SOMETHING ABOUT URBAN co:Lab IN GENERAL
At A. PLAN, we see every project as an opportunity to create value for the widest possible audience. Our custom-designed solutions combine economic efficiency with meaningful, lasting impact. Through active stakeholder engagement and community-focused planning, we ensure investments are well targeted, cost-effective, and responsive to local needs.
We promote holistic, transdisciplinary approaches to architectural design and urban planning, enhanced by the insights gained through stakeholder engagement.
Maria Găvozdea
architect OAR I urban planner
Andreea Tănase
architect OAR I urban planner RUR
Alexandru Găvozdea
architect OAR, RIBA I urban planner RUR
Oana Pavăl
architect OAR I PhD
Meet the whole team
Răzvan Muntean
architect I urban planner
Anne Lenghen
arhitect OAR | interior designer
Adrian Pop
architect OAR I sustainability consultant
Bogdan Suditu
geographer | assoc. professor | PhD
(Post)Industrial site regeneration
Private initiative
Amylon was our first project to incorporate a participatory process. Our client sought to develop the site in multiple phases, creating a cohesive neighborhood that would adapt to the evolving needs of the community. At the same time, we had just acquired the UDM participatory methodology from an EU Social Challenge project—originally developed at the University of Helsinki and applied across Europe, but never before in Romania.
The project site, a 4.2-hectare area formerly occupied by the Amylon Factory and Slaughterhouse in Sibiu, had been cleared of buildings and debris years before our involvement. It was located between the railroad to the east and Cibin Street along the river to the north, adjacent to the Libertatea factory to the west, with Abatorului Street and a few apartment blocks to the south.
The zoning plan needed to incorporate adjacent properties, including a block of studios and the Libertatea factory—another post-industrial site that had retained its buildings and leased them to various businesses. Given this context, we structured the participatory process to address the entire zoning area, with a particular focus on our client’s site. Our team conducted the professional analysis, stakeholder mapping, and workshop facilitation, while the client provided event space and logistics.
Completed over five months in 2019, the participatory process included four structured workshops, each lasting two hours. Sessions began with an overview of professional and legal constraints before transitioning to broader conversations on community needs and development opportunities. Participants included primary stakeholders—those directly involved or affected by the project—as well as secondary stakeholders such as neighbors, NGOs, media, and potential future tenants or businesses considering relocation to the area.
As a result, a private school and a sports and wellness center joined the later design phases as future occupants. The conclusions drawn from the participatory process were integrated into the zoning plan, reducing the number of concerns raised during the formal public consultation required by local authorities. In parallel with the zoning approval process, we developed a masterplan and a design manual outlining qualitative criteria and standards that exceeded the legal framework of the zoning plan.
The zoning plan was approved in late 2022, followed by the architectural design for the first development phase in 2023. Site work commenced in December 2024.
(Post)Industrial site regeneration
Private initiative
Spanning 9 hectares, Independența was the largest post-industrial site in Sibiu along the Cibin River and a major point of concern for the local community. The site contained several listed heritage industrial buildings covering about a third of its area, as well as a street segment that had been closed since the factory shut down. This closure disrupted a historic connection between the city center and the neighborhood across the river, which is accessed via the town’s oldest stone bridge. Additionally, the city’s general urban plan required the inclusion of a nearly 1-hectare public park within the redevelopment.
A zoning plan was necessary to establish the conditions for the site’s regeneration, incorporating adjacent residential properties along the Cibin River and the pre-industrial buildings on Zidului (Wall) Street. Our team conducted the professional analysis and provided the strategic recommendations that guided the participatory process. We also mapped the stakeholder ecosystem and facilitated communication and workshops, while the client handled venue arrangements and logistics.
The participatory process consisted of four monthly workshops, each lasting two hours, covering a range of topics from conceptual discussions to practical considerations. Sessions began with an overview of professional and legal constraints before transitioning to broader conversations on community needs and development opportunities. Participants included both primary stakeholders—those directly involved or affected—and secondary stakeholders such as neighbors, NGOs, and organizations from the sports, cultural, and creative industries, along with potential future tenants.
Given the high level of public interest, we also conducted a survey that received over 1,200 responses, exploring key aspects discussed in the workshops. The results validated the workshop conclusions, confirming community preferences regarding the site’s atmosphere, activities, mobility solutions, and material choices.
The findings from the participatory process were integrated into the zoning plan, significantly reducing public objections during the legally required consultation process. The zoning plan approval procedure is currently ongoing.
(Post)Industrial site regeneration
Private initiative
The Municipality of Timișoara launched a regeneration strategy for the 40ha Antene Area, a mix of large commercial buildings, abandoned industrial sites, and smaller economic activities. The area, composed mainly of private properties, faced challenges related to buildability and urban quality. To ensure a coherent and sustainable transformation, the local council suspended urban planning until the strategy was developed through a participatory approach.
The participatory process was based on a comprehensive professional analysis and recommendations from our team, shaping key variables within the stakeholder engagement framework. Its goal was to establish a shared vision and objectives for the Antene area’s regeneration by:
- Identifying relevant stakeholders and initiating dialogue.
- Defining qualitative objectives beyond legal constraints, such as quality of life, construction standards, and green certifications.
- Setting quantitative objectives beyond legal requirements, including urban indices and land allocation for public facilities.
- Clarifying urbanization management tools and stakeholder roles.
Our office outlined stakeholder categories, provided public communication guidelines, and structured the participatory workshops. The municipality finalized the stakeholder list, managed relations, and ensured logistical support. The workshop schedule was mutually agreed upon.
Given the project’s scale and complexity, two additional workshops were included—one on sustainability, addressing legal updates, global trends, and green certification opportunities, and another on urban redevelopment tools, legal frameworks, and best practices. In total, six workshops were conducted, each followed by a detailed report.
The preliminary version of the strategy was presented in a public event featuring key officials and an interactive Q&A session. Participants could submit questions via an online platform and vote for those they found most relevant, ensuring that the most popular questions were addressed by the representatives on stage.
This was a first step in a medium to long-term process. We recommend sustaining an iterative public-private dialogue as key to the Antene area’s regeneration. Adapting communication to the target audience enhances engagement, while ongoing stakeholder involvement builds capacity for future complex discussions. Without such experience, genuine participatory processes remain challenging.