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A JOURNEY THROUGH

SPACE.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.

photos: PETER MERCIECA words: ZILLAH BUGEJA

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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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Correlationsleadtheway

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.

Intothezone

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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“...a correlation of both materials and of dimensions to create the outward-bound visual route...”

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035

Connecting the kitchen to the dining area, the

fill wall and the dining table are sheathed in the

same brownstone marble, made by

G + R Lautier Marble Works. The fill wall was

cut from four pieces of marble, joined to give

the impression of one solid piece and mitred

precisely so that the thickness of the marble

was not evident.

This precision of craftsmanship is also evident

in the master bedroom. Veneers in the chest

of drawers match up at the corners, and

all drawers are mitred to create the purest

possible forms while keeping them purely

functional. All the custom-made carpentry is by

David Abela of Woody Woodworks.

The configuration in the main bedroom puts to

one side the bathing and changing functions

and clears up the sleeping area. A freestanding

double vanity center in white statuario marble

wraps around a corner, in an echo of the

hallway unit. The marble has been sanded

down to give the texture of leather.

The master bedroom is the owners’ favourite

room. A white padded eco pelle wall, which

doubles as a headboard, meets the light

parquet flooring to give the impression that the

bed and bedside tables are floating, giving the

room a suitably dreamy quality.

Clever FLOS lights suspended over the

bedside tables can be extended and directed

for reading or general lighting purposes.

Grey sheer curtains provide privacy while

allowing the light in, also matching the grey

of the lacquered wardrobes. A stainless steel

railing will create a balcony effect for the main

bedroom, while segregating the experience of

the yard in relation to the living space.

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Amulti-functionalstudy

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-savingsolutions

“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.”

“...The hallway first creates a psychological bubble by cocooning the entrant...”