Hydro_City: Revisiting the Phalanstere

H Y D R O _ C I T Y

R E V I S I T I N G T H E P H A L A N S T È R E W A R R E N

S P R I N G

T E C H E N T I N 2 0 1 5

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_ 4 _ Utopia _ 6 _ Precedents _ Utopia _ 12 _ Precedents _ Housing _ 16 _ Precedents _ Architect _ 18 _ World _ Farming _ 20 _ Mapping _ California _ 22 _ Mapping _ Los Angeles County _ 26 _ Analysis _ Pomona Fairplex _ 32 _ Analysis _ Pomona Fairplex _ Schematic Patterns _ 34 _ Research _ Typology _ 40 _ Precedent _ Vertical Farm _ 42 _ Research _ Vertical Farm _44 _ Research _ Vertical Farm _ Hydroponic Systems _ 46 _ Mapping _ Scenario _ 48 _ Mapping _ Scenario _ Roles _ 52 _ Programs _ 54 _ Sketches _ 56 _ Mapping _ Site Plan _ 60 _ Grasshopper _ Vertical Wall _ 62 _ Drawings _ Units _ 64 _ Drawings _ Plans _ 66 _ Drawings _ Section Oblique _ 68 _ Drawings _ Phalanstery

W h a t d o e s UTOPIA mean in 2 0 1 5 ?

Utopia is an ideal society. However, if one googles “utopia in 2015”, the idea of Utopia is lost within movie titles and music festivals.

The pursuit of an utopia in the present day have become fleeting and temporal, instead of an ideal society, people look for vacation getaways to ‘paradise’. Contrasting from Fourier’s emphasis on equality and communal efforts in his Phalanstery, the meaning of utopia has changed with the society’s increase reliance on technology and social networking.

Utopia was coined in Greek by Sir Thomas More in his 1516 Utopia, meaning ‘no place’. Historically, utopias were designed as small societies enclosed with all necessary qualities (air, light, hygienic, and harmony) and programs. Now, the idea of small scale communities have swift into idealized large scale urban planning. In 2015, we coexist in a global scale, where cities are connected through the virtual world, thus technology and our environment must harmonize together for a Utopia in 2015.

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PRECEDENT_UTOPIA

PHALANSTERY

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CHARLES

FOURIER

In the 19th century, the world was going through the Industrial Revolution, many were poor and few were rich, Fourier wanted to provide a world that would change the laborers’ conditions. Charles Fourier created, through writing and drawing, a enclosed community for 500-2000 with new laws and new social norms called The Phalanstère. The Phalanstery consisted of three areas: a central part and two lateral wings. The three areas are split up by programs, with the central area for quiet programs such as dining rooms, libraries and studies, the other wing for labor and noisy activities such as carpentry, hammering and children.

The other wing for outside visitors, thus this wing contains meeting halls and ballrooms. His translation of his ideology into “reality” makes his idea even more powerful with “real” examples and application, providing a solution to a problem. Of course, the problem itself is too big for one Phalanstery to take care of, but by providing one example, one can hope the rest follows.

PRECEDENT_UTOPIA

NEW

HARMONY

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ROBERT

OWEN

“A design of a square building, for the accommodation of a Society of one thousand persons, combining on the principle of common property, joint labor, and united expenditure... It is calculated to afford the inmates the advantages at once of a society and retirement, of town and of a country residence.”

- Robert Owen

Owen’s utopian society is based on the belief that an individual’s character was shaped by his/her environment. Therefore by controlling the environment, superior character could be developed in the new utopian social order.

PRECEDENT_UTOPIA

SEASIDE

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FLORIDA

Seaside is a master-planned community, built on 80 acres on Florida’s Gulf Coast in 1981, which was designed on the principle of New Urbanism. A modern conception of utopia in the form of urban planning.

With major programs in the center of the community with large green public spaces, Seaside is an all-inclusive community with considerations for the American ideal lifestyle. It is the vision of a small town, much like European villages, where people can walk anywhere one wanted to and for everything one needed. People can linger in public spaces and chat or stop by friend’s house for afternoon visits.

