Founded in 2018 by architects Mark Peregin and Mark Sullivan, SON Architecture Studio has rapidly emerged as a leading design studio in the architectural landscape, recognised for its unique combination of bold sculptural design, environmental consciousness, and meticulous attention to detail.

With a portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and adaptive reuse projects, the studio is rooted in a commitment to creating human-centric spaces that enhance the well-being of their occupants while harmonising with their historical and environmental contexts.

SON Architecture was born as a reaction to the fast-paced and often insensitive development that has permeated throughout the Maltese islands over the past 50 years of rapid economic and population growth. Just like good nutritious food takes time to prepare, so too does good architecture. SON Architecture’s philosophy is to give projects the time and attention they deserve to create enduring buildings that can increase in value and importance over time.

SON Architecture Studio’s fundamental ethos is grounded in a respect for history and place, blending contemporary design with traditional materials and techniques to create spaces that feel both timeless and innovative. Each project is approached with a deep sensitivity to its surroundings, allowing the architecture to evolve organically from the site and the needs of its users. Sustainability is at the heart of their practice, with an emphasis on using natural materials, minimising waste, and employing passive design strategies to create buildings that are as efficient as they are elegant.

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The project brief entailed the rehabilitation of Wied Fulija, a former landfill in Żurrieq, Malta, which is now a landmark environmental project that transformed a heavily polluted site into a thriving green area.

This effort not only addressed years of environmental damage but also highlighted Malta’s growing commitment to sustainability. By incorporating key infrastructure like a regulating layer, capping system, planting medium, reservoir, and drainage systems, the project turned a hazardous area into a valuable ecological and community space.

Historical and Ecological Context

Wied Fulija operated as a landfill from 1979 to 1996, covering about 95,000 square meters, with waste piles reaching up to 25 meters. The site, lacking proper leachate and gas control systems, posed long-term risks to the environment. Situated near the sensitive ecological zone of Rdumijiet ta’ Malta, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), the restoration was crucial to protect the surrounding landscapes and biodiversity.

Ecological and Environmental Impact

The restoration of Wied Fulija helped to restore the area’s ecological integrity. Native vegetation was reintroduced, and modern containment measures were put in place to prevent further environmental harm. Today, the area supports a diverse range of flora and fauna, contributing to the health of the local ecosystem. This rehabilitation aligns with Malta’s broader environmental goals of reducing pollution and enhancing biodiversity.

Community and Recreational Benefits

The transformation of Wied Fulija has provided the local community with a scenic, green space for outdoor activities like hiking and walking. It has also become a focal point for raising awareness about environmental conservation, sustainable land use, and waste management. Beyond its ecological benefits, the project has enriched the area’s social and aesthetic value, offering residents a healthier outdoor environment.

Significance for Climate Action

The Wied Fulija project represents a significant step toward climate action and sustainability in Malta. By rehabilitating a landfill, the project addresses critical issues like waste management, ecosystem restoration, and pollution control, all of which are vital in the fight against climate change. Restoring degraded land reduces greenhouse gas emissions and enhances biodiversity, both of which are key components of climate resilience. The project also sets a benchmark for future environmental initiatives, demonstrating that even the most severely damaged sites can be transformed into assets for both the environment and the community.

The rehabilitation of Wied Fulija exemplifies Malta’s dedication to sustainable development. It stands as a symbol of environmental regeneration, offering ecological, social, and economic benefits. This project serves as a model for future waste management and land restoration efforts, contributing to Malta’s vision of a greener and more sustainable future.

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The long-term vision for the regeneration of Marsaskala is centred on sustainable development, including the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and climate change concerns, especially in those fields where Malta requires further progress.

Marsaskala’s natural and ecological heritage becomes the driver of the regeneration process and of the economic and social progress of the town. At a macro scale, the vision has three primary  goals. The first is to build on and reconnect with the abundant natural and ecological capital of the town – the surrounding open hills reaching down to the beaches and the bays, the coastal landscapes and natural protected zones of il-Magħluq, l-Imwadar, and il-Qortin – and providing for nature to infiltrate the town. The second is to reinforce the sense of community through the reestablishment of the characteristic quarters of the town, arising from the geophysical characteristics of the bay.

