Cultura Brezoi Part 2 Project 2002 Leo CareJess Hrivnak University of Sheffield | UK The Cultura design project is not solely based on the design of a building, but rather the design of an architectural process. This process has a number of key elements that involve different people [actors] or groups of people. The foundation of this process is a series of 'Cultivations' or area specific strategies for Brezoi that seek to aid the transitional development of its residents. The aim of each Cultivation is to establish and enhance social relations within the community, offering residents opportunities to sustain themselves and help improve the area of Brezoi on ecological and socio-economic levels.The Cultura Exchange is the 'built' element within the process, physically representing regenerative change over time. It is designed as a pilot scheme, exchanging research facilities, resources and information. The project also suggests an increasingly participative approach over time, where residents of Brezoi can shape strategies according to their changing needs and increasing skill levels. Leo’s « Cultivations » project proposes urban regeneration solutions within a small post-industrial city located in a post-communist country. Based on a careful analysis of the existing situation, the project is an attempt to redefine the diploma project as a piece of research by design. Rather than working as a traditional architect (conceiving and conducting a building project), Leo proposes a number of « cultivators » and « curators » who initiate self-managed urban strategies. As such, the project is not simply a product but a production tool, a tactical instrument aimed to implement and assist regeneration strategies. The « cultivations » involve consultations, formations, and self-building processes at different stages of development within the project, in an attempt to redefine what a participative process may involve. Whilst the final buildings are intentionally modest, the scheme is extremely ambitious in spatial and social terms.