A Recuperatheque is a cooperative space dedicated to the exchange of reused materials within a community, operating with its own currency or exchange system and which aims to promote a sustainable economic model based on shared governance, solidarity and social ties.
La Récupéracrypte
ENSBA - Lyon
La Pioche
HEAR - Strasbourg
- Creation : October 2016
- Particularities : La Pioche will soon offer a common tool for all its members! A basic tool will be freely accessible at any time in front of the premises, while a more specific tool (sander, grinder, ...) will be available for rent.
- Website : Instagram, https://www.facebook.com/lapioche.strasbourg/
- Contact : lapioche.strasbourg@hear.fr
- Members : 271
- Currency : Pepite
- Location: "orange corridor", -1
- Space: 20 m² (215 sq. ft.)
- Materials: wood, cleats, glass, plexi, fabric, paper, various objects
- Opening hours and days: depending on member availability: Monday 10am-1pm / Tuesday 2pm-5pm / Wednesday 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm / Thursday 12pm-2pm / Friday 12pm-2pm
La Boîte à Gants
ERG - Bruxelles
- Creation : September 2018
- Particularities: The BàG is connected! Everything works with its website, the Glock accounts of the members are present and soon a catalog with all the materials in stock. Supported by ARES, the BàG was able to invest in a cargo bike to collect around the school.
- Website : http://boiteagants.solutions/
https://www.instagram.com/boiteagants/ - Contact : contact@boiteagants.solutions
- Members : 450
- Currency : The Glock
- Location : Ixelles, plateau Art, 2nd floor
- Space : 20m²
- Materials : raw building materials
- Hours and days of operation : Monday to Thursday from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
La Malle
ENSCI - Paris
- Creation : 2017
- Particularities : The particular context of the school (the materials are free and the students - few in number - know each other very well), allows La Malle to operate without local currency. Based on the trust and participation of each student, it tends more and more towards self-management.
- Website : https://www.instagram.com/la_malle_ensci/
- Contact : lamalle@ensci.com
- Members : The whole school (about 200 beneficiaries)
- Currency : no payment system
- Location : on the first floor, not far from the workshops
- Space : 10 m² with 3.50 m under ceiling
- Materials : Wood, metal, plastics, foams, textiles, hardware, tarpaulins, paper, vinyl, digital components...
- Hours and days of operation : 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, just like the school.
In Limbo
Toestand - Brussels
- Creation : March 2018
- Particularities : In Limbo is an off-campus recovery center aiming to facilitate the donation and reuse of materials within the socio-cultural sector in Brussels. This is done through the website and warehouse. In Limbo helps reduce the flow of materials into the recycling sector and allows organizations with fewer resources to obtain reusable materials. In Limbo thus hopes to encourage mutual aid between different sectors.
- Web: Instagram, Facebook
- Catalog: In Limbo
- Contact: info@inlimbo.brussels
- Number of partners: 450
- Location: Rue Brichaut 13, 1030 Schaerbeek
- Space: online shop and 150 m² warehouse
- Materials: office furniture, sanitary equipment, appliances, carpet, wooden panels, etc.
- Opening hours: every Wednesday from 09:00 to 17:00
Le Laboratoire de Merlin - zone sud
EESAB - Rennes
- Creation : 2019
- Particularities : Merlin's laboratory is a magical place where all materials can be transformed. It was born out of a desire to reduce the number of dumpsters in the school, to allow students access to materials without ruining themselves and our planet too. The laboratory is a dynamic space in the health of the school which allows to meet during the permanence and to exchange druidic advices to pimper the materials. Plus Merlin is super cool.
- Website : https://www.instagram.com/merlin_zonesud/
- Contact : merlinlarecup@gmail.com
- Members : 65
- Currency : Le Galet
- Location : on the south parking lot of the school
- Space : +- 30 m2
- Materials : mainly wood, plexis, foam, etc.
- Opening hours and days : Monday to Thursday from 13h to 14h
La CAB
ESA Saint-Luc - Brussels
- Creation : May 2019
- Particularities : The CAB is a project born from the initiative of a master student who made it her final year project. A team of students then continued the project with the help of the student and now the CAB is well installed in the school.
