- Location: Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Program: Residential
- Area: 14.915 m²
- Year: 2018
- Status: Unrealized
The redesign of the Maastricht Park project aims to transform a complex building with a confusing layout into a clearly organized, adaptable space. The original structure is characterized by a maze of walls that obscure the building’s potential. However, the design retains existing staircases and elevator cores, using them as constants throughout the renovation process.
The redesign begins with the identification of the building’s primary structural framework, referred to as “pixels. These pixels represent repetitive, load-bearing elements that are integral to the building’s architecture. Understanding these pixels is critical because they form the basis for generating new, versatile floor plans.
In exploring the potential floor plan, various configurations are considered, ranging from small studios that occupy a single pixel to large apartments that span three pixels. There are also intermediate options that creatively combine different pixel segments to maximize space utilization.
A significant architectural intervention is the modification of the building’s outer shell to enhance its interaction with the environment. Strategic openings in the shell differentiate between solid mass and void, not only improving the building’s aesthetics with a subtle, ordered appearance, but also enhancing natural light and ventilation.
In addition, each apartment benefits from a private terrace. The orientation of these terraces – whether pushed inward for privacy on the street side or pulled outward on the park side – responds to the building’s context, providing secluded or expansive outdoor spaces that enhance the quality of life and connect residents to the environment.