INTERIOR DESIGN

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

MONEY takes a glimpse at the latest project between Angela Sciberras, Angie The Architect, and Michael Azzopardi, Miko Design. Build., two leading names in the design and build arena.

Photography Sean Mallia | Styling Formadeus

Angela Sciberra

In a year when the concept of working from home, or WFH as the internet would call it, has become almost the norm for businesses in the country, Kafe Rocks stands out as a pioneer of this modus operandi.

Michael Azzopardi

As a brand, Kafe Rocks is dedicated to capturing their clients’ stories and developing them into intriguing content for readers to enjoy. The firm’s founding members had an evident vision for the company from day one. They were providing their employees with the flexibility to work from home. They identified this as an effective way to help the environment by reducing travel pollution, enabling their team members to maximise their days, and reaching talented individuals overseas, thereby expanding its international workforce. The management team recognised a growing need to give Kafe Rocks its official base. A retreat for think-tank sessions, collaborations and visits from their international workforce. But for a brand so dedicated to such a dynamic and remote workforce ethic, the concept of searching for a ‘standard office’ wasn’t a direction they were willing to go down.

The solution was to take the concept of ‘working from home’ and enhance it, making it an intrinsic part of the new head office environment. They wanted to create a ‘home base’ instead of office space for employees to enjoy and feel comfortable working. They looked for features such as an outdoor area for get-togethers, a pool that staff could use in the evenings and weekends, a game and a relaxation room. Even a private room where visitors could spend the night when other accommodation wasn’t available.

Partnering up with the right people for the job

Kafe Rocks eventually set their eyes on a relatively large corner property in one of Malta’s quiet residential areas. This house could comfortably host up to 25/30 people working at a time with lots of character and possibilities. As it was a rental agreement, Kafe Rocks had to consider how to upgrade the interior to fit its needs, without making irreversible alterations to the structure.

They teamed up with Angie The Architect to discuss and design the space to maximise the property to suit their requirements and Miko Design. Build. to turn Angie’s design vision to fruition—from material sourcing to finding the right contractors for the respective trades, to organising and managing the entire build in-line with the client’s expectations and respecting the design solution while adding value to the overall property and project.

Discovery stage

Over a three-day workshop held at the Golden Sands Resort in Malta in 2019, Angie Sciberras and her team met and interacted with Kafe Rocks representatives from around the world. It was an opportunity for the team to enjoy a brief tangible touchpoint with this otherwise predominately virtual brand. Armed with valuable insight about their needs and their vision for this new ‘home away from home’, they started to feel what employees were looking for from a ‘head office’.

The space needed to be conducive to writers, thinkers and creatives. By their own nature and the brand, people were used to working from home and at varying hours of the day who needed relative silence and quiet areas to focus. At the same time, they also required occasional meetings and conference rooms where collaboration was vital.

Design and planning

Sketchbooks in hand, both Angie’s design and Miko’s planning teams explored the space, understanding what modifications could be made that followed the landlord’s wishes and the rental contract while infusing the building with the Kafe Rocks brand. The house wasn’t new and needed specific interventions to bring it in-line with the design vision, upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems, repairing and treating some ceilings’ poor state and replacing AC units. Miko ensured the house’s core was functioning correctly and could serve the client’s needs. They also identified areas where mould was an issue and treated it accordingly with moisture-resistant wall lining with adequate ventilation to allow the stone to breathe.

Given most Kafe Rocks staff were writers, a library-themed workspace fit snuggly into the brand concept. A room previously used as a large living/dining area, located just to the main entrance’s right, was large enough to cater for several desks on the ground floor. The room was split in two, with an archway which formed part of the library concept cladding the walls with corkboard which gave staff the option to place prints, photographs and other items. It also helped to reduce noise levels.

Against the back wall that ran across both rooms, there was a door and a window Angela wanted to use. The solution was floor to ceiling and edge-to-edge custom-designed shelving, in line with a traditional library. At the points where the window and door were located, backing to the shelves was avoided. It helped infuse the room with natural light, retain the library concept and offered the staff the option to enjoy views to the outside. Smart blinds reduced daylight glare, which could be raised when preferred. For contrast, they opted for dark ceilings which counterbalanced the whitewashed shelving and parquet wood flooring. A customfabricated, square-shaped light profile for each room provided balanced lighting.

Upstairs they transformed an existing room into a private boardroom—the location allowed for meetings to be left undisturbed by movement amongst the staff on the ground floor. Using the brand’s black and red colour scheme, the designers chose a black wood desk brought to life with bright red chairs’ popping colour. Custom-designed storage in the same wood as the desk against one wall helped the room remain clutter-free. Miko custom-fabricated, 3D branded signage of the logo and tagline which added a corporate and professional feel to the space.

The landlord had recently refurbished one of the bedrooms and en-suite bathroom. It was ideal for overseas staff members who might have a late/early flight to catch back home and need a place to stay. Should the library be full or inaccessible, a separate room where people could also work in or hold smaller brainstorming and strategy sessions was catered for. The remaining room upstairs was selected for the same purpose, and three more workstations were included, two of which were mechanical and could be raised. Building two custom-designed archways with shelving for storage brought in elements of the library downstairs by building two custom-designed archways with shelving for storage.

