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vertical bed

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 6:58pm PST

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designer jamie oshea must have really wanted a nap when he created his vertical bed design. the vertical
allows the user to sleeping standing up right in the middle of the street. not satisfied without testing his
creation, oshea slept for 40 minutes in downtown new york. the bed design can be collapsed into a small
suitcase and is attached to a subway vent when in use. the help the user gets a peaceful rest, the bed comes
with noise canceling headphones, opaque sunglasses and a free-standing umbrella for napping in the rain.
next time you walking down the street and feeling tired, simply set up the vertical bed and take a nap.

[www.substitutematerials.com]

via rebel art

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batlle and roig architects: cages for macaws at the barcelona zoo

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 8:03am PST

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batlle and roig architects are the winners of the display category at the world architecture festival
2009 for their cage design for macaws in the palm grove of the barcelona zoo.

the design of the cages was developed under the instruction of the zoo's technicians.
each unit measures 21.5sqm in surface, from which 14.40sqm can be seen by the general public.
the remainder of the space is divided into 5.20sqm of sleeping area and 4.90sqm of
maintenance corridor. the main structure of the unit is made-up of several leaning metal tubes
that bend and close on the top, like a metal wheat shaft.

drawing on traditional birdcages, this village of cages are arranged in a random way along
a pedestrian path, offering visitors different perspectives of the structure and the birds,
along with hiding the cages within the nature of the zoo, to increase the exoticism of the location.

drawings of the cage formations

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3xn and nord architects win masterplan project in aarhus, denmark

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 7:42am PST

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masterplan for northern goods railway in aarhus, denmark
image courtesy nord architects/ MIR

nord architects and 3xn have won the competition to design a masterplan in denmark.
a new cultural hub for scenography, visual arts and literature will soon be constructed
within a historical framework in denmarks second largest city, aarhus. the new cultural
center is meant to be an inspiring setting that stimulates production of the arts
and facilitates the interaction amongst the various artistic metiers, business and education

the masterplan has a layout with a number of triangulating construction sites which
will set the agenda for an interesting architecture with open and transparent ground
floors, terraced houses and roof gardens.

image courtesy nord architects/ MIR

image courtesy nord architects/ MIR

the cultural production center by 3xn
image courtesy 3xn

3xn's proposal adds elements of nature, with green spaces injecting a natural raw quality
which plays up to the historic nature of the existing halls which were used for rail freight
in the past.

the building is expected to be a flexible space with optimal usage of more than 9,000 m2.
the project is comprised of the renovation of the existing freight halls along with a new
building with rooms and large scale auditoria. the roof of the building will appear as
an extension of the green space and indeed will take the form of a green carpet over
the new building. there are a number of other green initiatives that will be brought to
the project primarily with a view to reducing the buildings electricity needs for ventilation,
pumps and lighting.

the cultural production center is expected to be completed in 2012 and is a collaboration
between the municipality of aarhus, denmark and the realdania foundation.

the cultural production center by 3xn
image courtesy 3xn

the winning team is comprised of 3xn architects, hans ulrik jensen a/s, exners studio,
nord architects and søren jensen engineers.

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various architects: mobile performance venue

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 7:18am PST

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mobile performance venue can be brought to urban locations such as in a city park

the mobile performance venue (MPV) by various architects office has been awarded
future projects experimental winner at this year's world architecture festival.

the client brief was to design a lightweight and easily transportable venue that meets their
technical requirements for projection screens and surround sound system, while creating an
iconic structure on the exterior. the oval form is 90m x 60m and ranges from 10m to 17m tall,
with 3900m2 of covered space. it can be configured to include optional stadium seating
and the conversion of the central screen transforms into a stage for live performances.
MPV is divided into 20 structural segments which allow for various arrangements which range
from 2000 to 3900 m2 total area depending on event use.

there is a public plaza constructed by an arcade of open hexagons indicating the entrance,
whereas the skin on the back of the house has a more complex and closed pattern.
this exterior shell is made from a self-supporting PVC skin of hexagonal inflated tubes
and cushions, is fire resistant and 100% recyclable.

a bicycle wheel truss provides lateral stability for the project. it is supported by standard aluminum
staging components, is lightweight and recyclable. optional mesh or solid PVC covers provide shade
in hot dry climates or rain protection in wet ones. water tank foundations remove the need to
transport heavy weights. the entire unit can be transported in 30 standard 40' containers.
MPV requires two weeks for assembly and one week for dismantling.

