Recovering Through Incision – Urban Regeneration Architecture

Recovering Through Incision is an urban regeneration architecture project by Marcos Bresser located in the northern portion of the Bela Vista neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil. The proposal operates simultaneously at the urban and architectural scale, addressing long‑standing spatial, social, and infrastructural fragmentation within a dense metropolitan fabric. Rather than relying on large‑scale demolition or tabula‑rasa redevelopment, the project introduces a series of precise, strategic interventions—referred to as “incisions”—to heal a degraded urban organism.

The concept is rooted in the idea that cities, much like living bodies, can be treated by identifying symptoms and applying targeted corrective actions. In Bela Vista, the symptoms manifest as disconnected pedestrian networks, underutilized viaduct spaces, lack of public amenities, and weak relationships between infrastructure and everyday urban life.

Reactivated viaduct crossing transforming infrastructure into public space

Multi-level public plaza reconnecting pedestrian movement within the urban fabric

Urban Context and Diagnosis

Bela Vista sits within a complex urban condition shaped by overlapping road infrastructures, viaducts, and dense residential and commercial developments. While these infrastructures ensure mobility at the metropolitan scale, they simultaneously create physical and psychological barriers at the local level. The viaduct crossings, in particular, generate residual spaces that remain inactive, unsafe, and socially disconnected.

Through analytical mapping—covering building density, institutional distribution, parking concentration, and urban heat islands—the project identifies a clear imbalance in spatial quality and public accessibility. These analyses reveal a strong need for urban regeneration architecture that does not erase existing structures but instead reinterprets and reactivates them.

The Strategy of Incision

The central design strategy proposes architectural and urban “incisions” that cut through existing barriers to reconnect fragmented territories. These incisions are not destructive; they are deliberate insertions that stitch together different urban layers. Viaduct crossings become key vectors for transformation, evolving from purely infrastructural elements into active public connectors.

By activating the top, underside, and surrounding areas of viaducts, the project introduces multi‑level public circulation systems, green corridors, and social programs. These interventions restore continuity between neighborhoods while transforming leftover infrastructure spaces into productive urban environments.

Aerial view revealing strategic urban incisions across dense city infrastructure

Conceptual site model illustrating precise architectural interventions

Programmatic Integration

A diverse mix of programs is distributed across multiple ground levels and structural layers to ensure constant urban activity throughout the day. The program includes:

Commercial spaces such as markets, cafés, bakeries, and anchor stores
Cultural facilities including museums, auditoriums, bookstores, and media libraries
Social infrastructure such as basic health units, welcome centers, and community support spaces
Services that support daily life, including gyms, climbing facilities, and sports courts

This programmatic layering is carefully calibrated according to visitor flow, accessibility, and spatial hierarchy. High‑flux programs occupy central connective zones, while quieter functions are placed in protected or transitional areas.

Architecture as Urban Infrastructure

In this urban regeneration architecture proposal, buildings function as extensions of public infrastructure rather than isolated objects. Ramps, bridges, and stair systems are designed as continuous public landscapes, blurring the boundary between building and city. Pedestrian movement becomes a defining architectural element, shaping form, section, and spatial experience.

The architectural language remains restrained and structural, allowing circulation systems and public platforms to take visual precedence. Vegetation is integrated throughout the project, softening hard infrastructure and contributing to microclimatic comfort within the dense urban setting.

Social and Environmental Impact

By reclaiming neglected infrastructure spaces, Recovering Through Incision enhances social safety, walkability, and accessibility. The project encourages everyday use by residents, workers, and visitors, fostering informal encounters and reinforcing neighborhood identity.

Environmentally, the integration of green surfaces, shaded circulation, and reduced reliance on vehicular movement contributes to mitigating urban heat island effects. The proposal demonstrates how urban regeneration architecture can operate as both a social and ecological catalyst within existing cities.

Recovering Through Incision presents a nuanced approach to urban regeneration architecture—one that prioritizes precision over масштаб, connection over separation, and reuse over replacement. By transforming viaduct crossings into active urban agents, the project reimagines infrastructure as a tool for healing, continuity, and collective urban life.

Shortlisted Entry – UnIATA 2018