Amorgos Flux: Water, Tourism & Climate Change

Rock Solid

By: Julian Schmid, Isabelle Montufar &  Bahareh Montakhabi

Studio:
"Amorgos Flux"

Prof. Dr. Anke Hagemann
Dr. Christian Haid
David Bauer

Habitat Unit SS 2023

To promote the possibilities and show the potential of the many unused structures on the island of Amorgos, the ROCK SOLID ASSOCIATION will organize the prototypical restoration, of one remote, abandoned dry stone building. The aim is to show the dormant potential of these unused buildings.

Activating these structures, could facilitate a new form of sustainable tourism on the island. Workshops alongside this project, will educate interested builders and craftspeople from both within and beyond the context of Amorgos. The result of the project is of course the finished building, but additionally ROCK SOLID will also document the process and provide the needed instructions for people interested in realizing similar projects of their own. With the help of the association owners of abandoned buildings could generate an income from short term rentals or Air b&b’s after completing the restoration. Over time more and more of these revived structures will be found on Amorgos. The use of abandoned structures for touristic purposes are only one facet of the potential which lies in the rebuilding of these constructions.
     Another pressing problem on the island is the very competitive housing market. Tourism, especially short time rentals like Air b&b put an enormous stress on the housing situation. To tackle this problem ROCK SOLID proposes to reuse some of the existing ruins for housing. A crucial factor for the selection of the houses is the proximity to villages and their infrastructures.
      New competitions directed to young practitioners will be formulated by ROCK SOLID for various suitable structures. To achieve a realistic outcome a non traditional construction approach will be used. The construction methods have to be affordable, time efficient and easy to build by a minimum amount of people. ROCK SOLID will involve the municipality in the process of promoting the benefits of this concept and simplifying the permit procedures. Step by step these actions could help to solve the challenges of the complex housing market. After the first housing project is completed, with the help of the municipality, private investors can step in and restore the ruins in their backyard for housing. With the accumulated knowledge in traditional, modern and experimental restoration techniques new possibilities are now available for unconventional housing developments.
      Amorgos is known for its idyllic villages, countless chapels and mountainous landscape. It is therefore not surprising, that the island is particularly popular with hikers. Tourists and islanders alike take advantage of the network of footpaths and ancient donkey trails. The competition is about upgrading the hiking route between Chora and Katapola. The „Route 2“ is about 5km long and runs through a small valley between dry stone terraces and along old chapels. The walk from Chora to Katapola takes about 1h.
     Another special feature are the old wells, and cisterns along the route. These are part of the island‘s historic water infrastructure. Today most of these wells and cisterns have fallen into disrepair and are no longer in use or no longer have any water. However the well on „Route 2“ is still in good condition. As part of the competition students can choose from 5 different locations along the trail. Each team can work on one site. The interventions to be designed, should enhance the qualities of the hiking trail and offer an additional service to the users. There are no specific requirements for the program. The students are free to design their own concepts for use.
     The newly founded ROCK SOLID ASSOCIATION is going to organize the competition. In cooperation with several experts from various fields, the students are going to come up with architectural intervention alongside the trail. Mitato are involved to provide knowledge about the ancient water infrastructure of the island. A few of which can be found on the hiking route. Botanist, are going to educate the student groups about the complex ecosystem on Amorgos. An especially important subject, due to the consequences of climate change and global warming, which can also be experienced on the island. Archeologist will also be part of the competition. Ancient ruins and landmarks can be found all over Amorgos and should be considered in the design process.
      At last local masons will assist the students in the final build process of the winning design and pass on their knowledge to the next generations of planners and builders.