Patio and Pavilion | Justin Mallia architecture

Patio and Pavilion borrows its name from a 1956 experimental project by Alison and Peter Smithson. It is a reinterpretation of present and historical conceptual theories of courtyard typologies in consideration of contemporary approaches to living space. Achieved within a small site and budget, the architecture sculpts itself into its context. Forms arranged in alignment with winter sun angles impose no overshadowing on neighbours, while inside create dramatic volumes of space where motorised and flexible screening and openings maximise natural ventilation and thermal performance. A tactile concrete ground slab changes levels with surrounding topography, creating nooks and edges to occupy, including a sunken dining booth, that through harnessing thermal mass, to touch are warm in winter and cool in summer. The careful composition of exposed materials and structure results in a precious, gem-like building that in both practical and philosophical considerations reaches beyond its modest scale and scope.