or in more remote locations...

detail of hexagonal arcade at the entrance

five projection screens are included in the venue's construction

structural model

structural model

structural model

profile drawing

status: schematic design
client: arts alliance productions
site: worldwide
size: 3900 m2
team: aleksandra danielak, camilla eduardsen, jim dodson, ibrahim elhayawan
partners: ramboll whitby-bird - engineers

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fars studio: chao phraya river landmark, thailand

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 7:12am PST

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chao phraya river landmark by fars studio
all images courtesy fars studio

young thai architectural firm fars studio won first prize in the competition to design
chao phraya river landmark in thailand.

at the confluence of four tributaries - the ping, wang,yom and naan river - the chao phraya
river begins and forms itself as the largest and bloodline river in thailand. nakorn sawan
municipality and the association of siamese architects under royal patronage (ASA) held
the landmark competition to commemorate and to highlight the symbol of this river
at the particular spot where it begins. this site has an extraordinary context: during the flood
season, up to 9 meters differentiate between the low and high tide. the river on the northern
side of the island has a green color while the southern side is red. after the confluence
of both tributaries, the green and red colors still keep tracking along the chao phraya river
to create a resonance stripe.

the landmark by fars studio is designed to be situated on the tip of the island where
the confluence takes place, in order to revitalize the area while attracting both local
people and tourists from elsewhere.

inside the yom island the architecture complements nature. in one axis, parallel to
the rivers resonance stripe, we optimize numerous locations, elevation at appropriate
angles on the site for people to perceive all the sceneries of the rivers. in one route,
the architecture leads the people to each interesting spot of key locations, such as:
the point where people see two rivers all together; the point where people can see
the whole city around the area; and the point where people enjoy the scenery
confluence.

from the outer side of the island, the architecture becomes a symbol the river, in
the form of weaving stripes. the bridge-like architecture accentuates a visual connection
between both sides of the river, while actually creating physical connection between
them - allowing people to sail through, thereby making the visual connection
alive during the high tide period.

project: 2008-20XX
location: nakorn-sawan, thailand
status: 1st prize winner
landmark for chao phraya river head
by nakorn-sawan province municipality
and the association of siamese architects
under royal patronage
brief: memorial/ landmark
site area: 6400 square meters.
cost: 200 million baht (6,000,000USD)

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studio harry and camilla: dr. bubbles goes on the rocks chair

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 6:08am PST

Tags: [edit]

dr. bubbles on the rocks

studio harry&camilla have designed dr. bubbles goes on the rocks chair which is currently
being exhibited as part of the tenerife design festival at the tenerife espacio de las artes by
herzog & de meuron. the sculptural seat made from metal, draws on masses of bubble forms
which look as if they are taking over the chair.

detail

dr. bubbles on the rocks, brown mussel

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cansu akarsu: end to end pencil case for felissimo and social designer

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 6:00am PST

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during 100% design tokyo, felissimo who designed the 500 colored pencil set for social designer
presented the winning design from their recent case competition. 'end to end' by cansu akarsu,
is a case holder that connects pencils together from end to end in one long line making it easy to fold,
use or arrange in various designs. the design evolved from akarsu's fascination with irregular shapes
created when scribbling on paper.

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jakub berdych: jested, RIP and macocha glass bowls

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 4:15am PST

Tags: [edit]

jetěd

czech designer jakub berdych of qubus studio has presented a new collection of glass bowls
which have been blown into dry wooden moulds.

the pieces are named jetěd, říp and macocha, and evolved from berdych's fascination in the moment
at which a glassmaker places glass into a wooden mould. by using a dry mould, the glass particles
inflame to the mould, transforming itself accordingly. the mould actually then becomes
a part of the finished bowl itself, retaining its final form. the contrast between the natural wood
bed with the glass give the pieces a kind of tension between material and form.

jetěd
image © designboom

jetěd
image © designboom

jetěd
image © designboom

říp

říp
image © designboom

říp and jetěd
image © designboom

macocha

macocha
image © designboom

macocha
image © designboom

jetěd and macocha
image © designboom

the collection
image © designboom

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peter rich architects: mapungubwe interpretation center, south africa

