For over 3.500 years, the coastline of Greece has been continuously lived and depicted, mythologised and narrated. More than a physical, geographical context, it can be described and interpreted as a cultural, economic and social construct. Greece has the most extensive coastline among all Mediterranean countries, measuring 13.780 km. It is a predominantly rocky coast (70%) while the remaining part is characterised by sandy beaches and dunes as well as wetlands and lagoons. Greece’s marine habitats, the unique biodiversity of the coastal areas and the numerous islands constitute the country’s greater natural wealth sources and a main economic driver. Almost all major urban areas are located along the coastal zone as well as 80% of industrial and 90% of tourism and recreation infrastructures. A third of the Greek population (11 million) live within a strip of 1 to 2 km from the coastline, while 85% is living within 50 km from the coast.
Today, together with the 22 countries of the Mediterranean Basin, Greece shares a number of challenges to its degraded coastal environment, including stringent pressures due to intense -often illegal- urbanisation and conflicting land-uses, industrial and tourism development, mainland and maritime transport infrastructure, land-based and sea pollution, overexploitation of natural resources and agricultural lands, over-fishing and aquaculture, as well as vulnerability to natural hazards (i.e., erosion), sea-level rise and other climate change impacts. The lack of rational policies, integrated and sustainable development strategies, the fragmentation of the relevant legislation, fail to restrict inexorable financial exploitation, setting at risk the protection of the country’s coastline and its fragile ecosystems.
The ongoing research project ‘Coastal Domains’ at the University of Patras’ Department of Architecture investigates and speculates upon dichotomous phenomena of territorial transformations, contemporary socio-economic processes, history and climate change of the Eastern Mediterranean coastal landscape. During Spring 2016, ten design research projects through case studies on coastal zones across the Ionian Sea, explore how the layered phenomena of illegal development, intensification, over exploitation, abandonment, erosion, can be consolidated, diverted or avoided.
The ionian atlas constitutes a cartographic archive of geographical, morphological, historical and ecological conditions and transformations of 10 wetland, riverine, urbanised and infrastructural contexts along the Ionian coastline while the panoramas, programme speculations and design projects for managing ecological, urban, socio economic challenges in a foreseeable future.
Coastal Domains
University of Patras
Department of Architecture
4th year Architectural Design Option Studio Spring 2016
Studio Instructor
Demetra Katsota AADipl MArch(Harvard) RIBA
Associate Professor of Arhitectural Design
Research Coordinator
Constantinos Petrakos DiplArch, MSc
Contact
katsota@upatras.gr
Research Team
Stella Andronikou
Born in Athens. BA in Political Sciences (University of Athens, GR ), MA in Marketing Communications (University of the Arts, London, UK), BA in Interior Design (Akto College, Athens, GR). Currently, Stella is completing her studies in Architecture at the University of Patras. Hotel Manager in Mykonos, GR since 2005. Stella’s main interest and focus lies in the relation between tourism and architecture.
Anna Biza
Born in Athens. Undergraduate student of architecture (University of Patras, GR). Volunteer for Open House Athens 2016. Attended ΕΣΩ, Interior Design Conference 2016 in Athens. Speaks Greek, German, English.
Iason Anastasios Giannopoulos
Born in Athens. Undergraduate architecture student at the University of Patras. Iason has participated in exhibitions, workshops and architectural competitions. He is participating in the upcoming International AUTONOMA Conference on Urban Autonomy and the Collective City. Iason’s interests lie in the relation between architecture, politics and ideology.
Marios Horsch
Born in Athens, GR. Architecture student at the University of Patras. Marios likes the use of applied arts as a way of expression and description of reality. In his work through the method of collage he constructs memory maps. He draws small and large scale sketches with black ink.
Maria Kalaitzaki
Born in Crete, GR. Architecture student at the University of Patras. Maria is interested in urban planning and design. For her Thesis Prep she will focus upon the investigation of urban patterns. Organizer and participant in numerous architectural workshops and seminars.
Aimilia Karkoulia
Born in Athens, GR. Aimilia is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete her Diploma in Architecture in 2017.She is interested in architectural representation and graphic design. For her Thesis Prep and Diploma project Aimilia will focus on Tourism Landscapes in Greece.
Stefania Kontinou-Chimou
Born in Athens. Stefania is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete her Diploma in Architecture in 2017. Stefania is interested in contemporary territorial phenomena and transformations and in architecture’s potential to project possibilities for a better humanity. For her Thesis Prep and Diploma project in collaboration with Alexandra Zachariadi, they will focus on coastal Mediterranean City territories and strategies of coastal resilience.
Prokopis Maragkakis
Born in Chania, GR. Architecture student at the University of Patras. Prokopis uses sketches as the basis for his design process together with collages and architectural models. Participant in numerous architectural workshops. Prokopis is a keen photographer.
Fotis Panagopoulos
Born in Patras, GR. Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete his Diploma in Architecture in 2017. Fotis is interested in the connection between architecture and culture and in the function of geometry. Fotis is a professional photographer.
Filippos Papadopoulos
Born in Aigion, GR. Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete his Diploma in Architecture in 2017. Filippos is interested in storyboarding and territorial planning. He considers architecture as an art form, a utopian visualization imagery of fictitious places and conditions where all limitations can be lifted.
Katerina Roussou
Born in Athens, GR. Currently living in Patras, studying Architecture at the University of Patras. Prior to enrolling to the Diploma in Architecture at Patras, Katerina studied for two years at the Department of Interior Architecture, Decorative Arts of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens. Katerina’s thesis Prep focuses upon the functional, structural, cultural functions of building facades within the urban landscape.
Theodora Serdari
Born in Athens, GR. Theodora is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras. She has participated in numerous international workshops and design seminars. Theodora is currently working on her Thesis Prep, researching upon Smart Architecture and the potentials of Smart neighborhoods.
Konstantina Anna Sofianidi
Born in Patras, GR. Konstantina is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras. Konstantina is interested in exploring and speculating upon contemporary urban phenomena.
Aggeliki Stakia
Born in Chios, GR. Aggeliki is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete her Diploma in Architecture in 2017. Aggeliki’s interests lie in conservation and restoration which will constitue the main focus of her Thesis Prep and Diploma project.
Ioanna Trikogia
Born in Patras, GR. Ioanna is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete her Diploma in Architecture in 2017. Ioanna’s Thesis Prep and Diploma Project will focus on Illusion of / and architecture.
Athina Xenouli
Born in Athens, GR and raised in Marmari, Evia. Athina is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras. Athina enjoys questioning the given and approaches architecture as a means of creating new realities.
Alexandra Zachariadi
Born in Athens, GR. Alexandra is a fourth year Architecture student at the University of Patras and will complete her Diploma in Architecture in 2017. Alexandra’s interests lie on issues of contemporary urbanism and landscape ecology. Her Thesis Prep and Diploma project will focus on coastal Mediterranean City territories and strategies of coastal resilience.