PRECEDENT_UTOPIA

BROADACRECITY_FRANKLLOYDWRIGHT

Broadacre City was the antithesis of a city and the apotheosis of the newly born suburbia, shaped through Wright’s particular vision. It was both a planning statement and a socio-political scheme by which each U.S. family would be given a one acre (4,000 m²) plot of land from the federal lands reserves, and a Wright-conceived community would be built anew from this. In a sense it was the exact opposite of transit-oriented development. There is a train station and a few office and apartment buildings in Broadacre City, but the apartment dwellers are expected to be a small minority. All important transport is done by automobile and the pedestrian can exist safely only within the confines of the one acre (4,000 m²) plots where most of the population dwells.

PRECEDENT_UTOPIA

GARDEN

CITIES

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TOMORROW

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EBENEZER

HOWARD

Questions of food supply were accorded great importance by early theorists of modern urbanism. This is brought out most vividly in the case of Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City theory, which was paramount in teh modern planning movement. In each of Howard’s cities, five-sixths of the land was dedicated to food production. Howard expected that the generous- for the UK- residential plots of 20 by 130 feet would be sufficient ot feed a typical family. Howard’s ideas, as crystallized in his 1902 treatise Garden CIties of To-morrow and illustrated in his generic planning diagrams, are anchored in creating intricate and complementary relationship between agriculture and the city.

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PRECEDENT_HOUSING

SONGPA

MICRO

HOUSING

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SsD

By mining the discrepancy between maximum floor area ratios and maximum zoning envelopes, Songpa Micro-Housing provides a new typology that extends the limits of the housing unit to also include semi-public circulation, balconies, and the thickness of walls. Like the ambiguous gel around a tapioca pearl, this ‘Tapioca Space’ becomes a soft intersection between public/private and interior/exterior, creating social fabrics between neighbors. In this way, the ambition of the project is to prove that ‘space’ and ‘size’ are actually separate concepts.

While the zoning regulations require the building be lifted for parking, the resulting open ground plane can be constantly reprogrammed for differing events such as performances, art openings, or gatherings. Pedestrian traffic is pulled from the street down through the micro‐ auditorium steps, connecting city, building, and residents to the exhibition spaces below.

PRECEDENT_UTOPIA

Second Floor Apartment Plan

Third Floor PLan

In terms of dynamically flexible mixed‐ use housing, fourteen ‘unit blocks’ allow residents to either claim a single unit (120 sf each), or in the case where a couple or friends require more space, recombine the blocks for larger configurations.

The tapioca spaces in between the units provide natural lighting and shared outdoor space, maximizing the quality of the unit spaces. All units are flexible to the need of the user with clerestory windows in all three side of the unit.

PRECEDENT_HOUSING

Elevations

Corridor as Social Space

P R E C E D E N T S _ A R C H I T E C T

PRECEDENT_ARCHITECT

SHIGERU

BAN

For Ban, one of the most important themes in his work is the “invisible structure”. That is, he does not overtly express his structural elements, but rather chooses to incorporate them into the design. Ban is not interested in the newest materials and techniques, but rather the expression of the concept behind his building.[citation needed] He deliberately chooses materials to further this expression.

Ban’s work encompasses several schools of architecture. First he is a Japanese architect, and uses many themes and methods found in traditional Japanese architecture (such as shōji) and the idea of a “universal floor” to allow continuity between all rooms in a house. In his buildings, this translates to a floor without change in elevation. By choosing to study under Hejduk, Ban opted to do something different.

Hejduk’s rationalist views on architecture provided a way of revisiting Western modernism and gaining a richer appreciation than the reductive vision of it as a rationalized version of the traditionalist—yet ultra-modern— Japanese space. With his Western education and influences, Ban has become one of the forerunning Japanese architects who embrace the combination of Western and Eastern building forms and methods.

W h a t k i n d o f W O R L D i s i t i n ?

