Prestigious RIBA Presidential Medal awarded to Perit Vincent Cassar

Planning Board Chairperson Perit Vincent Cassar was awarded the RIBA Presidential Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

This prestigious award, which was presented to Perit Cassar last week, acknowledges his lifelong achievements and influence within the profession of architecture both domestically and internationally. The award also recognises Perit Cassar’s outstanding contribution in driving excellence in this sector.

Perit Cassar is well-known at both the national and international level. He currently serves as the President of the Commonwealth Association of Architects, which position he will hold until 2019.

He is also the past President of the Kamra tal-Periti, past Council Member, Treasurer and Co-ordinator of a Thematic Area of the Architects’ Council of Europe, and representative of the KTP to the European Council of Civil Engineers.

In these roles he has actively participated in a number of local, international meetings and conferences most of which focused on architecture, the architectural profession and the built environment.

Perit Cassar is also a past President of the La Valette Rotary Club and an ex-Chief Scout of the Scout Association of Malta. He is currently the President of the Scout Fellowship of the Scout Association of Malta, and Council member and Treasurer of the Malta Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies Association.

A graduate in Architecture and Civil Engineering from the University of Malta, Perit Cassar joined the Public Service in 1973 as a Junior Architect and Civil Engineer. He started off working within the Schools and Hospital Section of the then Public Works Department. Since then he has worked within other sections of the Public Works organisation and was responsible for various projects including those for housing, healthcare, and other major projects of a civil engineering nature such as roads and marine works.

Some of the projects included the design and construction of the Karen Grech Paediatric Hospital and its adjoining Maternity complex, the construction of Terminal I at the Malta Freeport Container Terminal and the Luqa Air Terminal.

In 1992 Perit Cassar oversaw the reorganisation of the Public Works Department into the Works Division and he was appointed as its first Director General, a position he actively occupied up till 2003. During this period the Works Division saw a number of transformations and improvements within its structures and was responsible for the carrying out of a number of projects all over Malta and Gozo.

In April 2003, Cassar was appointed as the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Youth and the Arts which portfolio included all aspects related to Youth, Sport, the Arts, Theatre, Music and Cultural Heritage.

In February 2004 with the establishment of the Ministry for Urban Development and Roads, responsible for urban development and land transport issues, he assumed the responsibility for that ministry as its Permanent Secretary.

Perit Cassar retired from Government service in June 2008, and in 2013 he was appointed as Chairman of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.