German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program
Bachelor Thesis 2019
Envisioning the New Capital New Capital Entertainment Center
Ahmed Ashraf Ahmed Gamal El-Din Saleh
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German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program
Bachelor Thesis 2019 Envisioning the New Capital
Author:
Ahmed Ashraf Ahmed Gamal El-Din Saleh
Supervisor
Assoc.Prof Hussam Salama
Teacher Assistants
B.SC. Neveen Farrag B.SC. Rana Tarek B.SC. Reem Ashraf
Examination Committee:
Arch. Raef Fahmi CEO of Raef Fahmi Architects Prof. Dr. Rita Pinto de Freitas Prof. Dr. in the German University in Cairo Assist. Prof. Sherif Mourad Assist. Prof. in the American University in Cairo Prof. Dr. Yasser Mahgoub Prof. Dr. in the American University in Cairo
Examination Date Submission Date:
29/05/2019 19/06/2019
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German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program
This is to certify that: 1. this thesis comprises only my original work towards the Bachelor Degree 2. due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used
Signature of the Author of this Bachelor Thesis 19.06.2019
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Contents
Declaration Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Space Program
II 01 02 03 04
Design References a. The Site b. Urban Analysis c. Survey & Research
05 06 08
Project Design a. Reference / Inspiration b. Conceptual Design Development c. Space Program Diagrams d. Final Proposal
09 10 11 12
Critical review on work and process
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Conclusion and recommendations
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References List of Figures Bibliography
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Appendix: First Phase Presentation Sheets Second Phase Presentation Sheets Final Phase Presentation Sheets Model Photos
27 29 32 37
1
Abstract
A brief introduction about the importance of an Entertainment center and its purpose. An entertainment center is a building or a space that contains the necessary functions that is used by the average person to seek an enjoyable time. Entertainment is a very important part of a person’s daily life since it can give the necessary motivation to be reproductive in work or education. Entertainment is also very important for the economy, and since the new capital city is the future of Cairo, having an entertainment center could have a positive impact on the economy since entertainment is a part of everybody’s daily activities. I also wanted to create an entertainment center that contains more than one activity that can suit the needs of mostly everyone, and unfortunately Egypt lacks such a place. In addition, since my building is located near university buildings, adding functions related to education such as a library or rentable co-working spaces for students to work in was a must since by achieving this the building became fully functional and satisfying for any student’s needs, because if a student wont visit for entertainment they can visit for studying purposes.
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Introduction
The main design aim was to design an entertainment city that would be considered fully functional and eye catchy for students from all around Cairo and especially the students that study in universities in the new capital city. The entertainment center is surrounded by more than one different university which makes the entertainment center in a strategic position. The entertainment center is considered one of a kind in Egypt since there is no other building in Egypt that combines more than one pleasure activity in one building. Usually entertainment activities are inside mall buildings, and the main purpose of this building is retail and shopping and not entertainment. Designing an entertainment center to turn the New Capital city into a global city has several challenges, as it must be unique, different and attractive to students, tourists and visitors. One of the major challenges I faced when designing the entertainment center was having to consider the fact that the building lies on the student spine, so by default anybody could assume that this building is an educational facility. This is why it was imperative to try to consider an organic form in order for the by passers to be able to distinguish between my building and educational facilities, that usually have a very linear simple design approach. Another challenge was solving the obstacles faced when dealing with an organic shaped form, especially in specific cases when having bowling arenas that require a certain span to be functional. Furthermore, having a welcoming main entrance that can stand out for visitors coming from the student spine that cuts through the site was a crucial and important issue to solve, since as mentioned before most of the visitors would be coming through that path.
Entertainment Center will be discussed in this thesis report followed by the design development and the technical focus in the building. The thesis is mainly concerned with 3 main parts which are: the concept and form finding, design development and technical problems in the building and its representation. Firstly, the concept which is the start of the design process and the form finding to reach the best form representing the concept and how to reach the design aim. Secondly, the design development, after finding the best concepts, some mass changes takes place to fit with the function, areas and more to fulfil the requirements until final result achieved. Finally, the technical representation that should be clarified as it will affect the technical quality of the design. Section I, Concept and form finding, in which the development of the suitable proposal is discussed. Section II, discussing and showing the project design, and how the main components are realized from the concept of order and common ground.
