EcoTales joint workshop between Columbia University and Aristotle University aims to research and suggest ways of mild development and exploitation of the area. During the workshop, the students will design and build a riverside fabricated structure that captures the essential idea of mild development for the protected area.

The proposals and conclusions deriving from the workshop and research will be presented at a special event and published in an edition.

The project is supervised and funded by Northern Greece Entrepreneurs Cultural Society as a contribution to the 100-year Independence anniversary of Thessaloniki in 2012.

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Eco-Tales is a four week workshop on the ground in Thessaloniki. A select group of 12 graduate architecture students, 6 from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University and 6 from the School of Architecture, Aristotle University assisted by their tutors, will spend four weeks in Thessaloniki during the month of July to research the unique coastal area which stretches from the port of Thessaloniki to the 'Delta' system of Axios River. In the wider region rivers Loudias, Aliakmonas and Gallikos detrude as well and along with Axios they create a large wetland area of great importance that forms a mosaic from brackish lagoons, saline soils, extensive mudflat, swamps, sand dunes, rich vegetation and extensive crops. The area is protected by the Natura Network and Ramsar conditions, however has remained abandoned and extensively polluted for the past years.

http://www.arch.columbia.edu/announcement/news-events/global-networking-gsapp-summer-workshop