This beautiful eco-park was once a contaminated brownfield in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The park was designed by Levisky Arquitetos Associados and spill across 130,000-square-foot site, which was previously the home to a garbage incinerator. The team clean-up the area and tried to minimize soil excavation by building a deck, that floats three feet above the ground.

The place is called Victor Civita Plaza, which also features solar panels, the vast use of reclaimed wood and retro-fitted museum. The archeologists found forgotten artifacts and use as evidence of past events.  The deck’s elevation literally exposes the history of the landscape as a reclaimed site. It is constructed of Brazilian hardwood that was sourced from distributors that follow stringent rules on extraction and reforestation.

The construction of the project takes advantage of the its history to encourage visitors to think about the past and present ecology of the site. Through exhibit panels, they are able to get a grasp on various efforts taken to make the space cleaner, healthier — and ultimately, more sustainable.

Recreation makes the space a priceless amenity for neighboring communities in this dense urban area. A covered amphitheater offers music events while a community center offers eco-centric workshops. And integrating these spaces into thoughtful design and educational planning, the team have made this site capable of actively improving the social and environmental health of the surrounding neighborhoods.