The entertainment center should represent that the new capital city is a new era for Egypt and it’s the future since the building is one of its kind in Egypt and also has its own individuality. The Main design concept of the New Capital’s 3
Envisioning the New Capital
Space Program
Cinemas Gym Area Retail Stores Arcade/ Bowling Cafeterias Adminstrative Facilities & Services
1135 m² 470 m² 440 m² 1100 m² 400 m² 412 m²
Rentable Working Spaces Library Computer Labs Exhibition Area Adminstrative Facilities & Services
198 m² 70 m² 124 m² 102 m² 332 m²
Entertainment Center Total Area: Site Area:
4783 m² 15624 m²
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The site
Figure 1: Satellite Image of the Site
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Analysis
Urban situation / Master Plan proposal: As shown previously in figure (1) the new capital city is completely empty since it is still under construction. This why as a tutorial we had to propose a new master-plan design in order to have an urban context and surroundings to deal with. The first proposal was to separate the site into three different parts with different functions, with respect to the green river as the main constant shared between us all. As shown in figure (2) the first area was going to consist of the business & startups district and the educational zone under the green river. In addition to the city center in the middle part and the tech area on the far right. Several transportation routes were also proposed since the new capital city is large and far away from the Cairo city center.
Figure 2: Master-plan proposal first sketch
A tram system was proposed figure (3) but was mainly for connecting the capital city with other surrounding parts of new Cairo like the first and fifth settlements. Meanwhile, a bus route was proposed for the new capital city itself since it is not that large to require a tram route but also not at a walkable distance therefore a means of transportation was very necessary. After many proposals we finally decided to have the city divided into three different part, each part serving a different function, the left part is the art and design district, middle part is startups district and finally the part on the right is the business district. Each district contains functions related to it for example the art and design district contains educational facilities related to art and design or art galleries or even design firms. Finally, after settling on the different districts the entire masterplan was divided further into 13 different areas in order to focus on the smaller details in landscape design.
Figure 3: Transportation proposal
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Analysis
Final master-plan proposal: After finally settling on the masterplan proposal figure (5) and dividing the masterplan into thirteen separate parts. I chose to locate my building in area 10 in the business district figure (4). The business district had two main paths passing through most of the sites, the “people’s” path which basically passes through most of the services in the business area like banks and malls. The second path was called the “student path” this path basically passes through universities, school, library’s and anything that is used by students.
Site Location & Urban Context: Figure 4: Area 10 proposal
The site is located in the new capital city; I chose to locate my building in the business district at the start of the main pedestrian path that leads to the main capital tower. I concluded that locating my site in an area where the student path passes would be very suitable since the main people targeted for this building are students. The site is surrounded by two main roads that are accessed by vehicles on both sides, and a main pedestrian path south of the building and a normal pedestrian path north of the site. The site is surrounded by multiple buildings, in the north there is a bank building that is also part of the business district, in addition to stock market buildings west of the site. On the other hand, the start-ups district is located east of the site. I also integrated a ramp that leads to the first floor of the building in the site as shown in figure (23). This ramp gives a welcoming gesture for the students coming from the main pedestrian path south of the site.
Figure 5: Final master-plan proposal
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Analysis
Survey: In order to have a fully functional building that fully satisfies the specific targeted group’s needs (university students). I decided to conduct an overt survey with my fellow colleagues. The survey consisted of a set of options that university student found most appealing to have in an entertainment center and which was there most favorite function to visit in their free time.
Survey Graph 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
I interviewed 20 males and 20 females and asked about their favorite option from different functions including cinemas, shopping, arcade/bowling zone, gym and outdoor sports facilities. And the outcome was, 17 out of 40 students preferred to have cinemas (including 9 males and 8 females). 7 out of 40 chose shopping including (1 male and 6 females). 8 preferred to visit an arcade/bowling zone as part of their free time (4 males and 4 females). And finally 9 picked the gym as their preferred means of entertainment including (6 males and 3 females). Only 1 person chose having an outdoor sports facility as their preferred option for entertainment that is why I decided that including an outdoor sports facility was unnecessary.
Cinema
Shopping
Arcade/Bowling Males
Gym
Sport Facility
This data had a huge influence on my design decisions and the functions I thought were necessary to include in order to have a building that fully pleases all parties.
