The urban and architectural legacy of the 20th century associated with the communist regimes in Europe (Eastern Bloc) and Asia (Soviet Union) has been a well-explored theme in the international scholarly community over the past thirty years. Meanwhile, local communities and national bodies have begun to acknowledge it from a patrimonial perspective. However, once the patrimonial acknowledgement process is initiated, there is often a lack of systematic intervention process to support both urban and architectural preservation and adaptation in line with contemporary use standards. 

After an in-depth bibliographical research and consultation of exiting surveys and available censuses, three case studies will be identifies in a multi-year timeframe (Romania, Albania and Armenia). The three case studies will illustrate three different implementations of the “socialist project” as well as three different trajectories in the transition process. Furthermore, the three case studies will be analysed from the perspective of their urban-scale and architectural-design, deeply contextualized in base of local and national realities, building and housing typologies, techniques, construction materials, and their current state of transformation and preservation. In addition, the transformation of usage options will be explored in direct relation with the property status change (e.g., transition from state-owned to privately owned) and adaptation to contemporary standards, aiming to define an intervention guideline in relation with each specific case study. These guidelines, tailored in a place-based approach, will step forward as anti-fragility strategies in complex in-transition realities. 

Additionally, the project seeks to gather information on potential research funding opportunities to strengthen and expand the network, enhance research production, and ultimately support intervention projects where the developed guidelines can be practically applied.