The third goal is to incentivise public participation in the regeneration process so that every resident can contribute to the town’s gradual transformation. To succeed, these broad principles require gradual action at an urban level; improving accessibility by removing suffocating infrastructure, and introducing slow mobility and slow tourism networks. The landscape is introduced as a primary infrastructure, infiltrating the denser urban fabric. At a micro level, a matrix of progressive interventions is proposed for each quarter, from the more natural spaces to those more urban, aimed at reinforcing traditional community ties and providing for the residents’ needs. The more recently developed parts of the town suffer all too familiar problems. The proposals provide incentives for residents to green their front gardens, and the rooftops of their buildings, and to landscape and combine their backyards; these are additional small scale, localized interventions guided by the overall vision, where every resident contributes to a community-spirited regeneration for the creation of a City of 1000 Gardens.

The project is a response to a design competition launched by the Malta Tourism Authority in 2021, which sought an overall vision for the regeneration of Marsaskala ‘to allow the village to realise its full potential’. It was felt that focusing on visitors alone negates the importance of Marsaskala as a sizeable residential town. It is no longer a sleepy fishing village nor a seaside summer resort. The redesign of the waterfront is therefore seen as the binder of the diverse measures proposed. A pedestrian-friendly, leisure-oriented public space which unifies the quarters; the real heart of town, set within a new landscape where the waters of the bay, the saltwater marsh, and the tilled fields in the valleys with the surrounding green hills merge into a continuum to promote a reinvigorated ecology.

These proposals for Marsaskala’s regeneration focus on opportunities that are contextual to the local community, ecology and landscape. The emphasis is on applying the natural environment’s ability to improve economic, environmental and social value as a transformative phased mechanism for positive change.

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The Regenerative Multi-modal Transport System proposes a national infrastructure solution designed to address Malta’s road infrastructure, traffic and congestion issues by bringing the built environment and natural environment together.

Fitting within the system are The Malta Bus Reborn, which brings back the iconic Malta buses through an electric fleet, and The Elevated Tree Canopy Cycle Lanewhich directly addressed environmental threats that the Island faces due to rising temperatures and biodiversity loss caused by climate change. 

With Malta’s heavy dependency on a single mode of transport – the car – it has amounted to ever-growing infrastructural, environmental and social pressure that is burdening Malta’s progress towards a fairer, cleaner and greener future. The Regenerative Multi-modal Transport System attempts to address the root causes and confront all three pressures by moving from a single-modal dependency into a multi-modal dependency that caters for five different modes of transport: the bus, the car, the bicycle, the scooter and walking. Simultaneously, through TheElevated Tree Canopy Cycle Lane, it approaches sustainable design in a way that is regenerative, going beyond reducing negative impacts and in turn creating positive ones – the most relevant response to the current state of climate emergency.

A multi-modal system ensures that all possible transportation routes are designed in equal measure, offering various options that are equally safe and efficient so that the alternatives to a car are not only just as viable, but can turn out to be even more viable. Therefore, dedicated lanes for each mode of transport across all arterial roads, have been allocated by plugging into existing infrastructure to ensure least disruption as possible. Dedicated lanes will inherently alleviate the existing congestion caused by motor vehicles that all share the same lanes, while also ensuring equal safety and efficiency for each model, further supporting the public to transition to alternative modes of transport. 

One lane is dedicated to buses, using The Malta Bus Reborn electric fleet which brings Malta’s charming and colourful heritage and cultural iconography back to our streets, looking to the past for inspiration and bringing it into the present, retaining a sense of identity and belonging through strong cultural iconography while also ensure a future that is designed for today’s biggest crisis, climate change.

Another lane is dedicated to bicycles and scooters, through The Elevated Tree Canopy Cycle Lane, offering cyclists, scooters and pedestrians a safe and swift passageway on arterial roads. This is a bolt-on prefabricated solution which is minimally invasive and disruptive, taking up existing unused centre-strip space and air space. The elevated lane is regenerative by design through its inbuilt solar technology which harvests clean energy, its hooded wings that harvests rainwater and its landscaped foundations that actively nurtures biodiversity.  This project is currently kickstarting a partnership with The Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT) of the University of Malta (UoM), in which the design will be deeply studied further with three faculties: The Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Department of Artificial Intelligence and the Department of Construction and Property Management.

