Urban Planning Portfolio by Raluca Hurmuz

RALUCA HURMUZ

PORTFOLIO OF SELECTED WORKS

URBAN DESIGN | URBAN PLANNING | BLUE-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURES

I am an architect and urban planner driven by the desire to improve the built environment through the application of my education and extracurricular experience. Learning to analyse and dissect the city in my second year at university has kindled my curiosity and fascination for everything urban. Since then, I've constantly challenged myself to understand better the interplay between urban systems, people and the natural environment. In my academic and personal pursuits, I've been exploring the hidden stories, the tiny details that can help us unravel human settlements' antithetical abilities to improve and harm people's lives. Furthermore, the thread that weaves my work together at every step is nature, a crucial element in our well-being.

In addition to my learning activity, the working environment helped me gain the ability to stay focused and organised under pressure, adapt to new, changing environments and to carry on being disciplined to achieve clarity and efficient decision-making. I have also received positive feedback for my attention to detail, a capability that helped me anticipate and avoid problems and mistakes in urban development projects.

As a passionate, curious reader and traveller, I am aware of and concerned about the climate crisis and its impact on our cities. I strive to be part of the change that society and the planet need to regenerate and achieve mutual benefits. I am always willing to be challenged, gain new perspectives and contribute to positively influencing the way our cities develop.

When I am not working, you will find me immersed in books, taking leisurely walks around the city or planning a new trip that would help me make sense of other hidden urban narratives.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

SELECTED PROJECTS

WORK EXPERIENCE | EDUCATION | OTHER ACTIVITIES | INTERESTS

URBAN RENEWAL OF THE FORMER INDUSTRIAL PLATFORM "SOLVENTUL"

TIMISOARA, TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA| WORK PROJECT

LOCAL PLAN DEVELOPMENT SCHEME FOR A MIXED-USE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEDICATED TO YOUNG FAMILIES

GHIRODA, TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA | WORK PROJECT

LOCAL PLAN DEVELOPMENT SCHEME FOR A RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR BISTRA FOREST

MOSNITA VECHE, TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA | WORK PROJECT

DESIGNING PUBLIC URBAN SPACES IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

TIMISOARA, TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA | MS DISSERTATION | 2020

REDEFINING THE POST-INDUSTRIAL URBAN LANDSCAPE THROUGH BLUE-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

TIMISOARA, TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA | BA THESIS | 2018

THE HEALING GRID WORKSHOPS - RESILIENCE LAB

TIMISOARA, TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA | WORKSHOP | 2018-2019

DE-A ARHITECTURA IN MY CITY

G.MOISIL HIGH SCHOOL, TIMISOARA | VOLUNTEERING | 2018-2019

ralucahurmuz@gmail.com

www.linkedin.com/in/ralucahurmuz

WORK EXPERIENCE

URBAN PLANNER

• Devised residential and mixed-use local plans, developing projects from site appraisal and concept for land-use and transport networks to obtaining approvals, writing reports, preparing and submitting planning applications;

• Facilitated effective verbal and written communication with my team members, stakeholders, external consultants and local councils and demonstrated exceptional problemsolving skills while handling the integration of their needs within the projects;

• Coordinated and completed over 20 projects by organising and prioritising my workload with good attention to detail while assisting, delegating and verifying the work performed within my team of four;

• Implemented an internal framework for filing, managing, and organising documents to facilitate all facets of planning applications - diminished time for preparation of documents by 30% and clarified the stages of a project’s development in collaboration with peers, collaborators and clients;

• Enhanced 2D drawings templates by ensuring compliance with existing development guidelines and requirements from planning authorities to generate quality presentation standards.

INTERN ARCHITECT

S.C. EXPROCO S.R.L.| TIMISOARA | December 2018 - February 2020

• Undertook architectural surveys for small and large-scale buildings and generated clear 2D drawings and 3D models for further analysis and design proposals;

• Enhanced the overall functionality of the office by 30% by effectively filing folders, documents, and approvals by types of projects.

EDUCATION | CERTIFICATIONS

FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE IN URBAN DESIGN

ENDORSED BY URBAN DESIGN GROUP, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, UK | JUNE 2023

• Led by Rob Beardsworth and endorsed by URBAN DESIGN GROUP in the UK, the course presented the fundamentals of urban design regarding urban form and characteristics at different spatial scales, how to respond to context and create meaningful places, all correlated with national and local design policy, tools and guidance and applied in practical exercises.