WORLD_FARMING

My phalanstery exists in a farming world. Our current world, in Los Angeles County, is covered with asphalt and suburbs with lack of arable land.

To mediate the existence of urban sprawl and locally grown produce, housing, parking lots and vegetation are merged together as one. Parking lots are transformed to have multiple functions with vegetations growing above and soccer fields when not used as parking spaces. Housing becomes integrated with farming walls and rooftop farms.

Utilizing traditional farming methods with a mix of sustainable technology, hydroponic systems and grey water system are integrated into the housing complex.

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MAPPING_CALIFORNIA

NORTH COAST

SACREMENTO VALLEY

CALLFORNIA’S MAIN CROP EXPORT TO THE REST OF THE U.S ALMOND

PISTACHIO

BROCCOLI

STRAWBERRY

GRAPE

TOMATO

LETTUCE

WALNUT

CENTRAL COAST

SAN JOAQUIN

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

M A P P I N G _ L O S _ A N G E L E S _ C O U N T Y

MAPPING_LACOUNTY ACTIVE AGRICULTURAL LAND

12%

88% POPULATED LAND

U R B A N _ A G R I C U LT U R E

California’s agriculture operates in the direct shadow of urbanization and surburnia sprawl. The tension between farmers and neighborhoods is caused by economic, land use, life style, and health dimensions. With constant population growth, farmers reduce productivity and income, with regulatory constraints, vandalism and legal liability. Citizens are concerned about dust, noise, odor and even health effects. The transition of urban with agriculture needs to be mediated together to create a sustainable method of compromising lifestyles into one harmonious community.

MAPPING_LACOUNTY

MAPPING_LACOUNTY

LOS ANGELES COUNTY ANALYSIS Within Los Angeles County, possible farming areas are narrowed down by the elimination of different types of impossibles. Existing National Parks, public parks, reservoirs, river are necessary for the public systems thus taken out of consideration. Industrial areas and superfund sites are eliminated due to the unfavorable conditions for farming.

A N A L Y S I S _ P O M O N A _ F A I R P L E X

A N A LY S I S _ P O M O N A FA I R P L E X Like that of neighboring Zone 18, the climate in Zone 19 is little influenced by the ocean. Both zones, have very poor climates for such plants as fuchsias, rhododendrons and tuberous begonias. Many sections of Zone 19 have always been prime citrus-growing country especially for those kinds that need extra summer heat in order to grow sweet fruit. Likewise, macadamia nuts and most avocados can be grown here. Plants that grow well here, but not in much colder zones, include bougainvillea, bouvardia, calocephalus, Cape chestnut, fame pea, several kinds of coral tree, livistona palms, Mexican blue and san jose hesper plans, giant Burmese honeysuckles, mypopurum, several of the more tender pittosporums, and lady palm. Extreme winter lows over a 20-year period ranged from 28 to 22ยบF (-2 to -6ยบC) and the all-time lows at different weather stations range from 23 to 17ยบF (-5 to -8ยบC).

These are considerably higher than the temperatures in zone 18.

MAGAZINE_ZONE

Suggested Herbs_Vegetables_Fruits

SUN

19

Full Sun_Minimal Water Required Rosemary Thyme Fennel Lavender Marjoram Oregano Bay Jujube Elderberry

Full Sun_Moderate Water Required Parsley Broccoli Chives Cauliflower Peppers Arugula Turnip Spinach Onion Corn Garden Burnet Melon Eggplant Cabbage Tomato Beet Boysenberry Parsnip Pumpkin Dill Carrot Potato Basil Radish Cucumber Watermelon Squash Garlic Peppermint Pea Cilantro Tomatillo Kale Bean Asparagus Lettuce Artichoke Brussels Sprouts Okra

Full Sun_Ample Water Required Celery Cress

A N A LY S I S _ P O M O N A FA I R P L E X

T E M P E R A T U R E

The daily average low (blue) and high (red) temperature with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

P R E C I P I T A T I O N

Precipitation is most likely around February 6, occurring in 31% of days. Precipitation is least likely around July 19, occurring in 8% of days.

