Bot-House

The project involves the conversion of a former kindergarten in San Ġwann, Malta. This included restoring a portion of the building to its original use as two overlying maisonettes and replacing a late-1980s extension with this single-family home. The integration of the lap-pool was made possible by sliding it beneath the house, since part of the back garden falls within an undevelopable zone. The buildable envelope was set back from the street to create a walled front garden, allowing the open living, dining, and kitchen space to hover over the pool and a gardens on each side.

At ground level, a square, open space unfolds between glazed façades, while the kitchen, bathroom, and stair core are offset to enable a flexible plan. The house connects vertically and visually through movement and light. A suspended off-shutter concrete staircase hovers above the kitchen island, anchoring the spatial core. A central lightwell punctures the plan, channelling daylight through three oversized, triple-glazed discs. A ‘puits de lumière’ sits at the top of the skylight. This extruded oculus is directed towards the north, tempering solar gain while distributing a soft, even glow throughout the interior. Two additional glass floor panels allow light to cascade toward the pool below, creating shifting reflections that animate the lower spaces.

Structurally, the house employs hollow concrete block walls and reinforced concrete slabs, providing durability and thermal mass. The material palette centres on glazing, water, and light, unified by continuous travertine flooring that extends fluidly from interior to exterior. Large sliding glass panels open the living area to the garden, while concrete overhangs and recessed apertures contribute to passive solar control. Each detail was conceived to be both enduring and refined, achieving comfort through restraint. From the street, the residence reads as a sculptural composition of white volumes. The absence of traditional apertures enhances its purity, while a singular olive tree stands framed by a protective blade wall, a quiet gesture that roots the contemporary form in its Mediterranean context.