MASTER IN CITY PLANNING AND LANDSCAPING

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF TIMISOARA, ROMANIA | 2018-2020

• Dissertation: “Designing public urban spaces in the context of climate change. Reshaping urban green spaces to mitigate the heat island effects by efficiently managing the rainwater”.

• Relevant courses include: Urban Mobility, Urban Planning Principles, Urban Theory, Geographic Systems, Urban Geography, Research Methods and Techniques in Urban Planning.

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE + MASTER IN ARCHITECTURE

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF TIMISOARA, ROMANIA | 2012-2018

• Thesis: “The role of blue-green infrastructure in redefining the postindustrial urban landscape of a shrinking city” - Hunedoara City

• Relevant courses include: Architectural Theory and Design, History of Universal Architecture, Computer-Aided Design, History of Urbanism, Urban Structure, Urban Composition, Landscape Design, Contemporary Theories and Methods.

RALUCA HURMUZ

URBAN DESIGNER | URBAN PLANNER | ARCHITECT

OTHER ACTIVITIES

VOLUNTEER | ORGANISER AND MENTOR

URBANIZE HUB - HACKATHON URBAN INNOVATION TIMISOARA | OCTOBER 2019

UrbanizeHub is a collaborative platform of multi-disciplinary experts whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, opinions, projects, and news about the future of cities and smart, innovative urban development.

• Mentored the participating teams in their endeavour to find creative and out-of-the-box solutions for neighbourhood mobility problems, incorporating digital tools and developing steps for defining the city’s Smart City Strategy.

VOLUNTEER | TEACHING ASSISTANT

DE-A ARHITECTURA ASSOCIATION | SEPTEMBER 2018 - JUNE 2019

“De-a Arhitectura” Association promotes architectural and built environment education for children and young people. A community of professionals and teachers are implementing programs to help younger generations understand the built environment, develop a range of requisite skills and abilities and become active citizens in their local communities.

• Conducted educational activities with children on basic architectural concepts and contemporary urban issues through games, short guided city tours, and engaging hands-on activities.

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT | CO-AUTHOR

THE HEALING GRID WORKSHOPS - GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS WITHIN TIMISOARA’S POLE OF GROWTH | 2018 - 2019

This project focused on Timisoara’s grid of drainage channels, specifically on their enormous potential to be integrated into an interconnected blue-green network that would benefit nature and people by promoting landscaping, ecological, recreational and health values.

• Wrote an article for the 2019 guide on managing rainwater in urban environments through interconnected networks of rain gardens. The guide aimed to become a tool for the city’s public administration in expanding Timisoara’s green infrastructure.

SOFTWARE

BASIC INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

INTERESTS

AUTOCAD

INDESIGN

ILLUSTRATOR

PHOTOSHOP

ARCHICAD LUMION

MS OFFICE

SKILLS

STRATEGIC THINKING

PROBLEM-SOLVING

DECISION-MAKING

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

TIME MANAGEMENT

ORGANISED

PATIENT AND SUPPORTIVE

RESOURCEFUL

CURIOUS

RELIABLE

READING to relax and immerse myself in different cultures, seeking to understand the world.

| CLIMATE CHANGE to understand how nature works and how to play my part in protecting it. | SUSTAINABLE LIVING because our lifestyle affects our well-being and the environment.

| TRAVELLING to explore the world's cultural diversity and listen to stories of people from all walks of life. | VOLUNTEERING to do good, become better and help others do good and become better. | PUBLIC SPEAKING AND STORYTELLING to learn how to build strong connections with people, sharing stories that inspire people to fight together for a better society.

URBAN RENEWAL OF THE FORMER

PLATFORM "SOLVENTUL"

Solventul Platform, a former petrochemical plant situated at the city's western edge, covering just under 40 hectares, holds a key position in the municipality's urban development agenda and the landowner's development projects portfolio. The area has an enormous potential to sustain the city's economic growth, address the increasing need for housing, public facilities and green spaces, and become a centre of interest at different levels.

The urban renewal project aims to complete the inner Ring Road IV (a critical infrastructure investment that will improve connectivity and release congestion in the city's traffic jam hotspots) and change land zoning from industrial to mixed-use in Timisoara's General Urban Plan.