Females
Figure 6: Research survey graph
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Design Reference
Reference/ Inspiration: Upon deciding that I wanted to design an entertainment center I started looking for similar buildings for inspiration. One of the most notable building was The Adelaide Entertainment Center located in Hindmarsh, Australia. It was constructed in 1990 and opened in the summer of 1991. It is approximately 28,000 square meters. 2 The center contains many features like multifunctional event halls, cinemas, bowling arenas and cafeterias. I also wanted to experiment with organic architecture since I find it very unique and has its own individuality and its own design challenges. I chose to have an organic designed building in order to stand out in its context since the site has the student path passing through it.
Figure 7: Adelaide Entertainment Center
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Project Design
Conceptual Design Development: After choosing a suitable site for the entertainment center I started with the conceptual phase, at the beginning I started with a very simple form as shown in figure (8). Secondly after conducting a survey and deciding which functions I want to implement in the building I decided to break the form into smaller separate pieces based on the required size and location of the functions as shown in figure (9). Thirdly, I wanted to alter to form in order to compliment the student path that passes through the site as shown in figure (10). Unfortunately, at this phase the form was a bit odd and did not have a matching architectural language. This is why I decided to merge the entire building to have the same language as shown in figure (11). Figure 8: First Form
Figure 9: Second Form
Figure 10: Third Form
Figure 11: Final Form
I also implemented a ramp that leads to the first floor of the building. This ramp was indirectly merged with the main pedestrian path in order to look more welcoming for the people going to the capital tower.
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Project Design
Figure 12: 3D Isometric Exploded View
Figure 13: Zoning Diagram
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Project Design
Final Proposal: Urban Situation: The Entertainment Center is at a strategic position it is located at the start of the business district, and is adjacent to the main pedestrian path that leads to main capital tower, this is why the building’s first impression was a very important subject to tackle. As a result, I decided to integrate an urban ramp that leads to the first floor of the building containing the cafeterias and bowling/ arcade zone, which are two very important main functions in the building. The site figure (14) is also surrounded by two roads that are accessible by cars, therefore, parking spaces were essential to be placed in the site. I decided to implement the parking spaces in the road east of the site since it is less crowded, therefore avoiding the traffic congestion issue that may surface if I placed the parking spaces in the other road, which is a more accessed road since it connects the start-ups and business districts together. The landscape surrounding the building was designed in an organic way in order to suit the building. the student path passing through the site was given more emphasis and importance when planning the landscape, this is why it leads to the main entrance then move towards the end part of the site, this gave the building a more welcoming feeling for the by-passers and also forced the people to flow past the building weather they wanted to visit or if they are just passing by. A water feature was then implemented in front of the main entrance to give a more exciting experience for the people passing through the site. Furthermore, an exterior auditorium was designed as part of the landscape, this auditorium could be used for events, or could also be used as an outdoor seating area.
Figure 14: Site Plan
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Project Design
Final Proposal: Distribution of functions in the ground foor plan Starting with the ground floor plan figure (15), the main entrance to the building is from the student path that passes through the site. Upon entering through the main entrance the visitor with be in the main foyer which is designed to be welcoming and easy to navigate to the wanted area in the building. from the main foyer the visitor could see the flow of people in the first floor level since the foyer is a double height. This gives the visitors a sense of motion in the space. The visitor could easily move to all ends of the building from the main foyer, there are two main stair cases right in front of the main entrance that takes the visitor straight to the first floor. Meanwhile, right in front of the entrance is the cinema lounge and the cinema tickets area, this area is given its very own space and is separated by temporary partitions to ease the circulation in this area. From the cinema lounge the visitors could access the main cinema’s corridor that gives access to five different cinemas, this corridor was specially designed to avoid having large crowds since a large number of people leave/ access the cinemas at the same time. Right next to the cinemas area is the gym area, which can also be easily accessed from the main foyer. On the other side, to the left of the entrance is the commercial zone, this area consists of multiple shops that could be rented by different retailers weekly or monthly to avoid a consistent experience for the visitors, this zone also has an extention under the ramp that is accessed by a staircase as shown in figure (17). Beside the main ramp is the educational building, this building’s main entrance could be accessed from the main pedestrian path. This building was separated from the original entertainment building since it serves a completely different function. The ground floor mainly consists of the administration, computer labs and a stair case that leads to the first floor.
