Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Frustrations
I have seen two contractors so far. My architect was present the first time round and went through the bill of quantities with the contractor. Both seem to have found my time frame unrealistic. The first said they needed 8 months and the second one refrained from specifying his time frame. I am starting to feel the weight of this project.
Monday, 10 November 2008
Divine Sunday
The absence of a car means I do not get out much during the week. Sunday is indeed my day of rest where I indulge in what I have never been able to achieve back in the UK.
Each Sunday I drag dad out to the car boot sale in Birgu. Amongst the domestic trash one can sometimes find a gem (dad insists most of what I buy is still trash) such as the large old luggage with wooden frame I bought (Victorian says the vendor. Rubbish says my dad) that is in need of some TLC.
Then it's off to the main city square to sit at a table outside, sip a cappuccino and look at life go by. Invariably I would already have bought the local newspapers and flick through them without a thought in the world. Pure bliss.
Notice above the lovely wrought iron work on one of the buildings in the main square. This week I came across an old friend of mine who had organised my first one man exhibition in Malta and he happened to mention that the building once belonged to his aunt. She had left it to the local band club to use as their premises. He suggested I go past the entrance and climb the stairs to see the beautifully decorated interiors on the piano nobile. I will.
Each Sunday I drag dad out to the car boot sale in Birgu. Amongst the domestic trash one can sometimes find a gem (dad insists most of what I buy is still trash) such as the large old luggage with wooden frame I bought (Victorian says the vendor. Rubbish says my dad) that is in need of some TLC.
Then it's off to the main city square to sit at a table outside, sip a cappuccino and look at life go by. Invariably I would already have bought the local newspapers and flick through them without a thought in the world. Pure bliss.
Notice above the lovely wrought iron work on one of the buildings in the main square. This week I came across an old friend of mine who had organised my first one man exhibition in Malta and he happened to mention that the building once belonged to his aunt. She had left it to the local band club to use as their premises. He suggested I go past the entrance and climb the stairs to see the beautifully decorated interiors on the piano nobile. I will.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Well water
La Indulgenza has a well - what in the UK would be referred to as a reservoir. Its mouth is tucked neatly beneath the stairs and access to it is from the hall downstairs. The best thing about this is that La Indulgenza will have its own precious source of water that can be used to water the plants in the roof garden and also serve as greywater for WC flushing. This will entail having a second tank on the roof that automatically draws water via a pump from the well. The second tank will be linked via a one way valve to the first tank so that if the water in the well is low, it automatically takes water from the first.
This is only part of the ecological and energy saving thinking that is being planned for La Indulgenza. The house will be armed with good insulation in walls and roofs as well as in the double-glazed apertures. Plans for strategically placed apertures to provide air ventilation will be vital to avoid the use of ACs in summer. Hot water has also been seen to and will be provided by a solar water heater on the roof.
La Indulgenza has given me the opportunity to introduce these features even though structural alterations are strictly controlled by the protection that is bestowed on such heritage buildings. We work within the rules and regulations to keep the character of the house intact. I feel a great pride in restoring this property. To make it work as a residence while maintaining its personality is a challenge I relish.
This is only part of the ecological and energy saving thinking that is being planned for La Indulgenza. The house will be armed with good insulation in walls and roofs as well as in the double-glazed apertures. Plans for strategically placed apertures to provide air ventilation will be vital to avoid the use of ACs in summer. Hot water has also been seen to and will be provided by a solar water heater on the roof.
La Indulgenza has given me the opportunity to introduce these features even though structural alterations are strictly controlled by the protection that is bestowed on such heritage buildings. We work within the rules and regulations to keep the character of the house intact. I feel a great pride in restoring this property. To make it work as a residence while maintaining its personality is a challenge I relish.
temporary roof
Before any work can start on restoring the stone on the walls and floor within the courtyard, it needs to be given time to dry. This won't happen if rain water can still get to the stone (yes it does rain in Malta). Dad and I have built a 3m x 3m wooden frame and fitted a corrugated sheet on top to act as a temporary ceiling.
This night the winds picked up and dad worried we had not secured the roof to the wall properly so when we went back this morning, I was thinking the worst but the structure had not moved. We had hardly finished securing the roof when the heavens opened. It worked beautifully!
Thursday, 30 October 2008
BOQ
Still working on the Bill of Quantities. It goes from architect to me, back to architect with changes.
In the meantime, little obstacles come my way. Dott Busuttil had the audacity to send me a bill for "consultancy services". I had made it very clear that he was pitching for the work when I visited his studio and he never mentioned a charge for this. This guy's notoriety precedes him. I have since met two unhappy ex-customers of his and they assured me that I have gotten off lightly. He has been known to take on projects he was not competent enough in and his greediness is an established fact. Pity I did not meet these people before. I decided to pay the bill so as to not have anything else to do with him or his studio.
The other hurdle I have had to deal with is the back handed fees I have been asked for by civil servants working with various departments. The dilemma one is faced with is whether to refuse to comply, risking the fury of the person involved or go against one's principles and go with the flow, thereby encouraging the horrid wheel of corruption to keep on turning.
The worst part in all this process is the twiddling of thumbs as one waits for others in the chain. This morning I'm doing a list of things to do so as to avoid the feeling of helplessness I'm starting to get. Two months in Malta and it feels that I have achieved very little.
In the meantime, little obstacles come my way. Dott Busuttil had the audacity to send me a bill for "consultancy services". I had made it very clear that he was pitching for the work when I visited his studio and he never mentioned a charge for this. This guy's notoriety precedes him. I have since met two unhappy ex-customers of his and they assured me that I have gotten off lightly. He has been known to take on projects he was not competent enough in and his greediness is an established fact. Pity I did not meet these people before. I decided to pay the bill so as to not have anything else to do with him or his studio.
The other hurdle I have had to deal with is the back handed fees I have been asked for by civil servants working with various departments. The dilemma one is faced with is whether to refuse to comply, risking the fury of the person involved or go against one's principles and go with the flow, thereby encouraging the horrid wheel of corruption to keep on turning.
The worst part in all this process is the twiddling of thumbs as one waits for others in the chain. This morning I'm doing a list of things to do so as to avoid the feeling of helplessness I'm starting to get. Two months in Malta and it feels that I have achieved very little.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
The Architect
Having arrived only 2 weeks ago, and still waiting for the final permit to start work on the house. La Indulgenza has a lot of potential so finding the right architect to help me bring my ideas to life has been high on the list. Decision was made on Monday. Both architects that I had contacted had hoards of experience in restoration.
Dott C.Busuttil was head of restoration works on ST John's co-Cathedral in Valletta and now has his own studio. I made his acquaintance years ago when we were both students in Florence.
Mireille Fsadni has worked on various restoration projects, mostly public. The one project she has worked on that I get to see each time I make my way to Valletta is the Porte des Bombes, the gateway to Floriana. Her deep understanding of the Maltese limestone will come in handy (plenty of that at La Indulgenza). Mireille is my cousin.
I have gone for the latter, not for the family connection, but only after careful consideration of what each of them could give to the house.
Dott C.Busuttil was head of restoration works on ST John's co-Cathedral in Valletta and now has his own studio. I made his acquaintance years ago when we were both students in Florence.
Mireille Fsadni has worked on various restoration projects, mostly public. The one project she has worked on that I get to see each time I make my way to Valletta is the Porte des Bombes, the gateway to Floriana. Her deep understanding of the Maltese limestone will come in handy (plenty of that at La Indulgenza). Mireille is my cousin.
I have gone for the latter, not for the family connection, but only after careful consideration of what each of them could give to the house.