As part of my responsibilities, I

1 This node is vital as it can make or break the scheme regarding accessibility if careful consideration is not given to pedestrian safety, connectivity and legibility of the space created. | 2 The asymmetric street section uses the southern exposure, providing more space for trees, terraces, sitting places and active frontages on the full-sun side of the street. | 3 Interspersing the built environment with a network of accessible, diverse green spaces and courtyards. | 4 The road connection with the future outer city's bypass will facilitate great accessibility in and out of the town. | 5 Completing the ring road IV is crucial for relieving traffic congestion in the central area and connecting the city's north and south side over the River Bega.

VERSION 1 | 3D VIEW PROPOSAL| STREET LAYOUT | POSSIBLE MASSING | FUNCTION DISTRIBUTION

Commercial, manufacturing, business and facilities of public interest placed along the main thoroughfare

Commercial (retail and leisure) spread amongst the ground floor of residential areas

Large public green areas complemented by a network of human-scale green spaces

One block dedicated to health functions

The railway acts as a strong barrier between the site and the natural area in the west

Education facilities distributed within the urban grain, closely related to the residential area

Diversified typologies of residential uses

VERSION 2 | DESIGN CODE PROPOSAL|

STREET LAYOUT STRUCTURE | BLOCK USES

LOCAL PLAN SCHEME FOR A MIXED-USE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEDICATED TO YOUNG FAMILIES 3

WORK PROJECT | 2021 | TEAM PROJECT

TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA | GHIRODA VILLAGE | AREA: 16 HECTARES

Ghiroda Village has expanded both in surface and population in recent years due to its proximity to Timisoara and appealing natural features like the Bega River and The Green Forest. Ghiroda Village Hall wishes to develop a neighbourhood for young couples and families. They commissioned our team to envisage a scheme that integrates and enhances existing natural features while accommodating various housing types and mixed-use buildings. My role in the project was to define pedestrian routes between and through the main proposed green areas and to create 2D drawings and 3D models for study and public presentations.

The planning principles that make the proposal noteworthy among similar schemes in the area are:

• Applying traffic-calming measures to ensure safer, lively streets for pedestrians;

• Large public green areas located in the proximity of housing and public facilities;

• Organising parking spaces for apartment buildings in clearly defined parking lots instead of reserving space for them incartilage.

single-family houses (row houses, detached houses) - 2 floors and attic

multi-storey apartment building - 3 floors public services and facilities; commercial, retail and services - 4 floors

apartment building with commercial, retail and services ground floor - 4 floors

education and community

water bodies

public greens (parks)

parking lots

pedestrian walkways

roads and streets

The Green Forest

PROPOSAL| DETAILED LAND USE, BUILDING FOOTPRINT AND STREET LAYOUT | 3D VIEWS

| 1 Pedestrian alleys to enable accessibility to the park and facilities of public interest. | 2 Row houses for increased density and drawn-back buildings to allow parking spaces and small front gardens to define a semi-public edge. | 3 Lowtraffic street defined by a change of direction through a shared space segment that connects the park and public facilities with the residential blocks in the vicinity. | 4 Wide linear green space that protects and integrates the drainage canal in order to potentially generate a blue-green network. |

5 Usually, parking spaces are provided on each plot of land. In this case, parking spaces have been grouped to ensure more space for greenery, walking and sitting.

towards Ghiroda Village

single-family houses (row houses, detached houses) - 2 floors and attic

apartment building with commercial, retail and services ground floor - 4 floors

water bodies

green spaces (parks, private backyards)

plotboundaries

parking lots

agricultural road

pedestrian walkways streets (vehicular and mixed traffic)

historic rural fabric of Mosnita Veche towards Mosnita Noua Village

Bistra Forest 300 m buffer zone

PROPOSAL| 3D VIEWS | LOW-TRAFFIC STREETS | ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACES

DESIGNING PUBLIC URBAN SPACES IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Natural green urban areas are under the constant pressure of urban development and the need to build more buildings, roads and parking spaces. Consequently, disconnecting the natural processes from our cities has degraded the natural water cycle and generated dangerous heat islands, affecting people's health. This project aims to explore the qualities of urban green areas and the potential of efficiently managing rainwater on the surface that can help mitigate the effects of climate change on cities.

Following the research of four essential ecosystem conceptsNature-Based Solutions, Urban Green Infrastructures, Ecosystemic Services and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems - I developed a methodology for analysis and intervention, synthesising the crucial aspects of urban green spaces networks in relationship with managing rainwater close to where it falls. Critical for the proposed approach was to determine the most sensitive areas by assessing how green spaces and rainfall interact with other vital urban components (figure 1-9).