Figure 15: Ground Floor Plan
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Project Design
Final Proposal: Distribution of functions in the first foor plan The first floor plan figure (16) could be accessed from the staircase in the main foyer in the ground floor or through the ramp that gives access from the main pedestrian path. The first floor consists of the cafeterias area and the bowling/ arcade zone. On the other hand, in the educational building the first floor consists of a library, an exhibition hall and multiple rentable spaces for students to work in. the entertainment center could be accessed from the exhibition hall through a terrace. This terrace could also be accessed from the main ramp. The bowling/ arcade zone consists of bowling lanes, arcade games and pool tables. I chose to use the long span required for the bowling lanes as an advantage to separate the arcade games and the pool area, since the arcade games require low artificial lighting for the best user experience.
Figure 16: First Floor Plan
Figure 17: Basement Floor Plan
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Project Design
Figure 18: Section A-A
In this section figure (18), emphasis can be shown in the main entrance of the building and the vertical circulation that leads to the first floor level. Another important element visible is the connection between the ramp and the building itself.
Figure 19: Section B-B
In this section figure (19), the main features that were worth showing was a longitudinal section through the cinema, this section show the stepped seating distribution of the cinema and also shows the entrance to the cinema. The roof structure was also a very important feature to show since it made of a space frame structure. 15
Project Design
Figure 20: West Elevation
Figure (20) shows the west elevation of the building. This elevation specifically shows the connections between the urban ramp and how it leads to the first floor level of the building. In addition, the access to the basement floor from the left of the ramp.
Figure 21: East Elevation
Figure (21) shows the main elevation of the building. It mainly shows the buildings main entrance that can be accessed from the student spine, and the terrace on the first floor overlooking the spine and showing the flow of people through the site. Furthermore, it also shows the educational building’s main elevation that was given an organic approach in order to inspire creativity and individuality.
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Project Design
Figure 22: Exterior Shot
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Project Design
Figure 23: Exterior Ramp Shot
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Project Design
Figure 24: Main Entrance Shot
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Project Design
Figure 25: Exterior Student Path Shot
Figure 26: Exterior Main Entrance Shot
Figure 27: Interior Bowling/ Arcade Shot
Figure 28: Interior Cinema Shot
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Project Design
Figure 29: Roof Section
Figure 30: 3D Space Frame
Roof Structure The roof of the building was one of the biggest challenges encountered in the project, the large spans in the building like cinemas and arcade/ bowling zone had to be dealt with. This is why a space frame structure was the most suitable answer since it can withstand large spans and also be designed to give an eye catchy organic roof as planned like shown in figure (30). A space frame or also knows as a 3D truss is simply a rigid, lightweight, truss like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Just like a truss, space frames are strong because of the inherent rigidity of the triangle.4
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Project Design
Figure 31: Curtain Wall Diagram
Figure 32: Vertical Louver Facade
Materials & Facade The building’s material is one of the most important elements that gives a huge impression about the building. The choice of materials is also very important since It has to be suitable for the specific climate where the building resides. This is why using concrete was suitable in the harsh weather conditions in the New Capital City since it can withstand the dire weather conditions and is considered cheap. Furthermore, I also wanted to implement glass curtain walls in certain areas in the building, and in order to counter the greenhouse effect issue that occurs, vertical louvers as shown in figures (31 & 32) were added in the east and west facades as part of the curtain walls in order to block the direct sunlight and provide sufficient indirect lighting inside most areas inside the building.
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Critical review on work and process
During this project I came to an understanding the importance of the inspiration and motivation that resulted in the completion of this project in the best way possible. The main concept was implementing an organic building in context with linear regular university buildings, in order to stand out and give the user the feeling that is an entertainment center that inspires creativity and individuality. This is why I kept modifying the form in every phase and trying my best to stick to my initial concept along the way. It was very challenging at first having to maintain the organic form and also solving the design issues that come when working with such a form. Nevertheless, in the end I was very happy with the outcome of the design project, and how it turned out.
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Conclusion
The main aim of the project was designing an entertainment city that will fit with the given context that mainly consists of regular linear university buildings. Designing a fully organic form was one of the biggest challenges, since organic designs usually come with a set of obstacles that needs to be solved, especially in the case where I had certain functions that require certain spans that cannot be interrupted or altered like the bowling alleys or cinemas. Another challenge was to stick to the concept while developing the form in order to get the best result possible. The main idea was to try to develop the design in a certain way and try to maintain the perfect function distribution. Moving from the massing, zoning and function distribution to carefully designing the interior spaces of the building to be completely user friendly. Finally, choosing a certain roof structure that can withstand the huge spans required and also being able to have an organic super structure design was very important to execute, since it gives the final form a modern touch that is needed in order to match the futuristic New Capital City. To conclude, designing an Entertainment Center in the new capital city was indeed a truly significant experience that required a lot of research and work in order to reach the desired outcome.
