Don’t we all dream of having €1 million at our disposal? And if we did, what property would we buy? Three architects tell Veronica Stivala about their millionaire dream.

Rehabilitating an abandoned property

Andrew Vinci

Discarding once again the as yet unrealised fantasy of building my own little house somewhere, I would not hesitate to repeat what I did with my first two properties: I would look for an abandoned property and rehabilitate it to my liking. Not wanting to sound like a nostalgic, I feel that today’s you-only-live-once culture of consumables has also taken hold of our approach to construction and gone are the days when one built a property to serve the many generations to come.

Even with that generous sum in hand, I would probably go for a townhouse built around the early 20th century with apersonal preference for the Sliema area: at that time the tangible quality of vernacular construction was still retained yet enhanced with the time’s technological advancement that helped sort out issues prevalent in some older properties such as a widespread lack of damp proof courses.

With that generous sum in hand, I would probably go for a townhouse built around the early 20th century

Finding a townhouse as deeply embedded in a village core as possible would also give some degree of assurance against neighbouring disproportionate development: with planning rezoning over the last years it is virtually impossible to find rows of two storey terraced houses outside urban conservation areas that have not been earmarked for possible three- or four-storey apartment development.

Finally, a fair part of the sum would have to be put aside to cover for the works needed to restore the building and to add my own ideas to it. I have absolutely no qualms about adding a contemporary layer to an old building, a crime surely less grievous than a non-chronological rustication, as long as the original building is not stripped of its identity and its key architectural features retained. In this way I would feel at peace with myself feeling that I did my bit, not only from a conservation point of view – by consolidating and giving an old building a new lease of life – but also contributing to sensible sustainability which is sorely lacking right now. And yes, a garden would be nice too.

A home with a view

Maria McKenna

The answer would depend largely on the purpose for which I am buying the property. I would opt to buy a seafront apartment were I to buy the property as a rental investment. Alternatively, if the property were for myself to live in, I would invest in a property that allows me to enjoy more open landscape views of the island. In the latter case, I would avoid most centrally located areas of Malta and would probably aim at investing money in a house with some land. It may appear indisputable, given this choice, to opt for locations such as Siggiewi, Zebbug, Rabat and Dingli, all having their own fair share of village charm with the winding streets and theyellow limestone signature of the localvillage streetscapes.

My ideal property would be an old house of character with a good-sized garden or a small piece of land adjacent to it

My ideal property would be an old house of character with a good-sized garden or a small piece of land adjacent to it, sitting in some areas of one of these charming localities not yet too tainted with the monstrosity of massive blocks of apartments. Furthermore, a traditionally built, well-maintained property may allow for superior environmental properties, such as thick walls for better containment of heat or coolness of the rooms. I believe it is necessary, if not paramount, to invest in an energy efficient property that is designed to cater for ­improved performance and where an ­effective building management system can be applied.

I would look at a property that may be converted to combine the local, traditional methods and techniques of construction together with contemporary design, aspiring to have a design that promotes well lit spaces and a controlled interior environment. I consider these very important attributes in a property: the importance of energy efficiency is on the rise and the preservation, conservation and reuse of traditional buildings increases the value of property with time.

V for Valletta

James Dingli

It’s only natural for an architect to feel compelled by the idea of building his own abode. An architect’s house is an embodiment of his own psyche but running into a blank canvas to mould into your own personal volume can become a problematic task in a city like Valletta.

Valletta is quickly becoming my favourite place on the island. Malta seems to be diverting a good deal of energy into remodelling the city’s ethos into the culture capital that it once was: the catalyst of this is probably V18. As a consequence, a new kind of people are choosing to move into the city: a younger generation of professionals. This is mirrored in the booming value of properties in Valletta, which will possibly keep on a steady rise even after 2018.

Valletta is quickly becoming my favourite place on the island

The necessary compromise would be to purchase an already built unit complete with a historical typology and attune it to my needs. Restoration of such housing units is a fairly common surgery these days, yielding only a five per cent fatality rate. If done correctly, this will increase the value of the house.

I would consider investing in a townhouse or a large apartment in the areas surrounding the Lower Barracca Gardens, preferably on East Street, St Ursula Street, or one of the properties on St Barbara’s Bastions. I would spend hours gazing at the composed view of the Grand Harbour.

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