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 6:20pm PST

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mapungubwe interpretation center, south africa by peter rich architects
all images courtesy WAF

south african firm peter rich architects have been named winner for the category
of culture (completed buildings) at the 2009 world architecture festival.

mapungubwe interpretation centre is situated at the confluence of the limpopo
and shashe rivers. the mapungubwe national park celebrates the site of an ancient
civilization linked to the great zimbabwe trading culture in the context of a natural setting
that re-establishes the indigenous fauna and flora of this region. the interpretation centre
is set on the side of a mesa, formed from the dramatic geological events that resulted in
the limpopo river changing its course from flowing into the atlantic ocean to discharging
into the indian ocean. the ceremonial centre of this civilization is located on a sister mesa,
one kilometre away from the site, is the visual climax of the architectural experience
orchestrated in the design of the centre. this is a poverty relief project using ecological methods
and materials.

the complex landscape was both the inspiration for the design and the source of most of
the materials for its construction. this resulted in a composition of structures that are authentically
rooted to their location. the equilateral triangle provides the primary ordering, set out from
a line running parallel to the contours. secondary elements are fixed in position by this
geometrical system, significant because of its reference to triangular motifs etched on stones
uncovered on mapungubwe hill. the heart of the interpretation centre is visually contained
by two hollow cairns that evoke the route-markers found in southern african cultures. timbrel
vaulting is used to construct the billowing forms that expose the arched edges of their thin shells,
an analogy of the archaeological revelation of past cultures.

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lab[au]: f5x5x5

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 3:56pm PST

Tags: [edit]

image courtesy of lab[au]
credit natalia kolesova

f5x5x5 is a kinetic light sculpture conceived of and realized by the belgian design studio lab[au]. the project
was most recently installed in the basilique de saint denis in paris for nuit blanche 2009. the design consists
of fixed and kinetic aluminum frames that can move randomly or be programmed for use as a low
resolution display. the piece is designed as a framework, taking inspiration from software development
frameworks. in the case of the project, the framework is a five by five module which is repeated five times
to create the final form. one side of the work is white, while the other is black. the 125 pixel screen works
on binary language and can transform captured data from the physical environment into kinetic actions.

[lab-au.com]

image courtesy of lab[au]

image courtesy of lab[au]

image courtesy of lab[au]
credit natalia kolesova

image courtesy of lab[au]
credit natalia kolesova

image courtesy of lab[au]

image courtesy of lab[au]
credit natalia kolesova

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automotive x prize

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 3:00pm PST

Tags: [edit]

aptera 2e

the automotive x prize is a car race like no other. the 10 million USD prize is a challenge to produce
a super fuel efficient vehicle that would be a viable option for use in the real world. some of the finalists
in the competition were recently displayed at the SEMA autoshow in las vegas. the competition is now
narrowed down to 43 finalists from 10 different countries. the cars combine unique designs with efficient
engines and other fuel saving elements to try and create the perfect balance of utility and practicality.
here are some images of the finalists.

[www.progressiveautoxprize.org]

EVI wave II

EVI wave II

surge

tango

alias

alias

via autoblog

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alex dual screen ereader

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 1:00pm PST

Tags: [edit]

the alex ebook reader is one of the newest entries in the steadily growing e-reader market. the new device
aims to shake things up with its innovative dual screen design that features a large black and white display
for reading and a smaller colour touch screen below. the design utilizes a new chip by marvell called the
armada, which claims faster than 3 frames per second refresh rates. the system uses the android operating
system and comes with wifi and 3G capability. the dual screen design is intended to for reading ebooks
in addition to browsing online and viewing multi media files like video. the combination of the two screens
allows a richer type of book content with more interaction.

[www.springdesign.com]

image via maximum pc

image via maximum pc

image via maximum pc

image via maximum pc

via engadget

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mcbride charles ryan: klein bottle house

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 11:51am PST

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the klein bottle house by mcbride charles ryan, have won the award for world's best home
at this year's world architecture festival awards. located in australia's mornington peninsula,
the holiday home features a living room perched on a canopy of trees, and celebrates
the country's traditional beach houses, while still functioning as a practical and useful
21st century home.