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Casa Gourgion, arguably the most photographed building in Mdina, has been capturing the imagination of locals and tourists alike for the best part of the last century.

The house was built in the 1890s in a neo-gothic style, totally incongruous to the baroque setting of the main square of Mdina. Indeed, the outrage caused by this architectural folly back then, contrasts greatly with the interest and delight Casa Gourgion elicits today.

Over the years, the property had numerous tenants, who carried out additions and alterations to the building fabric, until finally the current owners took back possession of the house in 2020. A comprehensive restoration project was to follow, that has successfully preserved and enhanced the architectural heritage of Casa Gourgion while adapting it for public use as a house museum.

The primary objective of the owners was to return the property to a state as close as possible to the original via a restoration that was to revitalize Casa Gourgion as a sustainable and accessible cultural asset that respects its original character and its landmark status.

Key goals included:

Preservation of Historic Fabric: Maintaining the integrity of the building’s original structure, materials, and architectural details, whilst removing later accretions and non-documented additions.

Energy Efficiency: Incorporating modern energy-efficient systems where possible to render the building more habitable and usable whilst reducing the building’s environmental impact.

Public Engagement: Creating a space that can be enjoyed by the public as a house museum, offering educational and cultural experiences.

The restoration project faced several challenges, including:

Structural Deterioration: The building had suffered significant structural damage due to age and neglect over the years.

Complex Urban Context: Casa Gourgion is located in a busy and popular square therefore requiring careful logistical planning as well as requiring careful consideration of neighbouring properties and infrastructure.

Regulatory Constraints: The project was subject to strict heritage regulations and monitoring.

To address these challenges, a multi-disciplinary approach was adopted, involving architects, engineers, historians, and heritage consultants. The restoration process involved the following key steps:

Research and Documentation: A thorough assessment of the building’s condition was conducted, including structural analysis, historical research, and documentation of existing features.

Conservation and Repair: Damaged elements were carefully repaired or replaced using traditional techniques and materials. Historic features, such as decorative stonework, painted frescos and timber apertures, were conserved and restored to their original appearance.

Structural Reinforcement: The building’s structural integrity was improved through the installation of concealed reinforcement systems.

Energy Efficiency: Modern energy-efficient systems, including HVAC systems, insulation, LED lighting, intelligent lighting systems were integrated into the building. Maximising the use of natural elements including light and ventilation to minimize the need for artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation.

Interior Design: The interior spaces were designed to reflect the building’s historical character as faithfully as possible, while providing comfortable and functional public spaces. One of the main challenges with the interior design was to integrate modern technologies such as AC units, power outlets and switches without compromising on the original goal of the project which was to have the interior reflect an opulent 19^th century nobleman’s home.

The restoration of Casa Gourgion has been a successful project that has preserved a valuable piece of Maltese heritage, driven by the determination and passion of the owners. The building now serves as a house museum, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the history and culture of Malta through its architectural and decorative elements. The project’s success can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of the design team, the support of the local community, and the commitment to preserving the building’s architectural and historical significance.

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The project of Casa Ursula began in 2019 when the owners first approached Openworkstudio (OWS) to convert the long-abandoned property into their first home

Architects Joanna Spiteri Staines and Francesca Cremona were involved from the very beginning in the restoration and interior design of Casa Ursula: a maisonette set within the capital of Valletta, once part of a corner palazzetto estimated to be dating back to the late eighteen hundreds.

The design responds to the existing context, which is always an endless source of inspiration for OWS, and together with the site`s limitations they created a framework within which creative solutions were derived from.

The house had been through alterations and extensions when the original building was split into different units, most likely after II World War, and as the paint and partitions were removed, blocked off doorways and hidden structures were uncovered. With an uncharacteristically long and narrow plot, together with a fragmented collection of rooms, the first approach was to create a link and bring light to the spaces at the heart of the property.

The property has an entrance at ground floor level, originally leading up to a hall connecting to two separate rooms, each with its own gallarija (traditional closed balcony) facing Northeast and Northwest. The three rooms have now become one living space with the ribbed oak kitchen island as its main feature. The original cement tiles were almost entirely retained, the borders were replaced and inserted where the walls were dismantled to pass the services and seamlessly blend the three rooms into one cohesive space.