Timisoara was built on marshland, making water an essential element in its urban evolution. At the neighbourhood scale proposal, green features are associated with the built environment to improve urban performances, reconnecting the city with the natural processes. Some of the research project's objectives were: resilient urban environments, biodiversity, water resources and urban structures protection, and reconnecting people with nature through highquality public spaces.

1 Urban T opography | 2 Permeable - Impermeable Surface Ratio | 3 Mobility Infrastructure | 4 Micro-Climate | 5 Rainwater Drainage Routes and Points | 6 Urban Green Infrastructure | 7 Urban Functions | 8 Soil Characteristics | 9 Social Diversity

PROPOSAL | CONNECTED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE PERI-URBAN AREA OF TIMISOARA

DESIGNING PUBLIC URBAN SPACES IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

MS DISSERTATION | 2020 | INDIVIDUAL - GUIDED BY LECTOR ANA-MARIA BRANEA TIMISOARA, ROMANIA | FABRIC NEIGHBOURHOOD

PROPOSAL|

REMODELLINGTHEMOVEMENTNETWORK

PROPOSAL|

GENERATINGACONNECTEDGREENINFRASTRCTURE

PROPOSAL|

DEFININGWATER-SENSITIVEURBANSTREETSANDSPACES

Reducing impervious surfaces by integrating lines of trees and shrubs, replacing asphalt with pavements and defining a play area for the school.

Recover space from cars and outbuildings to generate functional, attractive, diverse green areas, retain rainwater, and add social value.

Plant diverse local plant species to reduce and filtrate polluted stormwater runoffs flowing into Bega River and create safer, enjoyable streets for people.

PROPOSAL | ENHANCED SPACE FOR PEOPLE, NATURE AND PLAYFUL, FUNCTIONAL RAINWATER PATHS

REDEFINING THE POST-INDUSTRIAL URBAN LANDSCAPE THROUGH BLUE-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

BA

THESIS | 2018| INDIVIDUAL - GUIDED BY LECTURER

MIRELA SZITAR-SIRBU

HUNEDOARA CITY, ROMANIA | HISTORIC CENTER OF HUNEDOARA

Components of the natural environment have been integrated into urban structures throughout history. However, accelerated, often chaotic urbanisation has disrupted the connection between man and nature, exposing the individual to a predominantly artificial environment. Hunedoara, a former mono-functional industrial city, is currently in a shrinkage process but with enormous resources for recreating a new identity – the Corvin Castle and the natural features that connect it to the city.

The "shrinking city" phenomenon has led to social, administrative, and environmental dysfunctions. Yet, the analysis focuses mainly on the urban aspects. The functional and symbolic connection of the castle with the city centre is interrupted by the lack of a coherent network of pedestrian alleys, opportunities for relaxing or commercial activities and functions and the low quality of the urban public spaces. Consequently, the project's main objective is to define a recreational route that attracts residents and tourists by creating an ecological infrastructure with the natural landscape at its core, the Cerna River and the Zlasti Stream.

The project aims to develop a strategy for remodelling the postindustrial urban landscape based on contemporary urban planning principles that integrate ecological concepts. In order to generate a holistic approach to the project, four landscape restructuring methodologies were analysed: landscape ecology (Ian McHarg), describing ways to reintegrate natural processes into the human environment, the field of river restoration and the mechanism of image formation of the city (Kevin Lynch).

METHODOLOGY | RESEARCH QUESTION

Rivers and streams

Former industrial area | Hunedoara Steel Works

Main urban parks

Sanpetru Hill archeological site and Corvin Castle

Chizid Forest | Protected Botanical Reservation

Vacant land

Semi-rural area | Non-residential

Semi-rural area | Residential

Cemetery

ANALYSIS | NEIGHBOURHOOD SCALE AND NEARBY RIVERINE AREA ANALYSIS

The project site is crossed by Cerna River and Zlasti Stream. Over time, road rehabilitation processes and lack of green space maintenance have degraded the public space and interrupted the natural processes that allowed stormwater to infiltrate the soil and recharge the aquifers that feed the rivers. The proposed situation aims to correlate the distribution of mineral surfaces with planted surfaces and stormwater runoff.