The property featured two garages, one that could be accessed from the main entrance and another from the corner house’s other side. Connecting the two, the designers redesigned another large room which they devoted to a more casual meeting area. They created large, custom-designed, floor to wooden ceiling shelving with space for a large widescreen TV in the centre against one wall—ideal for video calls and online presentations. The room also serves as a chillout area for more casual discussions, with views of the garden and pool area. Staying true to the concept of a ‘working from home’ environment, the large sofa was perfect for staff to make themselves comfortable for an intense writing session or curling up in the evening with a book for inspiration. The space also featured a fireplace, which the owners loved and wanted to keep, especially as it added to the ‘homey’ feel of the room and is quite unusual for Malta. So, they integrated this fireplace into the custom joinery feature, as well as a snug and cosy corner seat for staff to enjoy.

The second part of the first garage they redesigned into the brand’s official communication room. It was a different concept to the library room, which was dedicated to a quiet space where focusing was essential. The idea was designing a space conducive to interaction between employees, be it brainstorming, playing music or taking calls. They introduced a setup, allowing for six electric height-adjustable workstations. Like others that they modified, the lighting for this room was still subdued, again avoiding the harshness of soffit lighting. As part of the overall branded experience throughout the house, Miko designed and produced large prints on one wall facing the pool’s views through sliding doors on the opposite wall.

The second garage was turned into a breakout and activity area. Chill out spaces have become an integral part of office design as it helped to relax employees, improve engagement and interaction, and put the fun back into work. Very high ceilings gave the space a large, airy feel. The room was divided to serve multiple purposes. The first section was a games area with large comfortable bean bags, a TV screen and a branded wallpaper type print which incorporated the brand’s values in a gaming concept.

The final part of the room is an area dedicated to staff engagement and sports activities. Additional wall art prints and a very cool custom logo sign also formed part of the overall brand experience. A table tennis that could easily be folded and stored when unused was also included. It gave their client the flexibility to use the space for its second purpose—a yoga or keep-fit area.

To separate the feel of this chill-out area from the rest of the property, a slight industrial in its appearance micro cement floor polished to perfection was the right flooring solution to rectify the low and uneven floors. Pendant lights complement the whole feel of the Kafe Rocks building—soft and inviting but functional. This space then led out into the second drive, accessible from around the corner. Serving as an extension to this garage, this second drive was incredible for outdoor activities.

Part of a good design is both appreciation and respect for the beauty of what already exists. Change for the sake of change is not a design approach Angela likes to adopt. Sometimes it’s about letting the natural beauty continue to shine and serve as inspiration as it has done for years before. A stunning garden starring local fauna and flora, traditional Maltese detailing and a nice sized pool was nestled at the property’s back. It was embraced on one side with an outdoor dining area with an existing top structure providing shelter from the elements.

Detailing and customisation

A brand that tells stories can develop ingenious ways of capturing stories too. With branded experiences being something of a speciality for Miko, a concept in the shape of custom-illustrated art unique to every area and its specific use adorned the walls adding a touch of colour while introducing branded story-telling to the entire space.

In the library, staff were invited to leave mementoes that were a source of inspiration. Once a week during a company-wide meeting, employees would be asked to discuss a book, poem, artwork or piece of creativity that meant something to them. Aspects of these shared moments would then be bought, printed and attached to the chalkboard, walls or placed on the library shelves. It was essential to the management that the Kafe Rocks brand reflected its staff’s personalities and talent—a space for the team to be themselves. Between the light wood floors, whitewashed walls, touches of greenery and warm lighting, Angie aimed to develop an environment that worked in harmony with the Kafe Rocks concept. Warm, inviting, peaceful—precisely what a Kafe Rocks family member craved when visiting Malta.

Project management and execution

The interior design for a workplace needs to boost productivity, focus, engagement and creativity. It will help if you think outside the box, especially when the box (or location) already has stipulations on structure and limitations on what they could update. The designer team managed to avoid making any irreversible alterations by focussing on the flooring, walls, finishing’s and designing a functionally and aesthetically performed layout.

The project was impacted slightly by two different delays: the Covid-19 pandemic and the second for various landlord approvals. Together with their dedicated team of professional fabricators, Michael and his team managed to recoup most of the time lost and delivered the project within a sensible timeframe, just two months after the original target date set before the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak and most importantly, within budget.

One of the most exciting aspects of this ‘Casa Bottega’ project wasn’t just transforming a residential property into a comfortable work environment with room for collaboration and fun. It designed a space where talented souls could create new stories for clients captured in words, images and strategy.

Duties and responsibilities

AngieTheArchitect Architecture: Office/residential interior design

Miko Design. Build Renovation: Materials and fabrication sourcing, on-site consultancy and project management, branded experience (concept, design and fabrication of wall art and branded signage)