Sembra Orriols: co-designing a square

2016
Orriols, Valencia

The transformation of a plot of land into a square through a process of co-design between neighbours, administration and technical teams.

Sembra Orriols is the collaborative design process for the San Jerónimo hermitage square. Known as ‘the hermitage wasteland’ and claimed by citizens and community projects for years, the new square is presented as an opportunity for urban and social regeneration of the centre of Orriols.

In order to obtain the design of this space, a participatory process was initiated, involving the Administration and its technical teams, the architect in charge of drafting and directing the improvement works, the citizens and active social projects in the neighbourhood, and the university community, which collaborated in workshops.

The project is carried out jointly over 4 phases:

  • the existing green spaces in the neighbourhood.
  • the specific needs of the new space.
  • monitoring the design through placemaking actions.
  • evaluation of the impact of the participation process.

After two years, this new meeting place, which is already the heart of the neighbourhood, was inaugurated in 2018.

We handled the following tasks
  • Ideation: Research and context
  • Coordination: Process design
  • Facilitation: Co-creation dynamics
  • Production and implementation
  • Evaluation
Project data
  • 3,965 m2 transformed
  • more than 100 neighbours involved
  • 4 multi-sector co-creation workshops
  • 3 monitoring days
  • 2 urban reconnaissance routes
  • 1 neighbourhood office activated
  • 1 placemaking action
In partnership with
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