A N A LY S I S _ P O M O N A FA I R P L E X

SUN PATTERN

The shortest day is December 21 with 9:54 hours of daylight; the longest day is June 20 with 14:26 hours of daylight

The earliest sunrise is at 5:38 am on June 9 and the latest sunset is at 8:06 pm on July 1. The latest sunrise is at 7:12 am on November 2 and the earliest sunset is at 4:41 pm on December 4.

ANNUAL CLIMATE

The average fraction of time spent in various temperature bands: frigid (below 15ºF to 32ºF), cold (32 to 50ºF), cool (50 to 65ºF), comfortable (65 to 75ºF), warm (75 to 85ºF), hot (85 to 100ºF) and sweltering (above 100ºF).

A N A LY S I S _ P O M O N A FA I R P L E X

Farm area of Fairplex

POMONA

FAIRPLEX

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COUNTY

FAIR

The site has existing exhibition halls, race car drag strip, horse race tracks with stable areas, hotel and conference center. As part of the LA County Fairs, Fairplex also has a existing barn and farm for visitors to see animals and learn about healthy eating and agriculture. Fairplex is covered with parking lots, with more than 30,000 parking spaces to accommodate visitors to various events. In a year, the site is only used as the fairgrounds during September. The rest of the year, small events take part in areas of the site.

A N A LY S I S _ P O M O N A FA I R P L E X

A N A LY S I S _ P O M O N A _ FA I R P L E X _ S C H E M AT I C PAT T E R N S

A N A LY S I S _ S C H E M AT I C PAT T E R N S

SOIL

JAPANESE HEMP FLOWER

FRUITS

FLOWER

R E S E A R C H _ T Y P O L O G Y

RESEARCH_TYPOLOGY

COURTYARDS

ROW

L SHAPED

SEMI ENCLOSED

ENCLOSED W PATH

ENCLOSED

RESEARCH_TYPOLOGY Alternative Street Designs (Narrower Street Widths): _ Layout and street network must be planned to respect the existing hydrologic functions of the land (preserve wetlands, buffers, high-permeability soils, etc.) and minimizing the impervious area. _ Swales: Swales are vegetated open channels designed to accept sheet flow runoff and convey it in broad shallow flow. .

Bioretention Curb Extensions and Sidewalk Planters: _ Bioretention features can be tree boxes taking runoff from the street, indistinguishable from conventional tree boxes. _ Can also be attractive attention grabbing planter boxes or curb extensions. _ Many natural processes occur within bioretention cells: infiltration and storage reduces runoff volumes and attenuates peak flows; biological and chemical reactions occur in the mulch, soil matrix, and root zone; and stormwater is filtered through vegetation and soil.

Permeable Pavement: _ Four forms: permeable concrete, permeable asphalt, permeable interlocking

GREEN

STREET

concrete pavers, and grid pavers _ Permeable concrete/asphalt are similar to their impervious counterparts but are open graded or have reduced fines and typically have a special binder added. _ Concrete and grid pavers are modular systems _ Concrete pavers are installed with gaps between them that allow water to pass through to the base _ Grid pavers are typically a durable plastic matrix that can be filled with gravel or vegetation _ Aggregate base in common which provides structural support, runoff storage, and pollutant removal through filtering and adsorption Sidewalk Trees and Tree Boxes: _ Providing adequate soil volume and a good soil mixture, the benefits obtained from a street tree multiply _ To obtain a healthy soil volume, trees can simply be provided larger tree boxes, or structural soils, root paths, or “silva cells� can be used under sidewalks or other paved areas to expand root zones. These allow tree roots the space they need to grow to full size.

RESEARCH_TYPOLOGY

WOONERF

The “self-reading street” has its roots in the Dutch “woonerf” design principles that emerged in the 1970s.

