Special attention should be given to the aesthetics and design of the proposed American university for it to blend with the natural surroundings, Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti said.

While wholly supporting the project, Mr Chetcuti argued that a genuine effort should be made to locate an alternative, less pristine site. However, if no other option was identified, architects had to exert the utmost caution to ensure that the building’s design integrated with the surrounding environment.

“I understand that the government had to resort to ODZ land as there are no such large expanses of land in established development zones. ODZ land is also cheaper. At least, this is a project of national interest – unlike that of Smart City, where the aim of creating 4,000 jobs was left unfulfilled. Smart City has become somewhat akin to real estate, with land being used to build villas and restaurants.”

The architects of the proposed university should place heavy emphasis on aesthetics, he stressed, ensuring that the skyline and the topography of the terrain was respected.

“We can’t afford massive buildings which ruin the skyline. The university shouldn’t be more than a storey and a half high, while a garden should decorate its roofs, for example. Water tanks should be placed in a basement.”

The Danish village, he added, was a good example of how buildings blended with the natural surroundings.