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murman arkitekter: restaurant tusen in ramundberget, sweden

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 11:20am PST

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swedish ski resort in ramundberget by murman arkitekter
image courtesy murman arkitekter

swedish firm murman arkitekter have been awarded first prize in the holiday category
at the world architecture festival in barcelona, for their design of restaurant tusen
in ramundberget, sweden.

the swedish ski resort is situated in ramundberget on a small hill where the tree line
meets the mountains.

the facade material is given by the surrounding nature, birch logs stands like a huge
protecting screen towards the nordic icy winds. they used the same material for
the restaurant in exterior as well as the interior.

the round shape is natural in the exposed situation and it lets the snow stay on the facade.
it lets the cold winds pass and it offers maximum views, forming a protected outdoor
space where you can sit in the sun towards the white mountains.

image courtesy WAF

image courtesy WAF

image courtesy murman arkitekter

image courtesy murman arkitekter

image courtesy WAF

image courtesy WAF

image courtesy WAF

section view
image courtesy WAF

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suppose design office: 'urban airgap'

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 10:20am PST

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'urban airgap' by suppose design office
image courtesy suppose design office

'urban airgap' is a proposal that japanese firm suppose design office for the upto35
competition in greece. the competition focussed on a rundown area of athens city centre
which could be revitalised into student housing.

in their research suppose design office noted that the existing building designs in
the kerameikos-metaxourgeio area did not allow for a window opening into the adjacent
property.

'urban airgap' aimed to create as many openings - airgaps - on each site. this was achieved
by building central core towers, containing a stairwell, to which the residential units
are cantilevered from the cores and which form a sandwich that encloses the main social
communal zone.

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

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ICE: taipei pop music center proposal

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 7:47am PST

Tags: [edit]

outdoor stage
all images courtesy of ICE

ideas for contemporary environments (ICE) believes that pop culture is the culture of change,
so pop architecture is the space of change. for their proposal of the taipei pop music centre,
rather than design a building, they wanted to develop a platform for spontaneous activities:
a street, a park, a network of pedestrian circulation, all embedded within an architectural framework.
their strategy was to define the space through 3 different elements:

the first being the event space concentrating on music activities, connecting the indoor and outdoor
auditorium through the stage area. second is an urban street park, the promenade of the project which
extends from the main xinsheng road into the building. the space is for sudden and unplanned activities
such as street music and jam sessions. the park is the third element which connects the entire site
as a leisure zone. it is the spill over area during events as well as a leisure zone for residents.

the taipei park music centre provides an urban street park connecting the ground to the upper floor,
through a landscaped ground. during major events, the street transforms into a parade ground for music.
the music center complex lies in the center of the facility and consists of an indoor auditorium
and an outdoor arena. connected to the stage area, it has the potential to create a super-stage for
very large events. the outdoor arena is embedded into a 3-dimensional park/mountain, which acts
as the green heart of the district.

from the street

exhibition and performance spaces will be accessed by the urban street park. they are located
above and below, and extend onto the landscape of the building. this allows the program to
spill out onto the public space, in order to address a larger audience. the urban street park
is the extended public space of all events, connecting the city and the music center.
as a horizonal landscape of the structure is meant to be an urban center for the neighbourhood
and the city.

approach from the west

the lobby

network of pedestrian walkways

aerial view

elevation

section

building strategy

site plan

site plan strategy

plan of the center

office and exhibition floor plan

urban street

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lachaert & d'hanis: 'still' exhibition

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 7:13am PST

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by caroline slotte

opening on november 15th is 'still', an exhibition organised by lachaert & d'hanis
and curated by marjolijn van duyn. the show the fourth in the table series features
works from international artists; giampaolo babetto, aldo bakker, rudolf bott,
paul bourgeois, jos evriendt, thalia georgoulis, ruth gurvich, claudia hoppe, david huycke,
jean lemmens, astrid keller, beate leonards, michael rowe, caroline slotte, tarja tuupanen,
keith tyssen and lachaert & d'hanis.

the exhibition will be on view at two locations until january 10, 2010:

galerie sofie lachaert
luc dhanis & sofie lachaert
st. jozefstraat 30 B-9140 tielrode- temse , belgium

and

huis de uil
marc massa & roger liekens
fonteinstraat 9 B-9140 temse, belgium

by ruth gurvich

by thalia georgoulis

by astrid keller

by aldo bakker

by rudolf bott

by paul bourgeois

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the cuban revolution: 40 years of cuban photography at galerie maurer, munich