Blurring the boundary between street and sidewalk, woonerfs combine innovative paving, landscaping and other urban designs to allow for the integration of multiple functions in a single street, so that pedestrians, cyclists and children playing share the road with slow-moving cars. The pilot projects were so successful in fostering better urban environments that the ideas spread rapidly to Belgium, France, Denmark and Germany. In 1998, the British government adopted a “Home Zones” initiative — the woonerf equivalent — as part of its national transportation policy.

RESEARCH_TYPOLOGY

BIOSWALES

Bioswales are landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water. They consist of a swaled drainage course with gently sloped sides (less than six percent) and filled with vegetation, compost and/or riprap.

The intent of swales is to reduce stormwater volume through infiltration, improve water quality through vegetative and soil filtration, and reduce flow velocity by increasing channel roughness. In the simple roadside grassed form, they have been a common historical component of road design. Additional benefit can be attained through more complex forms of swales, such as those with amended soils, bioretention soils, gravel storage areas, underdrains, weirs, and thick diverse vegetation.

RESEARCH_TYPOLOGY

A G R I C U LT U R A L _ G R I D

1_ In Minnesota, the very

regular grid pattern reflects early 19th-

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4_ The starry patterns east of Santa Cruz de

la Sierra in Bolivia are actually radial soy fields as part of

century surveying; the size of the fields

a project regarding intentional development of housing

was determined by the need to have

projects. ‘The Stars’ emerged after blitz deforestation

a big enough area to make the use of

and populating the region with arrivals from the Andean

machinery efficient. Dirt roads separate

High Plains area. Every community is a small town with a

the fields.

school, church, bar and football stadium spreading into a

2_ Distinct patterns are found in

America’s Midwest arable land especially

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broader agricultural area.

5_ Outside of Bangkok, Thailand, rice paddies

in Kansas, where perfect circles and

fed by an extensive network of canals that is hundreds of

squares prevail.

years old appear as small skinny rectangular fields.

3_ In northwest Germany, the

6_ In the woodland-savanna region known as

small size and random pattern of fields is

the Cerrado in southern Brazil, the cheap cost of land and

leftover from the Middle Ages. A village or

its flatness have resulted in enormous farms and large field

town appears in the left side of the image.

sizes.

PRECEDENT_VERTICALFARM

VERTICAL HARVEST, E/Ye Design

PRECEDENT_VERTICALFARM

EDIBLE HOUSE, RIOS CLEMENTI HALE STUDIOS

RESEARCH_VERTICALFARM

R E S E A R C H _ V E R T I C A L F A R M

RESEARCH_VERTICALFARM

HYDROPONICS_SYSTEM

Hydroponic systems use water and a non-soil growing medium to provide plants with nutrients. Nutrients added to the water are fed to the plants in a variety of ways. Bubble systems lift nutrients to plant roots with a constant supply of bubbles in the water, while a wick system feeds nutrients and water via a wick. A reservoir is responsible for holding both the water and nutrient solution. Hydroponic systems are essentially hands-off when it comes to feeding the plant. Everything is usually done automatically, aside from the addition of the nutrient solution.

RESEARCH_HYDROPONICSYSTEMS

T Y PES_ OF_HYDROP O N I C S_ SY T E MS

WICK SYSTEM > Passive, no moving parts > growing medum: perlite, vermilculite, pro-mix, cocunut fiber > CON

> large plants/plants use large amount of water

> Use nutrients solution faster than provided

RESEARCH_HYDROPONICSYSTEMS

EBB & FLOW (FLOOD & DRAIN)

NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE (N.F.T.)

> Temporarily flood the grow tray and then drain > Pump w/ timer > Flood several times per day > CON

> Power outage = pump and timer failure

> constant flow,, drains back > no timer needed > no growing medium needed > CON

> roots dry out rapidly w/o constant flow

WATER CULTURE > best use for water loving plants

>leaf lettuce > CON

> doesn’t work well with long term plants/large plants

DRIP SYSTEMS (RECOVER/NON RECOVERY) > timer controlled submersed pump > nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant by a small drip line > recovery= use the solution more efficently > non recovery = run off not collected, less maintenance

MAPPING_SCENARIO

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WINTER HARVEST

HARVEST

YEAR ROUND RESIDENTS

LABOR NEEDED ON THE FIELD

PRUNING

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For an urban farm to function as a Phalanstery, there are different roles necessary to play out. There must be beekeepers, livestock caretakers, full time and part time farmers, farm manager, transportation crew, compost crew, production crew, and instructors. Each play a role but together they all come together on the field as a community, working to produce fresh crops but also to educate the next generation on agriculture and healthy living.

MAPPING_SCENARIO

MAPPING_SCENARIO_ROLES

LIVESTOCK CARETAKERS

-Feed chickens, geese and any other livestocks twice a day -Collect eggs -Clean the coops -Insure the safety of the animals from predators -Check on the health of the animals -Let the chickens excercise with surveillance

BEE KEEPERS

-Collect honey from hives and extract honey from combs -Transport hives to various locations -Inspect hives and treat them for diseases or parasites -Ensure colonies have sufficient food -Breed queen bees -Build and maintain hives -Package honey and honey products for processing

MAPPING_SCENARIO_ROLES

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

-Attend lessons and workshops -Help with the farmwork in the fields -Train for future jobs and leadership positions -Learn about health and wellness, environment, food systems - Plant trees, harvest, weeding and selling at Farmer’s Market

INSTRUCTORS

-Educating students on health and wellness -Cooking and nutrition classes -Lead agriculture/farm management training -Food systems education -Environmental education -Managing the volunteer programs -Helping out in various events -Role model for the younger generation

MAPPING_SCENARIO_ROLES

FARM MANAGER

-Oversee the development of crops and animals -Manage daily operations of farm -Planning crops to minimize loss -Keep financial records and maintain budget -Oversee farmers and volunteers -Supervise farm maintenance -Full time, divide time between office and outdoor

FARMER

-Planting and seeding -Irrigation set-up (drip tape and overhead sprinklers) -Thinning and pruning -Trellising -Cultivating (hand weeding, thinning) -Harvesting by hand -Farmers’ market

PART TIME FARMER

-Needed during peak season for Harvest -Wash area work (washing, bunching, quality control, packing) -Cultivating -Farmer’s Market

MAPPING_SCENARIO_ROLES

TRANSPORTATION CREW

-Responsible for the transportation and delivery of products -Oversee the storage areas -Help with the set up of Farmer’s Market -Insure the safety of crops during transportation

PRODUCTION CREW

-Wash area work (washing, bunching, quality control, packing) -Secondary productions of jam and other products -Setting up the Farmers’ market -Organize classes for product instruction -Quality checks on products

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PROGRAMS HOUSING > Apartments

- 1 bedrooom, 2 bedrooms RECREATIONAL CENTER/AREA > Soccer Fields > Outdoor area for frisbee, soccer and other recreational sports > Picnic/Barbeque area > Playground > Music Rooms STORAGE > Refrigerated space PROCESSING AREA > Cleaning and packaging > Production/Preparation Area FARMER’S MARKET TRAINING CENTER > Classrooms > Germination Area > Offices > First Aid Clinic RETAIL > Cafe > Restaurant > Stores > Daycares PARKING/GREEN SPACE

SKETCHES

SKETCHES

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MAPPING_SITEPLAN

GRASSHOPPER_VERTICALWALL

S t a r t i n g Surface

Surface to Line Contours Points

D e f l e c t o r Point

Move into Location

Cur ves Extrusions

GRASSHOPPER_VERTICALWALL Deflector Point

Deflector Point

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DRAWINGS_UNITS

DRAWINGS_PLANS

DRAWINGS_PLANS

D R A W I N G _ S E C T I O N _ O B L I Q U E

DRAWINGS_SECTIONOBLIQUE

D R A W I N G _ P H A L A N S T E R Y

DRAWINGS_PHALANSTERY