A VIEW
– THE ROOM IS THE VIEW TOO.
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2. t
he clients bought the maisonette with
the idea of gutting it and rebuilding.
Their brief included a combined
kitchen, dining and living room space opening
up to a large back yard, with a separate study
and three comfortably sized bedrooms. The
owners particularly wanted a full-blown view
of the entire property.
Matthew J Mercieca: “Although the
maisonette is on one level and open plan, I
wanted to create the experience of a journey.
The new passage through the home now
leads from the entrance straight through to
the back yard.
“The hallway first creates a psychological
bubble by cocooning the entrant. A peephole
effect is created by the hallway unit, which
extends beyond the wall. This unit projects
outward into space onto a cruciform column
which acts as a space divider and is the one
final frontier before entering the open space.
The black column was inspired by Mies van
der Rohe who created a similar feature at the
Barcelona Pavilion. Beyond this point is the
most important view which reaches all the
way through to the garden.
“From this final frontier to the sliding doors,
there is a feeling of stepping down which
is created by the descending levels of the
furniture, from kitchen island to the dining
table to the sofas.”
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3. Correlations lead the way
Matthew J Mercieca has utilised a correlation
of both materials and of dimensions to create
the outward-bound visual route.
“The size of the kitchen island is the same as
that of the fin wall, dining table, skylight and
the artificial light projection that also houses
the AC unit. This correlation functions by
leading the eye up to the sky and bouncing it
back down.
“Vertical surfaces are echoed in adjacent
horizontal planes using the same finishes.
This is a device used throughout the property
in the masses of light, marble, timber, paint
and natural light.
“The apartment’s colour scheme is tied
together by a predominance of grey. The
concrete floor acts as a backdrop throughout
the corridor and living spaces, while in the
study and bedrooms, the use of parquet
creates a change in feeling and warmth.”
The seamless flow from indoor to outdoor
creates the ideal entertainment environment,
which is further enhanced by the sliding
doors which recess completely into the
walls. Achieving one level in the indoor
living space and the outdoor space was a
technical challenge. Because the floor level
in the outdoor space is the same as the living
room, a creative solution had to be found for
drainage of rainwater. A drain was created
directly under the door frames.
Into the zone
The first zone in the open-plan space is the
kitchen. The owners wanted to be able to
conceal the appliance area completely. To
do this, the kitchen has been kept to one
side and the appliance area hidden behind
full-length folding doors. A darker shade of
grey frames the concealed appliance storage
units.
The grey stained oak timber facing on the
island and the pendant extractor act as one
large lacquered surface. Beneath the island,
a bar, wine cooler and oven are out of sight.
The dishwasher has been located close to
the sink under the breakfast counter.
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4. “...a correlation of
both materials and of
dimensions to create
the outward-bound
visual route...”
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5. La Belle:
the new elegance of the romantic
Bathroom Design Ltd., 358, Naxxar Road, B’Kara BKR 9040, Malta
t: (+356) 2144 1328 f: (+356) 2144 7188 w: www.bathroomdesign.com.mt

6. Connecting the kitchen to the dining area, the functional. All the custom-made carpentry is by parquet flooring to give the impression that the
fill wall and the dining table are sheathed in the David Abela of Woody Woodworks. bed and bedside tables are floating, giving the
same brownstone marble, made by room a suitably dreamy quality.
G + R Lautier Marble Works. The fill wall was The configuration in the main bedroom puts to
cut from four pieces of marble, joined to give one side the bathing and changing functions Clever FLOS lights suspended over the
the impression of one solid piece and mitred and clears up the sleeping area. A freestanding bedside tables can be extended and directed
precisely so that the thickness of the marble double vanity center in white statuario marble for reading or general lighting purposes.
was not evident. wraps around a corner, in an echo of the Grey sheer curtains provide privacy while
hallway unit. The marble has been sanded allowing the light in, also matching the grey
This precision of craftsmanship is also evident down to give the texture of leather. of the lacquered wardrobes. A stainless steel
in the master bedroom. Veneers in the chest railing will create a balcony effect for the main
of drawers match up at the corners, and The master bedroom is the owners’ favourite bedroom, while segregating the experience of
all drawers are mitred to create the purest room. A white padded eco pelle wall, which the yard in relation to the living space.
possible forms while keeping them purely doubles as a headboard, meets the light
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8. “...The hallway
first creates a
psychological bubble
by cocooning the
entrant...”
A multi-functional study
The study had to function
as a family room, work as a
fitness room, fit a drum kit,
the children’s toys, a couple of
computers and the family filing.
In this multi-functional room, a
huge push-to-open cupboard
was created for toys and enough
storage provided under the
counter top to keep it clear.
Matthew J Mercieca: “The
whole project was based on
storage. There is a laundry room
next to the kitchen, storage
in the hallway unit for keys, a
cloakroom unit, the bathroom
vanity and the kitchen is a
massive storage space. It is only
the living room that has minimal
storage.”
Energy-saving solutions
“Environmentally, the property
has worked very well. Insulation
was given priority. Because
this was a ground level unit, we
were careful to put in a good
ground slab. All outdoor walls
were given insulation and double
glazing with ergon glass has
been used throughout.
“The insulation is fully compliant
with standards. Spray-on
polyurethane was used on the
roof, and dense polystyrene
bolted onto the walls followed
by a net to take plaster, what the
Italians call a ‘cappotto’.
“The result is a home that feels
warm and that needs minimal
added heating.”
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