Remediation as Reinvention

How can a neglected landscape act as a foundation for building stronger, healthier communities?

For designers and planners, disinvested landscapes are powerful catalysts for confronting history and reimagining the future. Through developing innovative solutions for treating toxins and building ecological resilience, Sasaki’s remediation-driven projects help communities generate new ways of connecting to their natural surroundings and fostering shared landscapes.

In Lakeland, Florida, Sasaki embarked on a comprehensive endeavor to breathe ecological and cultural life into a once-bustling, now-abandoned rail yard. We created vibrant landscapes that invite varied forms of recreation and a Nature Center where visitors of all ages can learn about the native ecology and wildlife of the region. At its heart, the project underwent a remediation of contaminated soil, a strategy that underscores the inherently circular process of stewarding the land.

We devised a creative approach to regenerating a landscape harmed by industrial waste and inadequate stormwater management systems. By moving and shaping the contaminated soil to create gentle hills and capping them with clean soil, we consolidated tainted matter while introducing texture to an otherwise flat terrain, creating opportunities for more variegated, dynamic spaces within the park. The undulations of the hills are echoed in the forms of the buildings and pathways–an indicator of the collaborative work undertaken by our architectural and landscape design teams.

Yet the industrial and agricultural legacies embedded in this land are not forgotten in the new park. Instead, they are embedded into the educational programs and informational markers sited across the landscape, reminding people of the histories that give shape to these shared environments.

K-12 programs focused on nature and ecology take place across purpose-built spaces and serve as a key means of instilling stewardship across generations. Cultural celebrations, field trips, exercise classes are all part of the day-to-day life of the 168-acre park. Beyond the immediate community of Lakeland, the park also serves as a natural oasis for Tampa and Orlando residents, given its strategic location on the I-4 corridor between the two cities.

Every ecosystem poses a unique set of challenges and opportunities for restoration. In Athens, Sasaki is undertaking an ambitious project to transform the site of the former Athens International Airport into what will soon become Europe’s largest coastal park.

After being decommissioned in 2001, the site went largely unmaintained for nearly two decades. The industrial activity that once prevailed in the area eventually gave rise to novel ecosystems– habitats that have been fundamentally transformed by human presence and intervention. 

In response to these conditions, Sasaki identified a detailed list of native and adapted plant species that could benefit the changed ecosystem and encourage interactions across local flora and fauna. A former Olympic canoe/kayak infrastructure will be repurposed as a water reclamation device, as part of a management system designed to address water scarcity in the region.

Caught between the legacies of premodern city planning and contemporary shifts in urban behavior tied to the economic crisis of 2008-10, Athens lacks public spaces that are intentional in their relationship with nature. Most existing open spaces in the city are either undeveloped areas adjacent to ancient ruins or sterile plazas in hyper-urban environments. The 600-acre park, replete with recreational spaces, diverse habitats, and cultural facilities, will fill this gap, enriching the lives of Athenians by embedding a sustainable, equitable, and ecologically vibrant landscape into the fabric of the city. 

The park is a place where historical time is counted in both years and millenia. It is an invigorating opportunity to help Athenians reimagine their relationship to their coastal surroundings and chart the city’s path towards a more resilient future. At Sasaki, we believe that such projects challenge us to critically reflect on the narratives landscapes carry, and use architecture as a tool for nurturing and communicating them.

Remediation is an ongoing process that requires sustained research, foresight, and trust across local communities, designers and planners. Remediation also encourages us to be nimble and imaginative–how can these interventions build upon the ecological and human histories of the site, while at the same time charting vibrant and resilient futures? How can they inspire communities to develop new ways of engaging with their surroundings? As we tackle the climate crises’ many-pronged challenges, remediation remains a crucial part of our toolkit for adapting and strengthening our shared environments amidst a changing world.