This thesis focuses on Metamorfosi Karditsa, a settlement that has been repeatedly hit by flooding, highlighting its particularly vulnerable position in the Thessalian plain. The extensive damage caused in 2023 led to the decision to relocate the settlement. However, before this could be implemented, some of the residents returned to the flooded area and began repairing their damaged homes.
The proposal consists of creating an infrastructure network that extends along the axis connecting the existing settlement of Metamorfosi with the potential new settlement and aims to support the community in the transition process, treating "repair" not as an isolated act of restoration, but as a complex process involving both the reconstruction of social and economic relations and the weakened rural landscape. A central role in the project is played by the establishment of an agrotourism cooperative, which functions as the administrative, social, and educational core of the proposal. The proposed network is being developed both in rural areas and within the settlement, through permanent and temporary interventions, including the cooperative's central building, local product preparation facilities, agritourism accommodation units, cooperative shops, and complementary infrastructure that supports the operation of the network.
The design of the structures aims to limit the risk of damage in the event of flooding. The basic spatial and construction logic is based on raising the buildings above ground level by adding an intermediate level between the flood zone and the roof. The main functions are developed on the intervention floor, while more temporary uses are located on the ground floor, allowing the built environment to adapt to changing landscape conditions.
This thesis seeks, through a "bottom-up" approach based on field research and dialogue with residents, to support a community threatened with dissolution, strengthening its capacity for recovery and self-determination after natural disasters. At the same time, it aims to strengthen the community in the long term against broader pressures affecting the Thessalian plain, such as soil desertification, overpumping of groundwater, and an aging population, phenomena that lead to the overall abandonment of the landscape and the settlements that sustain it.
Keywords: Metamorfosi, Floods, Repair, Agritourism Cooperative, Thessalian Plain