A narrow and shaded stepped corridor once joined these front rooms to a large dark space at the core of the plot, leading to a Southeast facing room and its dilapidated gallarija.

This previously dim and insignificant passage between opposite sides of the property became the key to creating a central space were new and old are intertwined by using the original spiral staircase extended by a steel structure to access a new split level. This space was converted into a double height study area. IT acts as a bridge on two levels connecting to the newly inserted mezzanine, becoming a source of warmth and light radiating from the inner part of the plot reflecting onto new curved surfaces.

When uncovering the partition separating the back room from the Southeast bedroom, a large timber A-frame structure was discovered and later revealed and incorporated within the bespoke joinery of the bedroom and sitting room.

Owing to the striking and overproportioned height of the rooms, a second bedroom was built on an overhanging mezzanine facing the A-frame structure. The two bedrooms on different levels, while striving for privacy, share the same limited natural light through the combination of solid and glass partitions separating them.

The spiral stone staircase leads up to two rooms, one above the other, and finally to the roof terrace redesigned to host an array of occasions with the skyline of Valletta as a backdrop.

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Dar Tereża is a community project which caters specifically for women with mental health problems and their children.

The refashioned house offers facilities to shoulder care responsibilities within a safe and empowering environment, affording family members to remain living together as a family while receiving the support they need. After winning the Sustainable Communities competition in 2019, LOCAL OFFICE for Architecture worked on a consultative process with all stakeholders to generate a space built on three main considerations: safety for individual residents, shared spaces for communal interaction and opportunities for integration with the public realm. Architects Alexia Mercieca and Alex Spiteri operated at the intersection of the Ministry for Social Accommodation, the Housing Authority and Kamra tal-Periti who launched the competition, together with the Richmond Foundation as the clients, to create an ecosystem which satisfies the criteria of this project, setting a precedent with Dar Tereża for how to forge better societal impact through architectural reuse.on replacing former learning spaces – unremarkable in organisation or design. The project’s design ambition was to create communal space that united bold, sculptural geometry with pragmatic use. A lengthy central pool was integrated for exertion and entertainment but became one of a pair of the home’s strongest design elements.

The restoration of the two houses has reinvigorated the way in which they work, creating a series of spaces which maximise the natural orientation of the corner property. A new addition on the roof serves to offer flexibility to hosted families, encouraging interaction whilst allowing for independent living and reduced conflict through the doubling up of all facilities. The house is not a shared dwelling, it is a series of spaces with different potentials of privacy so that residents will have the chance to better develop the conditions required to live unassisted, but still supported, within society. Dar Tereża is built on the idea that architecture needs to become an opportunity for community. It reinvestigates modern living so that it can become a space of healing. The project maximises the abundant views, creates a dynamic interior and maximises the heritage potential of the site. The architects played the important role of facilitating interaction between all stakeholders (public and private) in what has become an excellent example for the future of sustainable community projects. The scope of the architecture office extended beyond the mainstream remit of such a practice, creating participatory workshops in the community and with the NGO, working to fundraise and procure sponsorships to ameliorate the quality of the spaces and the eventual wellbeing of prospective residents and staff. The project continues through the design of a post-occupancy study to gauge the impact of the project for residents and the immediate community.

As part of the initiative of LOCAL OFFICE for Architecture and Richmond Foundation, Project Green has responded in developing a public garden project that is also sensitive to the needs of the resident mothers and children which is being envisaged as part of the house’s community impact.

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BOTHOUSE is a family home whose spine is a 25-metre pool, and whose heart is a giant light-well of perfectly round and centred glass plates.

A client-couple committed to the proliferation of early education spaces on the islands approached the architects with a pre-owned site and a desire to convert it into a family home. Previously used as a kindergarten, the plot abutted an industrial estate. Its proximity to industrial space seemingly blighted its potential as a desirable home, but its owners were resolute to conversion.

The Bothouse is a new intervention replacing former learning spaces – unremarkable in organisation or design. The project’s design ambition was to create communal space that united bold, sculptural geometry with pragmatic use. A lengthy central pool was integrated for exertion and entertainment but became one of a pair of the home’s strongest design elements.

