Portfolio2021_SumaitaTahseen_Architecture,Art,Landscape architecture,Urban design

I

am

learning

by

drawing

just like another brick in the wall

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graduate level

undergraduate work

professional work

meditational work

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Van Gogh house anti-reality

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S.L.O.W epitome

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Flow

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Synergy between water and city

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Know thy neighbor

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Re-developing Mongla townscape

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Renovation of pilgrimage complex

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Re-developing Sylhet town identity

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Illustration

54 - 63

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what if Van Gogh lived in Venice?

a simple life cycle system for Piacenza east-west corridor

regeneration of Porto Di Mare

creation of public realm along the river armature

regenarating future interactive spaces to heal a neighborhood

proposal to re-develop a city in harmony with nature

renovation and motel design for Hazrat Shahjalal Mazar

pedestrian bridge and gateway design to Shahparan pilgrimage

understanding space, texture and landscape

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Van Gogh house anti-reality what if van gogh lived in venice? landscape design studio sept 2020 - jan 2021 Venice, Italy studio instructors Prof. Matteo Poli Prof. Nahid Vatanpour individual work | 30

existing infrastructural system casone barenon

What if human is not more than an observer in the fluid territory, not trying to claim footprint on this land, but sits humbly, perceives emotionally and portrays powerfully? What can a off-grid ground for the mad artist of transitory moments tell us? The aim of this anti-reality is to provide an off-grid haven for Van Gogh to inspire artist’s eye, to feed to his need of seclusion, to fulfill his dream of an art residency.

We can imagine the house of Van Gogh in an abandoned island of Venice lagoon, Casone Barenon. It is an offgrid island abandoned before second world war and contains three brick ruins that characterizes the area. It breathes constantly with an ever-evolving morphology, with the existence of salt marshes. But in the timeline of progress and change, the hydrodynamic functionality of the lagoon basin is harmed as the marshes slowly disappear. So, Firstly, the macro strategy addresses to value and protect the marshes for the sake of the surrounding habitat.

Moving to micro scale, essential environmental forces are calculated to minimize anthropogenic affect of building. Then, if looking at the island elements, there is a poetic environment with scattered urban traces. So, the concept of microtopia is introduced for the house, a dream of portability and lightweighness.

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“ a pre-fabricated and lightweight structure that sits just lightly on the existing structure claiming most minimal footprint.”

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brick, tile

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brick

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concrete

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concrete

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concrete

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vegetation

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design development (how Gogh’s ‘art’itecture takes shape)

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zones of ‘art’itecture

a 6m X 6m

follow existing orientation

follow existing axis, eye to memory

microliving machine

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parasite to existing

sun and wind

rainwater

eye to lagoon

isolation microliving energy-saving

eye to sun rotation

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entry sleep cook eat read meet + see

first floor plan (+3m) area : 29 square-meter

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move paint+see observe meet + paint collect water

second floor plan (+5m) area : 5.5 square-meter

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37 cm 15 cm 30 cm

15 cm

LVL panel metal screw metal structural support LVL tread carbon steel ladder carbon steel shelf metal screw

area : 1.6 square-meter height acquired : 2.13 meter tread/steps : 15 angle : 50 degrees

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entry collect water meet + see cook eat observe

section AA

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process and materiality

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sloped roof

LVL roof panel

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new shell interior LVL wall panels exterior swedish red timber clad secondary sub-structure LVL skirt beam glulam column

new living ground LVL floor panel vertical circulation carbon steel treads and riser LVL treads

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primary structure metal I beam joinery

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existing structure concrete load bearing wall

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It’s not only a machine for living, it can also be a painting.

Casone Barenon, being transformed into a city for Van Gogh, holds elements not only essential for living, but also creates a spiritual connection and visual play between the observer and passerby. The sculptural walls serve purpose as wind barrier and creates different modes of visuality

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inside the landscape, a perfect condition for an artist.

The new overlay-ed texture visualizes the natural landscape textures by enhancing the existing one, acting like a painting. All the existing elements in the site has been re-visualised and reused in terms of functionality.

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S.L.O.W. Epitome

A simple life cycle system for Piacenza east-west corridor urban and environmental design studio march 2020 - june 2020 Piacenza, Italy studio instructors Prof. Matteo Motti Prof. Giovanna Fontana group work | individual evaluation 28 Azra Ozyurt Ahsen Farnaz Baadahang Jui Kamalbhai Halvadia Salman Sadeghi

roman times

year 1802

year 1870

year 1933

year 2020

The urban growth and agro-economy structure in Piacenza surrounding has led to mass production of cash crops destroying the natural food system, the forest, the seeds and the soil. Being one of the highest agricultural production land of Italy, there is an immense pressure on this land. But do we really know how long we can sustain with the food production system we have?

An epitome of a simple life style : Sustainability is only possible with limited development instead of unlimited growth when specified urban or rural areas are feeding to the “more and more” culture with high consumption. A simple therefore sustainable life is possible with hybrid life cycle characteristics. This hybrid planning source must be based on a cycle to achieve sustainability. Which can be imagined as being forest, agriculture and built environment to be in a balanced ratio, a system where they feed each other.

The answer to all these, is a S.L.O.W. (sustainable, local, organic and wholesome) epitome.

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“ let’s save the soil from agriculture! ”

Green system analysis

Agricultural crop analysis

Built area analysis

The pattern of existing landscape of Piacenza east-west corridor consists of farmland textures, parks and riverside green system co-existing along with the urban and rural infrastructures.

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experience

fun

inspiring

learning

wholesome

organic

local

sustainable

meta concept

post pandemic food production and living model

permaculture agro-tourism

organic farming

forest pockets

medical tourism hemp farming food-forest

seed saving eco-tourism

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zero waste community living natural building

cbd treatment and research

volunteering and learning workshop

natural hemp products

eco hostels

strategy development

Threat mapping for analyzing the soil contamination

Pattern mapping for analyzing damaged soil, existing agriculture, public green and built area

Overlaying infrastructure and waterways on pattern

By reclaiming the damaged soil areas, the strategy focuses on creating new landscape. It introduces new forestation, permaculture and hemp cultivation to purify the soil over time.

As a result of these new functions, activities generated in abandoned ruins as CBD treatment centre, hemp based production facilities, experiential

tourism, eco hostels and slow living areas. Other than primary and secondary access, there are several slow path activities created in the area.

Existing cascinas and re-used as part of a longer program and tree edges along the farmlands are retrieved as part of historical landscape.

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forestation hemp crop permaculture agricultural land tree edge cbd treatment centre industrial hemp production slow living / new housing eco hostel primary path secondary path slow path water canal connection with centre trebbia river

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micro stories

river trebbia

agriculture

industrial hemp

forestation industrial hemp

slow living

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woodland

clean hemp

forestation

clean hemp

agriculture

forestation

agriculture

forestation

permaculture

forestation

tangenziale

tangenziale

agriculture

tangenziale

urban fabric

urban fabric

tangenziale

public park

urban fabric

scenarios

grassland river forestation woodland

clean hemp industrial hemp

industrial hemp agriculture

cultivation

clean hemp cbd treatment

agriculture

industrial hemp cultivation forestation

forestation clean hemp permaculture slow living

cultivation clean hemp permaculture

agriculture permaculture

forestation

slow living

cultivation

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cascina re-development as community kitchen and living

In slow social lifestyle, the ecological micro experiences are art of food production without harming the land.

The social experiences bond the community by inspiring sustainability and sense of belongingness.

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hemp farming and forestation

To make these aspects self-sustainable in terms of economy,various industrial use of hemp, tradition of natural crafting, having SLOW food restaurants and workshops which can basically bring this back to the community. Finally , the slow paths connect them all together.

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FLOW

regeneration of Porto Di Mare urban and landscape design studio sept 2019 - feb 2020 Milan, Italy studio instructors Prof. Paola Branduini Prof. Paolo Debiaggi Prof. Paco Meliá group work | individual evaluation 30L Alejandra Mondragon Rascon Fernanda Furuya Glen Carlo Canlas Nina Camille Pilapil Lizet Bonilla-Grajales

reading existing landscape porto di mare

Analysis through diachronic and synchronic maps shows the tangible and intangible heritages evolving over time in Porto di mare. This area is a buffer between highly industrial Milan zone to historical and natural outskirts. The vision is to promote the development of new memories associated to local historic spaces, built or natural, strengthening the ties between the past and the present through sustainable initiatives.

The project for the Porto di Mare area will consist of enhancing the buffer zone character of the area between the expanding urban space and the consolidated rural area, associated with initiatives that promote physical and social integration.

As a strategy of creating a smoother transition from urban to rural, landscape pixel is used which intersect with each other to create a language of blending in as opposed to creating a barrier. It also blends into the extended site areas as the pixels are referenced from existing prints of the landscape. The paths are then overlaid to connect these pixels.

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“ the regeneration lies here in taking care of the tangible and intangible heritage suppressed by urbanity.”

Reading and perceiving the landscape quality from the perspective of infrastructure, settlement, agriculture, vegetation, hydrography and orography.

The pattern of agricultural fields, arrangement of trees, formal and informal accessibility, transportation infrastructure patterns, presence of historical and

abandoned structures, water connections marks the perception of tangible and intangible heritage of the landscape. The transition from the highly compressed and industrial Milan centre to the scattered urban-rural middle ground is visible in the landscape.