ANALYSIS | TRAFFIC NETWORK | HARD-SURFACED PUBLIC SPACES

ANALYSIS | GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE | MAJOR WATER-POLLUTING SOURCES

ANALYSIS | URBAN FUNCTIONS | ATTRACTION FACILITIES |ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC SPACES

REDEFINING THE POST-INDUSTRIAL URBAN LANDSCAPE THROUGH BLUE-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

BA THESIS | 2018| INDIVIDUAL - GUIDED BY LECTURER MIRELA SZITAR-SIRBU

HUNEDOARA CITY, ROMANIA | HISTORIC CENTER OF HUNEDOARA

EXISTING CONDITIONS | PUBLIC AMENITIES | SPACE FOR GREENERY, PEDESTRIANS AND CARS

Cerna River | Zlasti Stream

Green patches

Groves| Riverine vegetation

Compacted soil

Sidewalks | Alleys

Roads

Sidewalks - section below

City Hall |Churches

Abandoned buildings

Vacant ground floor spaces

Ground-floor shops

Touristic amenities

Coffee shops | Bars

Grocery shops

Other types of businesses

The existing street network is hardly conducive to an inviting, attractive urban area for people to engage in activities and businesses to flourish. Unused parking spaces and wide streets are proposed to be redesigned to provide more space for social interaction and set the premises for developing a bluegreen infrastructure to redefine the city's identity.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | STREETSCAPE SECTIONS

PROPOSAL | URBAN FEATURES TO CREATE ATTRACTIVE, FUNCTIONAL URBAN SPACES

Particular importance is also given to the potential of the urban landscape to be understood and traversed in a coherent and intelligible way by observers. The impersonal, large scale of the streets that impede human presence and activities is reduced by intertwining vegetation and existing natural features with mineral spaces. This way, a human scale environment is created, helping people perceive nature as an integral part of their surroundings.

PROPOSAL | STREETSCAPE AND PARK SECTION

PROPOSAL | MORE SPACE FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE SKETCH | ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL

SKETCH | GET CLOSER TO THE CERNA RIVER

SKETCH | CROSS THE ZLASTI STREAM

THE HEALING GRID WORKSHOPS 7

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS WITHIN TIMISOARA’S POLE OF GROWTH

WORKSHOP | 2018-2019 | TEAM PROJECT

TIMISOARA CITY, ROMANIA | TIMISOARA'S POLE OF GROWTH

The Healing Grid Workshops started by recognising that the new challenges Timisoara deals with, due to its accelerated growth, amplify the city's vulnerability and unpreparedness in facing the effects of natural disasters. During a fortnight's summer workshop, I was part of a multidisciplinary team that endeavoured in spatial analysis, 3D mappings and landscape studies to envisage a tactical intervention that would draw people's attention to the utility and beauty of the drainage channels network.

Afterwards, I collaborated on the two follow-up versions of the good practice guides with an article on managing rainwater in urban environments through rain gardens and section assessment and proposal drawings on how the drainage channels could transform into ecological corridors. Based on the existing codes, public policies and legislation, we established a set of rules that would facilitate the creation of an interconnected bluegreen network along the channels for the benefit of both people and nature.

1 industrial plot fenced in through opaque elements installed on light metallic structures 2 poorly maintained channel, covered with scattered waste

3 agricultural plot developed to the limit of the channel without ensuring a green protection belt

1 maintain a 2,5m planted protection belt to ensure water retention and enhance biodiversity

2 sustain the development of native perennial vegetation to stabilise the channel's banks

3 integrate the channel within a wider green belt between the industrial area and other functions 4 make people aware of the channels' potential to become part of a network of attractive walking and biking routes

THE HEALING GRID WORKSHOPS | TACTICAL INTERVENTION

INTERVENTION ALONG INDUSTRIAL PLOTS | EXISTING CONDITIONS

INTERVENTION NEAR INDUSTRIAL PLOTS | ADAPTATION PROPOSAL

photo by Alex Todirica

photo by Alex Todirica

photo by Resilience Lab

DE-A ARHITECTURA IN MY CITY 8

VOLUNTEER | 2018-2019 | COLLABORATED WITH TEACHER AMELIA STAN

TIMISOARA CITY, ROMANIA | GRIGORE MOISIL THEORETICAL HIGH SCHOOL

De-a Arhitectura uses the city as a reference teaching material to help children develop requisite skills in order to become active citizens in their local communities. Correspondingly, the project exerts its educational power on teachers and volunteer architects. In their endeavour to teach children about the built environment, they develop new organisational and collaboration skills and facilitate interdisciplinary abilities transfer.

With the teacher's assistance, I conducted educational activities to teach pupils about architecture and their city through direct experiences: we played, went on expeditions, debated over pictures and various situations, and modelled and created drawings. I showed children how to discover and understand the built environment; in return, they taught me how to understand the city through their innocent eyes.