Zen is a contemporary residence located in Zejtun, Malta, designed in 2020 by Daniel Scerri Periti.

Description
Tucked away behind an unassuming facade in the heart of the Mediterranean village of Zejtun, Malta, architect Daniel Scerri, of DSP, has put together the knowledge he has gained in his 20 years experience designing houses to convert a 500 year old vernacular house into a Contemporary Work that connects to the original restored built fabric.
After determining the age of the various parts, post war accretions that were not respectful to the building type or of good building practice were dismantled, retaining the original footprint and configuration. To this, the new extension was built, abutting to an old wing with a long stone wall built in a facinating vernacular way.
The contrast could not be stronger. Intentionally, of course.
The Design Concept was to create contrasting spaces, building methodologies and finishes, to emphasize both the Traditional and the Contemporary quality of Architecture.

New spaces were designed to have slender supports with wider, double height, highly illuminated spaces, with a large outlook onto the back garden, contrasting with the thick, heavy walls with short spans and small openings of the old spaces.

Use of structural steel and concrete are juxtaposed with the exposed stone walls, timber beams and stone slabs.

The building volumes are gently stepped up in phases to connect to a back garden at a hi...