Aesthetics Impressions Design

The Building Industry Consultative Council has just launched an Impressions Aesthetics Design Handbook.

The book, published by Midsea Books Ltd, was written and compiled by architects Vincent Buhagiar, Alberto Miceli Farrugia and John Ebejer.

The handbook contains very little text but a lot of photographs of recent and relatively older buildings that have been successful in combining form and function.

BICC chairman Robert Musumeci said the handbook is not meant to be a design manual, but rather one that inspires architects and developers.

The Minister for Resources and Infrastructure, Ninu Zammit, said the book is a clear message that the BICC was interested in the aesthetic product as it was trying to stimulate both the sensitivity and imagination of those who were responsible for what we see around us in the built environment, mainly architects and students of architecture as well as developers.

Mr Zammit said there was constant criticism about the quality of buildings and the level of architectural design of many of today's buildings and one had to recognise that market forces were having an influence on aesthetic qualities.

As Mr Buhagiar commented, the handbook is bound to become a historic reference point also because, rather ironically, some of the buildings portrayed in it have already been demolished while others are in the process of being bulldozed as applications for their demolition were in the pipeline.

The authors started working on the concept of the book only three years ago.

In a critique about the book architect Conrad Thake described it as a "silent movie" that was neither verbose nor judgemental and which stimulated one's senses.

"This book is an invitation to reflect on our buildings to continue to enhance our surroundings," Dr Thake said.