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APPLIED FIELD STUDIES IN GREECE	Sustainable Community Development   ISLAND OF KEFALONIA, GREECE   Sponsored by Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University and the Northwest Council of Study Abroad Universities (NCSA) in cooperation with AHA International, an Academic Program of the University of Oregon   • Experiential, project-based learning on-location. • Hosted in Kefalonia in partnership with local communities, governments, and NGOs. • Program center in town of Argostoli. Field studies in ancient mountain village. • Multi Disciplinary Coursework. Student initiated projects in community sustainability studies.   A multi-disciplinary, applied studies curriculum targeting undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of sustainable design and urban planning, environmental studies, landscape design and architecture, natural resources management, green building, community and international development, social anthropology, and sustainable economic development.
DI S C O V E R  T H E  W O R L D    A R O U N D  YOU.	Program Curriculum Philosophy and History - Link: Journal of Education for Sustainable Development. Sustainable Planning Education as Intercultural Service Learning: Kefalonia Program in Sustainable Community Development. Vol. 1 (2). 2007.   "Integrating Sustainable Planning Education and intercultural Service Learning:  Kefalonia Program in Sustainable Community Development"

WHAT YOU WILL STUDY

CORE CLASSES - Spring 2008

 

PLANNING STUDIO (45 contact hours)

An integrative applied studio project synthesizing social, cultural, economic, biophysical, technological, and urban design considerations in planning to produce a master plan for community redevelopment. Physical development plans are produced and presented to the community. 2008 Spring term applies theories in community resiliency planning to develop a resiliency plan for case study village.

 

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF KEFALONIA (45 contact hours)

Modern Greek language and comparative studies in traditional and contemporary Greek culture, integrating performing and visual arts. Students will explore the idea of “community” through different artistic mediums including modern dance, photography, and video.  The course emphasizes understanding about traditional and contemporary cultures of Greece, including local agriculture, music, dance, and myth narratives.

 

SPECIALIZATION CLASSES - Spring 2008

 

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (45 contact hours)

Principles of economic development and design for community sustainability. Consideration of environmental equity, social justice, and the underlying human values, processes and methodological approaches for achieving community tourism and development. The course emphasizes understanding of issues concerning sustainability and the impacts of tourism on social, environmental and economic development.

 

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY RESILIENCY PLANNING (40 contact hours)

Disaster mitigation planning for community safety, resiliency, and recovery, special focus on earthquake risk management.

 

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING (40 contact hours)

Cost estimating, community financial survey, grants, public private partnership, enterprise development, and other aspects of community finance planning and implementation. Students develop an finance and management plan for the case study village redevelopment project.

 

PAST TERM CLASSES

 

ARGOECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES (45 contact hours)

Ecological concepts and principles applied to design and manage sustainable food production to support community culture and economy, emphasizing technologies and policies that promote energy, soil, biodiversity, and water conservation as well as social and economic equity in agricultural systems.

 

UNCOVERING THE SOCIAL COMMUNITY (45 contact hours)

Reconstruction of the historic community with particular attention to ethnohistory.  Applications of cultural resource management and methods in community reconstruction.  Students prepare a cultural resource development plan for sustaining local community values.

 

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO (30 contact hours)

Drawing skills, rendering, construction design. This intensive course develops alternative designs for sustainable reconstruction based on knowledge about historic building design practices and available materials.

 

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN (45 contact hours)

Selected topics in community infrastructure design. Sustainability principles applied to the design of individual and community water supply, multimodal transportation, wastewater treatment, communications, and other systems infrastructure.

 

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS DESIGN (45 contact hours)

Evaluation and design of alternative energy systems for individual and community applications.

 

FALL / SPRING 2006, Fall 2006, SPRING 2007

Instructor    Professor Nicholas Zaferatos, Ph.D., AICP, Huxley College of the Environment, WWU (Fall 2005).  Professor Gigi Berardi, Ph.D. Huxley College of the environment, WWU (Spring 2006).  Professor Marc Schlossberg, University of Oregon (Spring 2007)

 

Objectives   An integrated applied studio project synthesizing social, cultural, economic, biophysical, technological, and urban design considerations in planning to produce a master plan for sustainable community redevelopment. Physical development plans are produced and presented to the community.