- Website : https://www.facebook.com/CABrecuperatheque/ https://www.instagram.com/esa_cab/
- Contact : caverne.alibaba@hotmail.com
- Members : 205
- Currency : LUX
- Location : the room is located in the basement of the school, at -2, at the end of the corridor.
- Space : 30.2 m² (30.2 sq. ft.)
- Materials : paper, cardboard, model materials, fine arts and wood
- Opening hours and days : Tuesday and Wednesday from 12 to 2 pm and Thursday from 12 to 1 pm
Gilbard.es
Circularium - Bruxelles
- Creation : 2019 of june
- Particularités : Gilbard est une Récupérathèque hors école portée par un collectif d'artistes aux pratiques multiples. Ses fondateurs sont principalement issus de la Boîte à Gants de l'ERG. Ouvert aux habitant.es du quartier de Cureghem, Gilbard est un lieu de création avec des ateliers, d'échange de matériaux avec sa Récupérathèque et de cohésion sociale avec des activités qui y sont régulièrement menées.
- Web : Site, Instagram
- Catalogue : Gilbard
- Contact : info@gilbard.be
- Nombre d’utilisateur.rice.s : 385 Gilbard.es
- Monnaie : les G
- Localisation : Rue de Liverpoolstraat 77 – 1070 Anderlecht
- Espace : +- 200 m²
- Matériaux : Bois - Peinture - Métal - Textiles - etc.
- Heures et jours d’ouverture : tous les vendredis de 13h30 à 18h
Recycl'art
ESA Saint-Luc - Lièges
- Creation : september 2019
- Particularities : Recycl'art is a recuperation library that tries to take into account all the sections of the school in order to make its decisions (name, logo, available products, etc). They have at heart to be a project that benefits all sections of ESA, as well as the Faculty of Architecture of ULG present on the same site.
- Website : https://www.instagram.com/recuperatheque_saint_luc_liege/ https://www.facebook.com/RecyclArt-103257401164933/
- Contact : recuperatheque@saint-luc.be
- Members : 52
- Currency: le Recoin
- Location : on the site of ESA Saint-Luc Liège next to the B9
- Space : +- 16m2 but it is in a phase of expansion
- Materials : all : wood, steel, plastic, unusual items, fabrics, paint, model materials, cardboard, etc.
- Opening hours and days : every day of the week from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
La Fourmillière
ULB - Brussels
- Creation : March 2020
- Particularities : Impelled by Kiran Katara, professor of projects and means of expression, la fourmilière is the first Récupéthèque in a school of architecture.
- Website : https://www.facebook.com/FRMULB/ https://www.instagram.com/lafourmiliereulb/
- Contact : lafourmiliere.ulb@gmail.com
- Members : 85
- Currency : The Myrmés
- Location : Campus of ULB Solbosch - building U - 2nd floor, next to the archietcure workshops, in the former secretariat
- Materials : Mainly materials for architectural models; cardboard, paper, Plexigalss, small trees, etc.
- Hours and days of operation : every day from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. except Wednesdays
The Rucher
UCLouvain-LOCI - Brussels
- Creation: February 2021
- Particularities: The Rucher was created during the Covid context. Located in a prestigious space with direct access to the street, the Rucher aims to create interactions with the neighborhood and open the university to the community. The furniture of the Récupérathèque was built 100% using reused materials found in the UCL LOCI basements. The Rucher’s furniture is detached from the walls to create an exploratory path and to highlight the room and its numerous moldings.
- Web: Instagram, Facebook
- Catalog: rucher
- Contact: lerucher.loci@gmail.com
- Number of users: 200
- Currency: the LOCI
- Location: At the reception (room AV-01) of UCLouvain LOCI Saint-Gilles, rue Henri Wafelaerts 47/51
- Space: about 50 m²
- Materials: online supplies, cardboard, paper, tracing paper, folders, balsa wood, foam board, T-sections, etc.
