#680 Perit Charles Azzopardi

#680 Perit Charles Azzopardi is a small architecture practice in Birkirkara, the busy central town that sits between Valletta and the old capital. In Malta an architect is known as a perit, and the studio carries that title in its name, so the person whose name is on the door is the person you deal with. It sits in our directory of architects in Malta, alongside other practices that work for homeowners, developers and public clients.

The studio's aim is to create experiences rather than simply buildings: spaces that inspire and delight the people who use them. For UK buyers, renovators and investors who are weighing up a property project on the island, that is a useful first impression of how the practice thinks.

Philosophy and approach

The practice has more than 15 years of experience behind it. Its approach is holistic, which means looking at more than the building in front of you. Each design is considered together with its surroundings and with the community around it, and the studio holds that good design should be both sustainable and socially responsible.

That outlook matters in Malta, where the climate shapes every decision. Long, hot summers, bright light and mild but sometimes damp winters all affect how a house or office should be laid out, shaded and ventilated, as our Malta weather guide explains month by month. An architect who starts from the setting, rather than from a stock plan, is better placed to make a building comfortable in that climate.

Styles and building types

The team has worked across a wide range of architectural styles, from modernist to eclectic homes. On its website the studio presents its work as a visual tour of bespoke projects, and the image shown on this page gives a flavour: a pale, three-storey building with tall arched windows that borrow from traditional Maltese openings while keeping a clean, contemporary form.

Building types are equally varied. The studio takes on residential projects, which suits UK buyers planning a new home or a major remodel, and it also handles commercial and public properties. If you are looking at a plot, a townhouse or a commercial unit, the studio's range means one practice can discuss several options with you.

Designing with Malta's heritage in mind

Few places in Europe pack so much built history into so little land. Visitors walk past the baroque streets of Valletta (see our Valletta guide), the medieval lanes of Mdina (our Mdina guide covers them) and the fortified waterfront of the Three Cities without realising how much craftsmanship sits behind each facade. The story of the Knights of Malta lies behind much of it, and landmarks such as St John's Co-Cathedral show what the islands' builders could achieve.

Go back much further and the Ħaġar Qim temples show that people have been shaping stone here for millennia. A modern practice in Birkirkara works within that tradition. Local limestone, courtyards, balconies and arched openings remain part of the island's visual language, and a thoughtful architect decides which of them to echo and which to leave behind.

Visiting the studio and starting a project

The studio invites clients to see the team in person. It is on Ganu Street in Birkirkara and is open from 08:30 to 17:30, closed on public holidays. Outside working hours, WhatsApp is the preferred way to get in touch, though the team may be out of the office, in which case you may need to try again another day.

If you are moving from the UK, a project is often easier to plan once you understand the practicalities of settling in, which our Malta relocation guide covers, along with the wider picture in about Malta. Building a house is also a good excuse to explore the island, and our list of things to do in Malta helps fill the spare days on a site visit.

To describe your project, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the studio.