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 5:17am PST

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the cuban revolution: 40 years of cuban photography
galerie maurer, munich
november 5th to december 28th, 2009

che guevara becoming president of the national bank, in conference with waldo medina and felipe pasos
on november 26, 1959
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by tirso martinez

presented to the public for the first time, this collection of approximately 350 vintage photographs
taken between 1940 and 1980 capture the revolution of cuba - its beginnings, the realization
and the life after - mainly picturing intiatiors of the revolution such as che guevara, fidel castro,
camillo cienfuegos...

the history of the revolution is not supposed to be described completely. the photographs show
the routine life of cuba at the time juxtaposed against the extreme circumstances and cruelties of war,
and the unbroken will of the people. today, the imagery is being evaluated differently from the time
at which they were produced. they are not only considered a document of that period, but are also
being seen as creative works of the photographer, bringing them into the rank of art.

the photo collection contains works of following photographers:
alberto korda, tirso martinez, osvaldo salas, raul corrales, jorge oller, severo, delio valdes, alborta trigo,
sara kamay, osvaldo ozon, jose agraz solans, fernando lezcano, hernandez toledo, enrique llanos,
mario collodo, aristide reyes, marino bueno, arias, coya, panchito cano, miguel lavilla, jose lorenzo,
garbalaza, meneses, alejandro herera, gallardo, armando morales, naranjo etc.

che guevara shot to death in vallegrande, bolivia on october 9th, 1967
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by f. alborta trio

dos sombreros, a few armed forces, 1959
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by raul corrales

after the victory in habana, a rebel is sitting in the baby carriage of ex-dictator fulgencio batista's youngest daughter.
batista escaped in the early morning on january 1st, 1959 with his family and a few ministers to the dominican republic, 1959
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by unknown author

fidel at pesca hemingway, a fishing competition with hemingway on may 15th, 1960
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by tirso martinez

the armored train, a combination of two locomotives and seventeen freight and passenger cars, containing 373 soldiers
and 4million USD worth of munitions as support for batistas troops was derailed on december 30th, after che guevaras men
removed 30 feet of rails, 1958
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by unkown author

a soldier from the revolution troops is killed by a projectile exactly in the moment when tirso, as official revolution photographer
took a photo of him, 1958
silver gelatin print on paper
photo by tirso martinez

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moleskine detour at MoMA store tokyo

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 5:01am PST

Tags: [edit]

inside the MoMA design store in omotesando, a glass tunnel with 50 moleskine notebooks
showcased the imaginations of architects, designers, writers, directors and artists.

visitors were invited to use a pair of white cotton gloves (which were distributed at the entrance)
for closer inspection, of the painting, drawing and doodling of famous architects and designers,
on the empty white pages of a new notebook.

among the notebooks of japanese protagonists were those of architect kengo kuma,
product designer naoto fukasawa, textile designer junichi arai and reiko sudo,
muji creative kenya hara to architect toyo ito, anime director mamoru oshii and film director
naomi kawase.

launched in 2006 in london, the event has since expanded to notebook exhibitions among
native creatives in cities including new york and paris, with tokyo opening last week and berlin
scheduled to launch next month.

moleskine notebooks are made by the iconic italian stationery company famous for its sleek
black hardback creations, inspired by the role of the notebook among legends ranging from
pablo picasso to ernest hemingway.

visitors were wearing gloves , which enabled them to touch the pages of the notebooks showcased in clear boxes

in the center of the MoMA store was a white mesh and perspex rectangular tunnel designed by zetalab
image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

the structure blends in with the setting while creating an intimate quiet space inside
image © designboom

for raffaella guidobono, the curator of the 'detour' exhibition, the notebook is the starting
point of something surprising and different in every city where she has staged the show.
'the idea is to present a selection of ingenious uses of moleskine notebooks as well as
the antithesis of what visitors may have thought a notebooks could be.'

for more information visit moleskine

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suppose design office: taipei pop music center proposal

Posted: November 4th, 2009, 1:33pm PST

Tags: [edit]

image courtesy suppose design office

continuing our coverage of the taipei pop music competition, here is japanese
firm suppose design office's proposal. the design is based on natural landforms.

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

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