- Opening hours: Every weekday from 12:45 to 14:00 except on weekends
The Brolerie
ARBA-ESA - Brussels
- Creation: March 2021
- Particularities: The Brolerie was set up within ARBA-ESA in a space that had been unused for several years. Initially, this space contained a large quantity of materials and tools. Launched in October 2020, the Brolerie is an important crutch for solidarity in this pandemic context that distances us from one another.
- Web: Instagram, Facebook
- Catalog: arba
- Contact: brolerie.arba@gmail.com
- Number of users: 258 Brolheureux·ses
- Currency: the Foirien
- Location: Within Arba-EsA, at the foot of the staircase leading to the various workshops
- Space: 40 m², several large cabinets contain the various materials.
- Materials: Complete and precise haberdashery, Fine arts supplies, Unusual, curious, and varied items.
- Opening hours: Every day between 12:00 and 14:00
SuperFaktur
ENSAV La Cambre - Brussels
- Creation: March 2021
- Particularities: SuperFaktur was created during the Covid era, with many twists and turns! SuperFaktur is located in the former garage of the IGN (National Geographic Institute), and as such is made up of three garage doors, a pit for working under cars, a workshop, and a stock of spare parts, etc.
- Web: Instagram, Facebook
- Catalog: superfaktur
- Contact: superfaktur@lacambre.be
- Number of users: 204 Superfakteur·ices
- Currency: the Super
- Location: Ensav La Cambre – IGN Garage – Abbey of La Cambre – Ixelles, BE
- Space: approx. 70 m²
- Materials: Wood (scraps and large formats) – Glass (various sizes and thicknesses) – Textiles (scraps and samples) – Sand – Plaster
- Opening hours: 2 to 3 lunchtimes per week, still to be defined. Usually Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 to 14:00
La Casote
ESAD - Reims
- Created: September 2021
- Details: The main feature of La Casote is that the walls were entirely built by students during various workshops. Everything is made of straw and earth (cob). La Casote is also organized as a non-profit association under the French 1901 law.
- Web: Instagram, LinkedIn
- Catalog: La Casote
- Contact: lacasote.recuperatheque@gmail.com
- Number of users: 200
- Location: 3 boulevard Franchet d’Espèrey, primary space in the courtyard
- Space: 60 m²
- Materials: rolls of fabric, paper, tarpaulins, vinyl, carpet, papers, anodized stainless steel, metal, particle board, foam, wood, concrete, screws, etc.
- Opening hours: variable
B-zar
Design Academy - Eindhoven
- Creation : October 2021
- Particularities : First Recuperatheque (materials bank) in english and in the Netherlands, Bzar has been named in relation to Zbar the cafe of the school. Situated behind the workshops on the first floor it’s easy to go working directly with the materials. Initiated by Anna, a student in 2021, the Bzar is a place to exchange materials with a special option: renting podiums that we usually used only three times a year for presentation.
- Website : Instagram
- Catalog : B-zar
- Contact : materialbank@designacademy.nl
- Members : 265
- Currency: Zarbs
- Location : Emmasingel 14, 5611 AZ Eindhoven, Pays-Bas, behind the workshops in the MU space (1st floor)
- Space : 50 m²
- Materials : clay, paint, paper, wood, metal, textile, plastic, renting podium...
- Opening hours and days : everyday 1h30-2h30 pm
La Boîte à Sardines
EBABX - Bordeaux
- Creation: October 2021
- Particularities: Our space is uniquely located outside our main building in two converted shipping containers. The Sardine Can maintains a close relationship with the school administration, and is fortunate to count a professor among its direct members, which helps ensure smooth communication.
- Web: Instagram
- Catalog: Sardine Can
- Contact: bozartsardine@gmail.com
- Number of users: 80
- Currency: Les Sardoux
- Location: Garden in front of the school
- Space: 32 m²
- Materials: a bit of everything, but mostly gems (sadly, no gold)
- Opening hours: on request, one manager per workshop
La Souplothèque
Cycl.one - Bruxelles
- Creation : January 2022
- Particularités : La Souplo.thèque est portée par le collectif textile Cycl.one. Spécialisée dans les matériaux souples cette Récupérathèque hors école est ouverte aux habitant.es de Forest et plus si affinités.
