TERRA INCOGNITA: Eco-Tales for Thessaloniki's sea line

This summer workshop will be structured as a speculative research and design project that explores the convergence of technology and nature in the outskirts of cities, seeking to define new ways of life and culture that might emerge from this convergence. The exploration will be carried out by researching the natural resources, proliferation of wild life and organic growth, as well as the existing minimum impact vernacular structures in the seashore of Axios' river delta adjacent to Thessaloniki's harbor.

The area contiguous to Thessaloniki's main port spanning to Palaioxori is tentatively entitled terra incognita; it is an ecologically affluent region, unique in its geomorphologic formation and vernacular construction physiognomy in close proximity to the urban center. However, under the assumption that an area of such natural wealth should be preserved “as is,” the territory is largely abandoned and forgotten. The main premise of the workshop is to project new ecological ways of accommodating habitats for wild life, to design infrastructure that optimizes the management of natural resources as well as to integrate human life and culture in a symbiotic relationship with the natural territory by inventing sustainable structures of minimum impact, closely linked in terms of construction logic to the existing structures.

By designing habitats for wild life, sustainable infrastructure for the optimum redistribution and cleansing of water, substructures that harness wind and sunlight producing electricity, it is possible to create a natural park for the study and observation of ecological life, as well as for the engagement of the citizens with nature and by extension with farming, food and energy production possibilities in the urban sphere. This ecological hub is envisioned as a new pole of cultural, economic and sustainable growth for the city of Thessaloniki, as an ecological territory that might revitalize the city itself by offering a center of culture, food and energy production.

Key to the development of ideas will be the concept of “minimum footprint” by offering lightweight autonomous infrastructure that returns energy to the city through the reuse of natural resources: water, wind and solar power. Seasonal change, the passage from summer to fall, winter and spring, will constitute a significant factor for the development of proposals. In the tumultuous conditions of global warming, the climate of Thessaloniki still exemplifies the normative passage of all seasons, in contradiction with other geographical regions where the weather changes erratically. The proposal will be developed in mind to function in different ways in all seasons and potentially programmatically linked to the seasonal passage.

Methodologically, we will work in different scales by zooming in and out of the territory developing proposals as organizational strategies in a larger scale, zooming in to architectural proposals in specific locations and zooming even more to the identifications of materials and low-cost fabrication strategies for specific installations. Similarly to working in three different scales of development, we will also develop in the proposals in different stages in time. In other words, there will be a set of proposals that can potentially be developed in a first stage in two years, five years and ten years.

The GSAPP summer workshop in Thessaloniki will take place in July 2011 ( July 6-26, 2011) at Anatolia College (the American College of Thessaloniki). It will bring together six selected students from the GSAPP with six selected students from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. During the workshop, a series of lectures will take place, focused on experimental approaches crossbreeding nature and technology. Two daily excursions and one two-day weekend trip in Halkidiki (beach holiday) will also be organized.

The workshop will be structured in the following phases:

In the first phase, we will conduct research, collecting maps, information and material on the region, as well as defining the precise boundaries of the territory under investigation. In parallel, we will assemble a database of case studies on natural parks and ecological design and research projects in proximity to urban centers including proposals for animal habitats, urban farming, agrotourism etc in order to suggest a new approach to ecotourism.

In the second phase, we will suggest planning proposals for the area, as well as design in more detail potential structures using experimental construction techniques, combining low-tech applications with digital fabrication methods. As a finale to the second phase, students will present drawings and models of their proposals to a jury of invited critics.

In the third phase, instructors and students we will work in collaboration to create an ephemeral 1/1 prototype installation that will be fabricated and installed in the Delta of Axios river for one week. We will transport and install the structure and invite a jury at the actual site to make comments. The installation and final on-site critique will be documented in video and photographed. The city public will also be invited to this final event. The Thessaloniki Project | Summary page | 2

The GSAPP summer workshop in Greece is directed by Lydia Kallipoliti, Assistant Professor Adjunct at Columbia University in collaboration with Niki Andreadou and Manolis Tzekakis, Professors at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Yota Adilenidou, tutor at the Architectural Association in London, and Andreas Theodoridis, principal of 207x207 architects in Greece. Mark Wigley (Dean of the Architecture School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University) and Beatriz Colomina (Professor and Director of the PhD Program, Princeton University) will deliver the keynote inaugural lectures for the workshop on June 29th at the Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Francois Roche (Principal of R& Sie Architects, Paris) will also deliver a keyonote lecture on July 14th at the Municipality Center of Thessaloniki. Additional guest instructors and speakers include Eva Franch (Director of the Storefront for Art and Architecture) and Michael Young (Assistant Professor at the Cooper Union and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University). The invited speakers for the symposium in conjunction with the workshop will deliver public lectures, but will also participate as jurors in design reviews of the workshop providing feedback to the students and the research group.

This workshop is possible with the generous sponsorship and initiative of the Northern Greece Entrepreneurs Cultural Society.

For more information visit: http://gsappstudioxthessaloniki.wordpress.com

For any questions, please contact: Lydia Kallipoliti | email: lydia.ka@gmail.com

image@ Alexandros Tsamis