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existing vegetation

historical waterbody

existing paths

existing buildings

proposed masterplan

1. entrance from Porto Di Mare metro station 2. entrance from Quartiere Mazzini 3. entrance from Via Fabio Massimo 4. existing footpath 5. primary path 6. secondary path 7. tertiary path

8. main piazza 9. linear park 10. urban green 11. community farms with pond 12. food forest 13. Sensory garden with pond 14. tree lines 15. natural forest park

16. Cascina nosedo 17. Cascina Grande 18. Cascina carpana 19. sports complex 20. community centre 21. cultural complex

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landscape scale small scale community farms

small scale food forest

tree edge

sensory garden

natural forest park

canopy tree understory tree shrubs and herbs roots groundcover and climbers

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food forest ecological corridor natural forest sensory garden water pond community farm water pond and channels

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infrastructure scale main piazza

1. primary path 2. secondary path 3. gathering space 4. multipurpose open space 5. kids playground 6. contemplative leisure area 7. amphitheatre 8. sloped green space

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building scale

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SYNERGY BETWEEN WATER AND CITY creation of public realm along the river armature architectural design studio 1 sept 2019 - feb 2020 Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil studio instructors Prof. Antonella Contin Prof. Alessandra Maria Pandolfi group work | individual evaluation 30 Hana Abou Baker Rita Fadlallah

The Carioca River in Rio di Janeiro emerging from two springs on the southeast slopes of the Tijuca Massif in the protected Mata Atlantica forest of Tijuca National Park. The river then leaves Tijuca Forest into the Guararapes favela, then into the high-income Cosme Velho neighborhood, and then it is buried completely underground. The river reemerges in Flamengo Park to empty into Guanabara Bay at Flamengo Beach. In the whole stretch, the river gets polluted in several urban reasons.

Largo do Boticário is a square in the Cosme Velho neighborhood of the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil which has both historical and cultural value to the city. The square was an important node in the past centuries and now remains as archaeological ruins.

The city has a culture of water. Carioca river is the backbone of this area as the urban growth occurred centering this water all around. But now the river is completely under ground because of the huge urbanization on it. It shows up in some places in form of a drainage which lacks the original identity. So, the project concept aims to create a continuous public realm along the armature and revive the identity of water along the way, creating a journey. These components are creating a spatial organization, capable of providing residents responding to different difficulties. The design aims to create urban systems that are balanced, affordable, efficient and culturally resilient.

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“ searching for the social life of carioca water”

carioca pollution gradient

forest ecosystem

informal settlement

formal settlement

bay

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strategy

issue

increased social connection increased social growth green infrastructure in urban fabric

urban-natural linkage transversal and parallal connections

energized water circulation

connections between axis through soft intervention change of land use energizing urban voids continuous public realm

EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION

urban pressure on landscape LOSS OF IDENTITY

chanelization of water

metropolitan identity local identity historical identity

altering sewage connections

HABITAT DEGRADATION

implementation of water features increasing permeability

natural disaster pollution of blue infrastructure loss of green infrastruture

adding value to culture

collective eco-practice

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purification of urban and natural water agricultural sustainability achieved awareness pollution control achieved opportunity to secure source of income generated creativity and self sufficiency experiential and interactive landscape creation of buffer regenaration of historical identity regenaration of sociocultural interaction

increasing soft mobility right to underpriviledged area

outcome

self self durability long sustain- suffiterm ability ciency approach

sustainable transportation reused flood water as ground water

strategy components

transects and corridors

urban built patches

reclaimed patches

attractors

urban voids

reclaimed bands

circulation band program band

Following the strategy for urban landscape by David Gouverneur, the strategy in a metropolitan scale considers the carioca river as the armature of the urban landscape and focuses mostly on creating transversal connections in the streetscape on both sides of this armature.

The reclaimed patches and corridors

are both functional and ecological which helps to create the social life of water and the connectivity of the grey infrastructure with the ecological patches, thus energizing the streetscape.

It is creating a public realm along the river armature of the site.

landscape band

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urban masterplan(meso scale)

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ogram band

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scenarios(meso scale)

social+natural+productive

blue corridor

program landscape band band

social+cultural

hard circulation

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soft program landscape circulation band band

social+natural

soft blue circulation corridor

landscape program band band

natural+social

hard soft circulation circulation

landscape blue band corridor

streetscape transformation image of streets beside guararapes favela

streetscape transformation image of streets infront of Largo do Boticario

streetscape transformation image of streets inside guararapes favela

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sections(macro scale)

section A

street for heavy vehicle

section B

permeable forested evergreen permeable plaza for buffer broadleaf pedestrian flexible restoration forest walkway programming

section C

evergreen broadleaf forest

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street for forested heavy buffer vehicle restoration

permeable plaza for favela community

permeable pedestrian walkway and social space for favela

section D

rain garden as buffer space

waterbody stepped permeable for pedestrian pedestrian cultural walkway walkway and space and social space social for favela space

permeable wetland plaza riparian for flexible zone programming

waterbody for linear park

wetland riparian zone

permeable pedestrian walkway

The architectural scale masterplan is designed considering Carioca people’s perception of public realm.

Public realm in Rio are influenced by the natural setting of the region.

Considering this ideology, Largo Do Boticario has several interaction points, shadings for public spaces, linear colonnade plaza directing

towards water. The bridge over water also depicts the water culture of this area. Different textures of permeable surfaces are used to design plaza, walkway and bike trails. Largo Do Boticario, is re-imagined to serve the area as a public realm, with a proper setback for users and passer-by.

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KNOW THY NEIGHBOR

regenerating future interactive spaces to heal a neighborhood bachelor thesis ( level 5 | term 2 ) sept 2016 - dec 2016 Dhaka, Bangladesh studio instructors Prof. Naim Ahmed Kibria Prof. Mohammad Habib Reza Prof. Shams Mansoor Ghani individual work | CGPA 4.00 and “Noman Award for excellence in design”

past facade

present facade

How much do we really know about our neighbors? The general Dhaka neighborhood was once a more welcoming place to live in. Fast forward thirty years and we come to the present where highrise buildings are on the rise and each community comprises of a larger number of inhabitants collectively. However, the social implications of this compact housing norm have had many negative aspects. Most people have forgone their sensitivity towards their fellow dwellers, owing largely to their lack of a sense of belongingness towards the place. At the same time, the lack of a physical ground has caused a drastic decline in face-to-face interactions between people. The question is- How do we redevelop our society to ensure positivity and sensitivity?

Iqbal road has been taken as a study area and the scenarios are depicted in the above illustration where the neighborhood essence is almost invisible in the present dweller’s lives. The main focus in this project is the threshold between group and individual act. The analysis directs towards finding ground space where everyone meet and reviving the essence of old neighborhood in the present scenario. The action needs to be done without demolishing the existing buildings completely hence, a form of utopia needs to be explored.

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“ a place from memory,nostalgia, the place of birth”

development of dhaka city

iqbal road neighborhood, dhaka

space

phenomena

place

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past and present urban quality comparison of Iqbal road

past

present

concentration point The planned and unplanned communal meeting spaces of dwellers in the area around the street, have now minimized to an alarming extent. connection between houses The connection between residents and a warm relationship with each other is completely missing is completely missing in the current scenario. building typology The previous residential quality of the area is missing because of the newly established commercial zones and schools.

layers of spaces The gradual arrangement of layers, concrete and non-concrete edges in newly built highrise housings have shifted the horizontal layering of spaces to the vertical layering.

passive interaction The quality of passive interaction between dwellers and outdoors varies in past and present situation because of the boundary wall heights,vegetation and verticality.

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the idea : solution to current system in Iqbal road

layers of spaces

intimate spatial scale

public buffer

semi public

private

uninterrupted event area

ensuring extended street

activities under buildings

elevated platform

visibile outdoor activity

passive interaction

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pedestrian street plaza community meeting area community playground indoor play area gardens vertical circulation core amphitheatre chauffer’s lounge

ground floor plan

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Based on the four ideas found through research, this site has been redesigned considering the previous layout of existing structures. A road was proposed underground with connected parking area to free the street for developing a pedestrian. To support the idea,ground floors are also being used as plaza.

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The story started long time ago, in a place of belongingness.

To hear more about the story, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2KaafQezVA

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RE-DEVELOPING MONGLA TOWNSCAPE proposal to redevelop a city in harmoy with nature professional work as research architect oct 2017 - present Mongla, Bangladesh organization Bengal Institute for architecture, landscape and settlements

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RENOVATION OF PILGRIMAGE COMPLEX renovation and motel design for Hazrat Shahjalal Mazar professional work as research architect dec 2017 - present Sylhet, Bangladesh organization Bengal Institute for architecture, landscape and settlements

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RE-DEVELOPING SYLHET TOWN IDENTITY

pedestrian bridge and gateway design to Shahparan pilgrimage professional work as research architect jan 2018 - march 2019 Sylhet, Bangladesh organization Bengal Institute for architecture, landscape and settlements

As a part of designing surrounding area of Shahparan pilgrimage, a pedestrian bridge is designed which also serves as a gateway towards the pilgrimage complex. The bridge is needed to serve as a crossing for the busy highway. The gateway is thought considering local culture and materiality.

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ILLUSTRATION

understanding space,texture and landscape professional and meditational work as earthist jan 2012 - present

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“ the spirit of this place, is meant to be found in this vernacularity.”

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“ murals of the chaos”

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“ a story of history shaping the economic evolution of Piacenza, Italy”

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sumaitaritra@gmail.com +393206427260 https://www.instagram.com/tahseen.earthistman/

“if we admit human life can be ruled by reasons, the possibility of life is destroyed.”

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