The 25-metre lap-pool uninterruptedly connects the front and back gardens of the property, with elevated living space hovering overhead – a kitchen and living-dining area looks onto a communal garden. At ground, a square, open space looks through glazed façades, whilst the bathroom, kitchen and stair core are pulled aside to alleviate flexible footprint.

Connection through the house is created in two ways: through vertical circulation and through light. In the first instance, an off-shutter concrete staircase is suspended above the kitchen, with an extended plinth and foot resting beneath a large kitchen island. Light connects the lower living levels with ascending bedroom floors via a punctured light-well, sealed with three over-sized, triple-glazed discs cutting through the middle of the house. A puits de lumière sits at the top of the skylight. This extruded oculus is truncated towards the north, preventing solar gain from the south and homogenising the cool light floating into the generous interior.

Two additional square glass floor inserts maximise penetration of light through to the pool beneath the house. Continuity of light is matched by material consistency. One constant travertine finish emphasises cohesiveness between the interior at ground floor and the private flanking exterior spaces.

Bothouse is a statement to artful living. A space where activity is framed by the prowess of absolute geometry; where material, light and form become curators of the everyday.

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Auxetic materials boast of a number of unique behavioural properties that conform to a negative Poisson’s ratio, which have resulted in their recent application to many fields and at various scales. However, research has largely revolved around small-scale applications in high-tech fields; biomedical devices, such as prosthetic implants and stents, blast-proof textiles and smart fabrics are just a few examples. This dissertation looks towards geometry, design and engineering to build an understanding of the formal and structural potential of auxetic cellular solids on an architectural scale. The capacity of auxetic structures to generate synclastic curvature when an out-of-plane bending moment is applied has been recognised by architects and engineers as a fundamental property, presenting innovative solutions to designing organic geometries of high topological expression using planar elements. The natural tendency of auxetic structures to form dome-shaped surfaces suggests developments in structural systems which are defined by complex curved shapes, namely gridshells and bending-acting structures.

A binary approach of producing physical scaled models and generating computer simulations using Finite Element Analysis is adopted to investigate the fundamental geometrical parameters affecting the mechanical behaviour of an auxetic pattern. Together, the approaches will seek to establish relationships between these physical parameters and the topological character of the auxetic structure during loading, in an attempt to justify potential applications of the sinusoidal pattern in architecture.

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The proposed project, ‘The Sea Maiden’ is a Commercial and Leisure Centre (Hub) located at the gates of the Mgarr Harbour in Gozo. This project, combined with a new permanent super yacht marina, will create an extension to the existing harbour, offering both locals and maritime travellers a huge array of local products, services and leisure facilities. This would provide a stepping stone for a sustainable niche touristic industry to be introduced to Gozo.

This proposal is rather innovative as the centre stretches outwards into the sea, unlimited by extents of land boundaries, promoting all aspects related to both commercial and leisure activities whilst endorsing the Gozitan identity and characteristics to the international community.

The yacht marina would provide hundreds of berthing spaces specifically reserved for visitors, with ample spaces for large yachts to superyachts to berth. These will enable visitors to resupply ‘at sea’, whilst serving also as a self-catering resort. Such projects will offer all amenities including sanitary facilities, spas, pool and fitness areas; along with a provision of a 24/7 security, serving as a resort at sea.

This centre will provide attractions for all the needs of both the traveller and the local, of different age groups; offering game rooms and pool areas, lavish gardens, restaurants and takeaways, fine dining and living areas, night clubs, bars and a casino. This could become a key attraction for the younger Gozitan generation.

Whole sways of the hub such as the gardens and upper floors; will be dedicated to the public where the locals can also enjoy time along with some of the best views of the Gozo-Malta straits. These public areas will serve as a common meeting point for the local and the traveller, becoming a centre of social interaction.

The extension of the existing harbour along with any future development of the Malta-Gozo tunnel link, will keep the harbour area bustling with tourists, whilst freeing/opening up more space for future developments. It also removes the necessity for more yacht marinas spread all along the Gozitan coastline, thus protecting it.

Being a semi floating structure it reduces the environmental impacts on the sea scape of the location, and being a concrete structure, it also exhibits lower maintenance needs and a longer lifetime use. Thus the project will enable the local economy to flourish in a sustainable way, whilst exhibiting the Gozo as an identity to the international community.

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