Bucharest, District 6
FAVORIT+ : Blueprint for Integrated Redesign of Urban Blocks for Energy-Efficient & Sustainable Communities
The FAVORIT+ project uses an integrated approach combining nature-based, technological and people-centred solutions to support sustainable renovation of large Soviet-era housing estates. It aims to create a new recipe for energy resilience and climate neutrality in dense urban environments including the use of bio-based materials (to replace polystyrene) and renewable energy sources (biosolar roofs). It aims to promote a co-owned transformation with the local community, including piloting microgrids, creating energy communities and developing an AI-driven digital twin to support energy optimisation, simulations and data-driven collaborative decision making.
Our main challenges...
Degraded Buildings and Infrastructure: 1 126 (70%) of Bucharest's District 6 socialist-era residential blocks have not been renovated in over 50 years and estates lack an integrated approach across spatial components for effective energy production tailored to community needs.
Slow Adoption of Ecological Practices: Recent investment efforts have been focused on district heating renovation and building insulation, but lack more ecological practices, such as use of renewable energy and bio-based materials.
Inefficient Governance and Collaboration Models: 95% of housing is private, and organised in Owners Associations (OA), which are not involved in collaborative decision-making. These communities face social challenges, including limited opportunities to engage in energy communities.
and proposed solutions
Nature-based solutions: Assessing locally available biomass as an ecological alternative to polystyrene for the renovation of a pilot four-storey multifamily building and stimulating new local industry (bio-based renovation value chains).
Technological solutions: Installing biosolar technology on the pilot building and conducting smaller pilots in three other buildings chosen through an open call. Also, AI-driven digital twinning for urban energy optimisation & simulation.
People-centred solutions: Converting the former restaurant Favorit into the Community Innovation ‘FAV-HUB’ to act as a collaborative space for relevant actors to co-create and test tailored solutions.
Key figures
Milestones
The moment FAVORIT+ sets its foundation: governance, co-creation, and first baseline insights for systemic transformation. FAVORIT+ is firmly established: management, communication, procurement, and evaluation frameworks are set up to guide the project’s journey. Co-creation activities and outreach efforts are launched, while the first baseline assessment of the urban block provides the initial reference point for transformation. Together, these elements mark the true beginning of systemic regeneration.
Procurement finalized, pilots launched, and the FAV-HUB opens its doors as a new community beacon. The project shifts into full-scale implementation. Procurement is finalized and the first monitoring systems and resilience indexes are activated. Bio-based materials are validated, RES pilots are launched, and the FAV-HUB comes to life as a space of community innovation and empowerment. FAVORIT+ now moves decisively from preparation to action.
Bio-based materials, RES pilots, and the digital twin begin to work together, while communities drive the change. At the project’s midway point, the pieces begin to converge: validated bio-based solutions, operational RES pilots, and an emerging digital twin start working in synergy. Community labs are active, Owners’ Associations are trained and engaged, and systemic regeneration of Bucharest’s large housing estates is visibly underway. FAVORIT+ is no longer just piloting solutions—it is driving change.
Validated pilots, empowered communities, and the digital twin converge into a mature innovation environment. The project reaches maturity. Bio-based and RES pilots are validated and fully functional, the digital twin operates as an advanced tool for energy transition, and evaluation results begin to consolidate. Meanwhile, empowered communities, supported by the FAV-HUB, are leading new governance and innovation models, turning the project into a living ecosystem of transformation.
Full-scale renovations and smart systems shape resilient neighborhoods, while the FAV-HUB fuels urban innovation. FAVORIT+ advances to a new stage of integration and optimization. Bio-based renovations and RES pilots operate at full scale, while the digital twin and CEMS continuously monitor energy and climate performance. At the same time, the FAV-HUB and community labs become active engines of co-creation, driving systemic regeneration across urban blocks. The project now combines technological innovation with community-led action in a powerful demonstration of resilience.
Solutions consolidated, lessons learned shared, and new governance models ready to inspire cities across Europe. The project culminates in a comprehensive moment of reflection and dissemination. Innovative solutions are fully evaluated, their impacts measured and monitored, and lessons learned are consolidated into actionable knowledge. Through targeted communication and active community channels, FAVORIT+ capitalizes its results, activating replicable models and governance frameworks that set the stage for broader urban regeneration across Europe.