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References
List of Figures Figure 1, Satellite image of the site Figure 2, Masterplan proposal sketch Figure 3, Transportation proposal Figure 4, Area 10 Proposal Figure 5, Final masterplan proposal Figure 6, Research Survey Graph Figure 7, Adelaide Entertainment Center Figure 8, First Form Figure 9, Second Form Figure 10, Third Form Figure 11, Final Form Figure 12, 3D Isometric Exploded View Figure 13, Zoning Diagrams Figure 14, Site Plan Figure 15, Ground Floor Plan Figure 16, First Floor Plan Figure 17, Basement Floor Plan Figure 18, Section A-A Figure 19, Section B-B Figure 20, West Elevation Figure 21, East Elevation Figure 22, Exterior Shot Figure 23, Exterior Ramp Shot Figure 24, Main Entrance Shot Figure 25, Exterior Student Path Shot Figure 26, Exterior Main Entrance Shot Figure 27, Interior Bowling/ Arcade Shot Figure 28, Interior Cinema Shot Figure 29, Roof Section Figure 30, 3D Space Frame Figure 31, Curtain Wall Diagram Figure 32, Vertical Louver Facade
05 06 06 07 07 08 09 10 10 10 10 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 22 22
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References
Bibliography (1) https://www.archdaily.com/395028/adelaide-entertainment-centre-designinc (2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Entertainment_Centre (3) https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/space-frame-even-divisions/72493 (4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_frame (5) https://www.menacountry.com/aluminum-glazing/
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Appendix
German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program Building Technology and Design Prof.Hussam Hussein Salama I TAs: Neveen Farrag / Rana Tarek / Reem Ashraf
Envisioning the New Capital The New Capital Entertainment Center
First Phase Ahmed Ashraf Gamal 37-5357
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Appendix
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Appendix
German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program Building Technology and Design Prof.Hussam Hussein Salama I TAs: Neveen Farrag / Rana Tarek / Reem Ashraf
Envisioning the New Capital The New Capital Entertainment Center
Second Phase Ahmed Ashraf Gamal 37-5357
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Appendix
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Appendix
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Appendix
German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program Building Technology and Design Prof.Hussam Hussein Salama I TAs: Neveen Farrag / Rana Tarek / Reem Ashraf
Envisioning the New Capital The New Capital Entertainment Center
Final Phase Ahmed Ashraf Gamal 37-5357
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New Capital Entertainment Center
I chose this specific site because it is located along the ‘Student Spine’ and is also right beside the main pedestrian path that connects to the Captial Tower, my main concept was to target students from a specific age group, that is why I implemented the entertainment center along the student spine which mainly contains universities, hence becoming part of every student’s daily journey.
1. Started with a basic rectangular form offsetted from the site.
2. Broke the form into seperate smaller forms based on different functions that will be implemented in building.
3. Smaller forms re-arranged to compliment the student spine passing through the site.
4. Form merged together in order to have a similar language, in addition to ramp integrated through the building to create a connection with pedestrian path.
West Elevation German University in Cairo Architecture & Urban Design Program Bachelor Project: Envisioning The New Capital - Spring 2019
Doctor: Hussam Salama
Roof Detail
Ground Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
East Elevation Teaching Assistants: Reem Ashraf Rana Kamal
Neveen Farag
Student: Ahmed Ashraf Gamal 37-5357
German University in Cairo Architecture & Urban Design Program Bachelor Project: Envisioning The New Capital - Spring 2019
Basement Floor Plan
Section 1 Doctor: Hussam Salama
Teaching Assistants: Reem Ashraf Rana Kamal
Neveen Farag
Student: Ahmed Ashraf Gamal 37-5357
3D Exploded View
Section 2 German University in Cairo Architecture & Urban Design Program Bachelor Project: Envisioning The New Capital - Spring 2019
Doctor: Hussam Salama
Teaching Assistants: Reem Ashraf Rana Kamal
Neveen Farag
Student: Ahmed Ashraf Gamal 37-5357
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Model 1:200
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Model 1:200
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Model 1:2000
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