- Web : Instagram, Facebook
- Catalogue : Souplothèque
- Contact : collectif.cycl.one@gmail.com
- Nombre d’utilisateur.rice.s : 122
- Monnaie : Les Vents
- Localisation : Maxima, Rue du Monténégro 144, 1190 Forest, Belgique
- Espace : 40 m²
- Matériaux : matériaux souples
- Heures et jours d’ouverture : Ouvert le JEUDI de 13h à 19h
Le Déambulateur
ESÄ - Dunkerque
- Creation: February 2022
- Particularities: The Déambulateur is run by 10 students and is financially supported by the student association Bernadette.
- Web: Instagram
- Catalog: Déambulateur
- Contact: ledeambulateur@esa-n.info
- Number of users: 90
- Currency: BPM
- Location: the publicly accessible stock is located in a container in the school courtyard, with additional storage in the ESÄ Dunkirk basement
- Space: 20 m²
- Materials: Wood, metal, paper, fine arts supplies, furniture, miscellaneous objects, fabrics
- Opening hours: Every day at lunchtime
Passage des curieux
Haute École Franscico Ferrer - Bruxelles
- Creation: March 2022
- Particularities: Located above the Passage du Travail inside the Palais du Midi. We have a lot of textile materials.
- Web: Instagram
- Catalog: Passage des Curieux
- Contact: passagedescurieuses@gmail.com
- Number of users: 15
- Currency: Les Clics
- Location: 2nd floor → Passage du Travail door
- Space: 30 m²
- Materials: Fabrics, haberdashery, pattern paper, books on art/fashion trends, drawing materials, etc.
- Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 12:10 to 13:00
La Source
INSEAMM - Marseille
- Creation: March 2022
- Particularities: Located on the Luminy campus, we are quite far from the city center (50 minutes by bus). La Source therefore has a dual function: promoting circularity and reuse of materials, and serving as an on-site source of materials for students and workshops. It has become a widely used space in the school, whether for retrieving materials or as a place for repurposing old student works into usable resources.
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: lasource.recup@beauxartsdemarseille.fr
- Number of users: 500
- Currency: Free! Currency system: X = taking materials, O = contributing to La Source (help or material deposit)
- Location: Under the metal workshop (Workshop E6)
- Space: 17 m²
- Materials: Wood, metal, various plastics, papers, textiles, etc.
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday from 1 PM to 5 PM
La Glaneuse
Beaux-Arts - Paris
- Creation : October 2022
- Particularités : Nous ne possédons pas de monnaie, on fonctionne en troc, et au plus possible de manière autogérée.
- Web : Instagram
- Catalogue : Passage des Curieux
- Contact : laglaneuse.r@gmail.com
- Nombre d’utilisateur.rice.s : 70
- Localisation : dans les caves
- Espace : 40 m²
- Matériaux : tasseaux, planches bois/metal/plexi, châssis, tissus, mercerie, peinture, quincaillerie, objets insolites divers et variés
- Heures et jours d’ouverture : Mardi, jeudi et vendredi de 12h10 à 13h00
COPOC
École des beaux-arts de Nantes Saint-Nazaire - Nantes
- Creation: February 2023
- Particularities: We are located near two other récupérathèques, a design school, and an architecture school. The space is small BUT well stocked.
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: copoc@beauxartsnantes.fr
- Number of users: 205
- Currency: La Noisette
- Location: Ground floor, next to the freight elevator, central hallway
- Space: 10 m²
- Materials: Wallpaper, wood, wire mesh, fabrics, paint, plaster, etc.
- Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 12 PM to 2 PM
Les Coulisses
Saint-Luc - Tournai
- Creation : March 2023
- Particularités : Localisé dans les anciennes coulisses de décors du théâtre de l'école, on y entre par une petite tourelle. Les Coulisses sont cogérées par l'école secondaire et suppérieure présentes sur le même site.
