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Mario Cassar is the Shareholder and Director of the multi award-winning MCID (Mario Cassar Interior Design), an interior design and project management consultancy firm, with a long professional track record of over 25 years of experience, and an artistic flair (he is passionate about abstract art). Cassar has a strong academic and professional background, which is founded on draughtsmanship and architectural assistance and design (master level qualification from the University of Hertfordshire) and project management (master level, in process at Rome Business School respectively), and in health & safety. He also has a personal interest and a passion for property development “with a twist”. In 2021, Cassar led MCID to receive two prestigious “Honourable Mention Awards” related to the Urban Stitching Real-life Case Study Concept in the architectural design and public infrastructure categories and the Enhancing Accessibility Through Sustainable Design in the architectural design and recreation architecture categories of the BLT Built Design Awards. In Cassar’s opinion, the raison d’etre of these achievements lies in the appropriate critical and analytical approach to the provision of inspirational and relevant design solutions by MCID. Another trait that he believes to be a driving force of locals in the competitive design environment, nationally and internationally, is the awareness of limitations and rendering this a winning factor, striving to transform challenges into opportunities and attaining success. Cassar’s evolution in interior design and project management over more than twenty-five years is based on the age-old maxim that, “Rome was not built in a day” and one needs to give time to time to gain the required “wind in your professional sails”. Cassar reiterates that project management is an integral interior design element. He emphasises that 25 years ago it was not the norm to engage in the study and practice of interior design and the only option was to take up study abroad. The academic policy then was to read interior design together with project management. Today, he cannot imagine designing a solution without knowing and understanding how to project and manage it from its inception. As time passed, and while he was putting all his energy into what was passionately doing, the projects entrusted to him started to take on a different dynamic. As stated above, Cassar has also had a personal interest and a passion for property development “with a twist”. He wanted to think and act out of the box and introduce innovative ideas. This was not easy, but he felt that it was time to challenge the paradigm, that project feasibility and sustainability are not about the pocketed profits. His aspirations for the local development market were to step up in terms of spatial and interior architecture, aesthetics and a concept attachment to any particular development. In this sense, professional diversification with the exploration and setting up of dedicated companies was the natural evolution of the opportunities in front. This saw the establishment of Best Projects Ltd and Right Projects Co Ltd. Cassar is of the opinion that the challenges presented to interior designers and project management professionals to deliver projects that have features, accessibility, sustainability, and urban stitching in the local architectural and bridges / public infrastructure context can be never-ending, but these can be overcome with the right people in your team, equipped with the right tools, and the right course of action in place. In fact, he did experience issues with the urban stitching and the public infrastructural projects which received the BLT Built Design awards referred to above. At a certain point, Cassar admits, one feels alone, working against strong currents. What keeps one afloat is a firm determination (not stubbornness or pride) after having carried out a proper research, and evaluated all relevant scenarios, with the right dose of analytical attention. Cassar points out that design is very subjective, and that it takes the designer’s ability to explain and convince any aims and objectives within any proposed innovative design solution. The urban stitching concept formed part of Cassar’s intensive investigation and research during his Masters’s degree studies. He appreciates that this solution might, at face value, appear irrational. He based his case scenario on Sliema, Malta, but it can be applied to all localities across the island. Imagine a plot or a neglected historical site in a prime area within the urban core, worth hundreds of thousands of euros. The alternative scenario proposed is that this area is quickly fixed, any danger removed and it is made available for the public, to meet and entertain in some intimate, soft landscaped environment. In this way, we are ‘stitching’ multifaceted urban aspects. This is the future of sustainability; it is what we can do to make up for the lack of available open public space. The imprint of these scattered green pockets within a locality is designed from the citizens’ perspective and extrapolated through the critical and analytical lens of the designer. It will further instigate the discussion because people will ask “how, why and what?” The replies lie within the design solution because the solution revolves around the citizens’ unparalleled worth. Cassar has strong opinions on the future of the professions of interior design and project management. He firmly believes that a portion of the future lies in the professionals’ own hands. “We can contribute to leaving this world slightly better than we have found it. This is my philosophy, and I invite whoever is reading this article to embrace this attitude in whatever they do, not merely limited to interior design, be it a carpenter, a chef, a teacher, a lawyer, anyone…”. On the other hand, and with specific emphasis on the future of interior design and project management, Cassar points out that it takes “two to tango”. He states that it is useless to produce high-end design solutions that never materialise because of certain limitations. Identifying the right people for the right job is crucial. He regrets that one often hears of the “Tom, Dick and Harry” kind of contractor, but it is a rare occurrence to allow the stage for the reputable ones who deliver excellent projects. They are by far fewer, but yes, they exist. In Cassar’s opinion, this is the first and most important decision that a project leader or a developer must take: forming his team. Similar decisions will set the tone and the bearing for the project’s expectations. All who work in this field should demonstrate best practices, be they, professionals, traders or artisanal experts. This attitude will provide the required impetus to raise the bar by way of achieving higher standards which is what Malta deserves. Cassar’s thoughts on the present state of the built environment in Malta are hopeful. Rather than delving into negativity, he keeps high morale, without “digging my head in the sand”. He believes that interior design and project management professionals must be the catalysts of the desired change and instigate the feasible, sustainable way forward through their design solutions. They have an opportunity to stand at the forefront to affect today’s needed change. It is important to remember that to achieve change, it has to start from within. “Let’s not forget that we play an important part at the table where decisions are taken from the early days of any project”.

