DAWL

Dawl – “light” in Maltese – is reimagining of the traditional terraced house. The design inverts the typical local family home by placing the kitchen, dining and living areas on the upper levels, in a naturally lit volume overlooking a central courtyard, while the sleeping quarters sit in a calmer environment. The courtyard pierces the site’s depth and becomes a vertical spine, bringing daylight through each level. Two double-height apertures rise from the courtyard and continue as roof skylights, illuminating the living space with a shifting play of light. The lower bedroom level receives daylight from the front and rear façades and the courtyard, creating a serene private retreat. The ground floor includes a garage and professional workspace, accessed from the rear street, and integrates a historical masonry wall as a tactile link to the building’s past. Dawl explores terraced living, material honesty and the poetic potential of light in Maltese domestic architecture.