- Web : Instagram
- Contact : lescoulisses.saintluctournai@gmail.com
- Nombre d’utilisateur.rice.s : 55
- Monnaie : Les Boons
- Localisation : en face de l'ancien chateau d'eau
- Espace : 30 m²
- Matériaux : Tissus, bois, métal, peinture, quincaillerie, ect.
- Heures et jours d’ouverture : du lundi au jeudi de 12h à 13h
La Bonocaz
UCLouvain - Louvain-La-Neuve
- Creation: November 2023
- Particularities: La Bonocaz is more than just a récupérathèque! Managed by three different student project groups, an association, and the Catholic University of Louvain, this initiative combines three poles:
- Récupérathèque: When the university moves, furniture is not thrown away but circulated for everyone to use.
- Bikes: Abandoned bikes in the university parking lots are repaired, refurbished, and rented out to anyone interested.
- Electronics: Small second-hand electronics, repaired by a partner association, are sold at very low prices!
- Web: Website, Instagram, Facebook
- Contact: labonocaz.lln@gmail.com
- Number of users: 100
- Currency: OKZ
- Location: Basement of LSM, near the "Sablon" parking and Jean-Vilar theater, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)
- Space: 450 m²
- Materials: Cabinets, desks, chairs, shelves, armchairs, dishes, ... + household appliances + bikes for rent
- Opening hours:
- Mondays: 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM (all 3 poles)
- Wednesdays: 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM (electronics pole) + 12:45 PM - 4:30 PM (furniture pole)
- Fridays: 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM (bike pole)
Material Exchange
Parsons School of Design - New York
- Creation: December 2023
- Particularities: The Material Exchange has officially been active for one year! Students stay updated on hours, new materials, and announcements through our Instagram. Each semester, we host a major studio clean-out, where students contribute materials from various sources. The Exchange operates from a dedicated room, with materials organized in containers and on shelves. The space is primarily managed by three students, with additional support from 6-7 volunteers who earn Pars for their hours. The system runs on a weight-based model, and student accounts are tracked via an Excel sheet.
- Web: Website, Instagram
- Contact: material.exchange@newschool.edu
- Number of members: 250
- Alternative currency: Pars
- Location: 25 East 12th Street, 2nd Floor, Room 201
- Space: 3.25 x 4.25 x 2.7H meters // 10’8” x 13’11” x 9’H”
- Materials: Wood Planks, blocks and dowels, Metal sheets and rods, Fabrics of different sizes and materials, clay, paper, hardware, cardboard, chipboard, tools like pliers, rulers, scissors, Olfa knives, glass, paints, brushes, foam, lighting equipment, wire.
- Opening: Monday- Friday: 10am-12pm and 4pm-6pm
Les Orties
ENSAD - Limoges
- Creation: February 2024
- Particularities: The civic service member is on duty from Tuesday to Friday. The previous currency system was replaced by a simpler method. Most materials can be given to students. However, if they wish to borrow rarer or larger quantities of materials, they will have to barter.
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: les.orties@ensad-limoges.fr
- Number of users: 55
- Currency: Picots
- Location: basement corridor (level -1)
- Space: 21 m²
- Materials: fabric, glass, metal, wood, foam, paper, cardboard, school supplies, everyday objects.
- Opening hours: Between 12 PM and 2 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
La Castorathèque
esam - Caen
- Creation: February 2024
- Particularities: Our space is open to everyone at all times to borrow or take materials. There is no currency — it's a free exchange system. The Castorathèque is a way to foster sharing and connection. We organize student-led workshops, knowledge and technique exchanges, pay-what-you-can meals every Thursday, and fun festive events.
- Web: Website: in progress, Instagram
- Contact: castorateque@gmail.com
- Number of users: 1
- Location: in the atrium
- Space: 50 m²
- Materials: all kinds of odds and ends
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 10 PM
Le Recoin
ENSAD - Nancy
- Creation: March 2024
- Particularities: Small space connected to the Artem campus: all students and professors from the 3 schools can join. We are organized as a nonprofit association (French law 1901).