Indeed, IGLOO sees huge potential for their systems in the architecture and interior space – the above example just brushes the surface of the things they can do. Imagine a stay in Lapland to see the Northern lights, your accommodation, a glass igloo ice hotel. You lie in bed and go into full immersion in the winter wonderland surroundings, experiencing the forceful beauty of nature’s flora and fauna, the ongoing spectacle in the sky, to the full. IGLOO VISION may be considered to be postmodern Information Technology’s response to this, harnessing both Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. The beginning, creating domes for the UK festival circuit back in 2007, which is where the name “IGLOO VISION” was inspired. These domes were used as an experiential setting for festival-goers to be immersed in the music. Festival-goers with a corporate background saw many opportunities of potential use and the festival work was soon supplemented by corporate events. Since then, IGLOO VISION systems have been used for a number of experiences, such as the example mentioned above – from immersing yourself in the northern lights, to transporting yourself to a faraway desert. Now they have come even further, taking on a plethora of huge corporate and enterprise clients along the way, who use IGLOO technology to work faster, smarter, and more collaboratively. The easiest way to describe the experience to someone who has not “encountered an IGLOO” before, is to liken it to ” a giant VR headset”, but it is much more than that, especially since the launch of their immersive workspace. In these spaces, you can surround yourself with any kind of digital content, including immersive VR or 360° content. It is a shared group experience with whatever content you are displaying – whether that is a Microsoft Teams call, an Excel spreadsheet, an online collaboration tool like Miro, or a 360° video. Indeed, IGLOO sees huge potential for their systems in the architecture and interior space – the above example just brushes the surface of the things they can do. They can be envisioned as a new technology for personalised meetings, project presentations and events with a more personalised and all-enveloping VR experience of all that is innovative in Architecture and Interiors. Their systems are being used all around the world for meetings, presentations and events – and they work with clients to offer different structures and configurations based on the space they have and what they want to use it for. For example, they worked with Cushman and Wakefield to install a real estate sales and marketing suite in its Washington DC office. It was extremely limited on space so they created a smaller open-fronted space, which made the most of the area without compromising on quality. Innovative technologies like AR and VR are becoming more prevalent in the construction, interiors and real estate sectors. With IGLOO, you can get all the benefits of those technologies and share them with whole groups and teams at once. IGLOO are well established on a global scale, having delivered hundreds of projects to clients in multiple countries, alongside their demo centres in the UK, EU, US, Canada and Australia, and soon, in the UAE. They want to make the technology accessible for any organisation, anywhere in the world, and will happily work with local integrators to make it available. Usability is a big focus for IGLOO – their technology is aimed at everyday users of digital content. Additionally, and importantly, they always strive to keep their systems as affordable as possible. They started as a low-cost alternative to incumbent providers, and they still to this day continue to seek ingenious cost-efficiencies. IGLOO envision its technology as well established in the world of architecture and interiors and this is attested to its use by multiple companies within this sector. Many are already working with 3D, CAD, CGI and BIM models to show clients their designs, and display these within an immersive space, allowing them to step inside that design as if you are really there. It is the perfect way to visualise what a space will look like and bring your concepts to life. It can improve sales processes, speed up the sign-off, increase engagement, reduce planning errors and enhance collaboration. IGLOO systems integrate with a wide range of everyday business tools and applications, meaning teams can work with the tools they know and love within their spaces. This makes it easier for any team to step in and get to work straight away. In this postmodern era, with “cyclic economy” fast becoming a buzzword, IGLOO technology is adapted to today’s and tomorrow’s tech-driven society – which is plagued with myriad economic and environmental stumbling blocks, the latter especially evident in the construction industry which directly impacts architecture and interiors. Indeed, “frugal innovation” is a cornerstone of the IGLOO ethos, and they pride in adapting in the face of change. When faced with global lockdowns and restrictions in the wake of COVID-19, their immersive workspace solution turned out to be an ideal way to overcome many of the work-related issues created by the pandemic, such as how to bring on-site and remotely-located teams together. The IGLOO technology’s flexibility has been used for clients in the architecture, interior and construction industry too. Alongside helping businesses save time and money on a number of things, IGLOO technology can be used across the entire project lifecycle. This increases the return on investment from your IGLOO immersive space by helping you to reduce planning errors, increase engagement, improve collaboration and accelerate delivery. You can get things right the first time and avoid costly mistakes by amending your designs as you go. A number of our clients have noted that by bringing their designs to full scale, they were able to spot potential errors and risks that were missed when viewing on a smaller screen. The IGLOO solution is thus, applicable to the visualisation and communication of conceptual presentations of architecture and interior projects, the objective of which is to provide a holistic experience to clients. IGLOO’s clients often ask how they can use their spaces to give compelling presentations, so they created a white paper on how they can do just that! With an IGLOO immersive workspace, architects and designers can go way beyond presenting – they can engage and immerse the participants in the points they want to get across and give them a whole new experience. Many of IGLOO’s clients have noted that IGLOO technology has helped to explain designs to clients who may find 2D models viewed on a laptop or drawing difficult to interpret, by giving them room-scale, true-to-life, 3D visualisations to interact with. The potential of IGLOO immersive spaces is immense and there is a great potential for immersive art spaces, particularly in the pandemic and post-pandemic digital era. This brings to mind one such immersive installation of Van Gogh’s Starry Nights at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Indeed, following the onset of the pandemic, people are looking for outstanding experiences that inspire and engage audiences in ways that have not been done before – particularly in a museum setting where the goal is to get people through the doors again. Today, not everyone wants to wear a headset and with an immersive space, you do not have to. Groups of people can step inside the immersive experience together. They can see each others’ reactions to what is going on all around them. They can chat about what they see and discuss it together afterwards. It literally brings people together and puts them in the heart of the stories being told. The content can be used to tell a story, play on emotions, inspire imagination and encourage discussion, including possibilities to bring in 4D elements like touch, taste and smell to enhance the experience even further, more immersive for the audience. Is IGLOO a METAverse pioneer? Time will tell!