Zomerdijkstraat 16-30 
Year of construction: 1934 

In 1932 Piet Zanstra set up a design bureau, together with architects Jan Giesen and Karel Sijmons. They jointly designed the workshops-cum-houses for visual artists in Amsterdam-South. This was the bureau's first project and it brought the architects instant fame. It was also the largest project they carried out during the period of their partnership (1932 - 1954). 

Round windows
The workshops are the odd design out in this area. It is an austere complex between the Amsterdam School buildings. On the northern side four tall studios are located behind a glass wall. On the southern side six stacked stories boast a shower of balconies. The front part of the balconies can be screwed off. This enabled artists to hoist their works of art into and out of their houses. The round windows on the side of the building were constructed to prevent unnatural light from coming into the studios. The difference in height between the studios and the living quarters has been used optimally. Alternating small and large houses have been constructed in the recesses.