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: le.recoin@mail.ensa-nancy.fr
- Number of users: 75
- Currency: Stancoin
- Location: 1 place Cartier Bresson, 54000 Nancy
- Space: 10 m² in a little corner on the ground floor next to the test rooms
- Materials: wooden boards, battens, fabric, paper, polystyrene, paddle 🙂 + hardware
- Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, from 12 PM to 2 PM
S.C.A.M.P.I.
KU Leuven - Gent
- Creation: September 2024
- Particularities: Physical place connected to the faculty workshop. Self-checkout with our own system.
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: scampi.arch@kuleuven.be
- Number of members: 175
- Alternative currency : SCAMPI
- Location: Workshop at Leiekaai
- Space: 70 m²
- Materials: MDF, wood, cardboard,...
- Opening hours: self check-out system
Le Chantier
L'École de design - Nantes
- Creation: September 2024
- Particularities: Located within a private school (not open to the public), we have strong potential for partnerships with industrial sources of very interesting and abundant scrap materials. Due to this material abundance, we have temporarily paused the use of an alternative currency, but we continue to register members for better tracking.
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: recuperatheque-lechantier@lecolededesign.com
- Number of users: 68
- Location: fabrication hall
- Space: 20 m²
- Materials: fabric, wood, metal, wire mesh, foam, etc.
- Opening hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 PM to 2 PM + flash openings when available
Recuperatheek
UGent - Gent
- Creation: September 2024
- Particularities:
- Web: Instagram
- Contact:
- Number of users:
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MaMa !
unibz - Bolzano
- Creation: November 2024
- Particularities: We have three spaces: an Atelier that works as an office and workshop space, a little shelf in a university corridor for the easy exchange of smaller things and materials and then in the workshop area we have a bigger room to store all and also bigger materials. Our Récupérathèque organizes workshops and events to raise awareness about creative reuse and upcycling. It connects with external entities (associations such as kikero (student association of UniBz), collectives such as Via Dante, the workshops of our university and the FabLab of Bolzano) to expand recovery opportunities and to exchange knowledge.
- Web: Site, Instagram
- Contact: materialmattersbz@gmail.com
- Number of members: x
- Alternative currency: x
- Location: 4th floor - atelier 4.03 - mama cave -2 floor, corridor C0
- Space: around 15 square meter
- Materials: wood, metal, textile, plastics, paper, cardboard, ...
- Opening hours: available by appointment
La Boite à Trucs
ésadtpm - Toulon
- Creation: November 2024
- Particularities: The récupérathèque is located in the "volume / amateur practices" workshop on the first floor, close to the technical workshops — making it very useful for students.
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: laboiteatrucs.toulon@gmail.com
- Number of users: 28
- Currency: L'ôde
- Location: "Volume / amateur practices" workshop on the first floor
- Space: 18 m²
- Materials: mostly wood, paint, textiles, etc.
- Opening hours: Wednesday from 1 pm to 2 pm
La Boucle
ESAAT - Roubaix
- Creation: December 2024
- Particularities: We have a large amount of textiles, threads, and haberdashery.
- Web: Instagram, Catalogue
- Contact: laboucle@esaat-roubaix.com
- Number of users: 800
- Currency: la Maille
- Location: 539 Av. des Nations Unies, 59100 Roubaix, Building C, basement
- Space: 40 m²
- Materials: fabrics, tarpaulins, tiles, yarn balls, wood, metals, paper, etc.
- Opening hours: Tuesday 1 pm–2 pm and Friday 1 pm–3 pm
Prototek
École Supérieure d'Art et de Design - Orléans
- Creation:
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- Web: Instagram
- Contact: recuperatheque@esad-orleans.fr
- Number of users:
- Currency: Boulon
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Brique à Brak
Ensa - Bourges
- Creation: February 2025
- Particularities:
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- Contact: recuperatheque@ensa-bourges.fr
- Number of users:
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Bête de Récup'
ESA Académie des Beaux-Arts - Tournai
- Creation: June 2025
- Particularities:
- Web: Instagram
- Contact: recuperatheque.bdr@actournai.be
- Number of users:
- Currency: Boulon
- Location:
- Space:
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- Opening hours: