Arets-Sijstermans House + Studio

Set in an area of Maastricht that is dominated by villa's and suburban houses, the Arets-Sijstermans House + Studio appears, when seen from a distance, as a rectangular wooden box implanted into the ground. Only the immediate surroundings and interior unveil it's complexity. The complex nature of the building is due to the architectural manipulation but within a host of restrictive laws imposed on constructional projects at the site. It's richness is brought to light by the complex arrangement of the terrain and the interior spaces. The term 'ground floor' is abstract in this design since half of the three-storey volume is below ground. For the actual ground level, the term 'garden level' is more appropiate. The levels thus include the top level, the garden level and the lower level. Not only is the building vertically divided into technical spaces for living and working, but horizontally as well, as it is divided into two equal halves at street level.