 

Overview   This class applies planning theory, methods and processes of analyses to develop alternative solutions to sustainable community redevelopment problems. The course will examine ways to achieve the local case study community’s social, environmental, and economic values through the master site plan process. The objective of the exercise is to balance a community’s social, environmental, and economic development objectives with regional, national and global planning goals and sustainability principles. Design alternatives emphasize sustainability in community development. Because the problems that are considered in the studio project concern a variety of issues and topics, underlying each project are questions concerning the appropriate "community fit," and the identification of constraints that must be overcome before a planning solution can successfully occur. This course will engage the student in methods for resolving conflicting policy issues; the gathering and analysis of physical, social and economic information; and the formulation and evaluation of planning alternatives that meet project objectives. Students will work both independently and within small project teams to gather baseline information depicting the physical characteristics of the cast study community, using manual measurement, GPS and GIS techniques. Students will interact with a "client" representing the project case study community. Informal meetings and interviews will inform the students about local priorities and provide insights and access to information in addition to other sources of information. Students will present their draft, conceptual recommendations in classroom critiques followed with a formal presentation of findings and integrated recommendations in a public meeting.

 

The Studio   Students are treated as entry-level professionals and will be expected to perform independent and collaborative research and planning analysis tasks under the direction of the instructor. As expected of professionals, students will articulate project objectives, gather relevant data, identify and critically analyze problems, conduct policy, economic, and environmental analysis, and apply urban design and best management principles to achieve long term community objectives. Students will present their recommendations in formal narrative written reports, site plan drawings, graphic illustrations, and presentation format. The teams may have limited access to GIS and GPS to produce arc view base maps and composite GIS/AutoCAD layers depicting alternative solutions.

 

Study Area   The project focuses on redevelopment plans for Blue Village, Kefalonia. The Client for the project is represented by Village representatives and Island officials.  The course entails weekly field investigations and informational meetings with client informants. In addition, students will schedule meetings with appropriate public agencies to support their research activities.

 

Field Work    Study teams will regularly visit the project site and agency offices. Digital still and video cameras for photo analysis and project development.

 

Method    During the first week, students will develop a project methodology, identifying the general approach to fact finding, resources, field evaluation, and contact persons.  The methodology will be contingent and will be updated periodically.  Students will use their research methodology to develop a project critical path using MS Project Software to depict the linear progression of activities over the study period. Student teams will present their methodology and report on their progress weekly.

FALL 2006

Instructor   Professor Arunas Oslapas, IDSA. Visiting Professor, Engineering Technology/Industrial Design, Western Washington University

Course content   A studio based, design and computer intensive course focusing on 3-dimensional CAD modeling, digital rendering techniques, vector-based drawing, and raster-based image editing relevant to architecture that will enable students to design and present architectural design and urban planning concepts skillfully. The course will center on the creation of sustainable redevelopment solutions for Blue Village on the Greek Island of Kefalonia and employ a participatory planning/design process.

Objectives   To create a digital master plan for sustainable community development that integrates social, cultural, economic, technological, and urban design considerations that are appropriate to Blue Village. The redevelopment plans are developed and produced through close interaction with the local community in order to maintain a historical relevance while integrating current technology and meeting the modern needs of today.  Students will use previously established GIS baseline data which depicts the physical characteristics of the village topography and design appropriate architectural and planning solutions. Using CAD software students will “plug-in” or composite architectural CAD solutions into the GIS format to create a realistic vision of the future redevelopment of the village.   Working both individually and in teams, students will propose architectural and planning design alternatives for a determined cluster of residential dwellings and communal spaces in the case study village. Student proposals will include architectural site plans/elevations/details, construction methods, material specifications, potential re-use of existing materials, sustainable building practices, landscape design, rainwater collection, energy systems, utilities, village access, and other considerations.

In order to better meet the needs, wants, and expectations of the “client”, students will meet and interview "case study families" that represent the community to assess their needs, understand local priorities, and gain further insights to important “client” requirements. This information will be assembled into client profile pages which will be used to guide the design and planning process. Throughout the term, weekly critiques will guide the process and at the conclusion of the term, students will present their recommendations and proposals in a formal public meeting for evaluation.  Students will work in a studio environment which fosters collaboration and promotes interactive and experiential learning. Students will be treated as entry-level professionals and will be expected to perform independent and team research and design tasks under the direction of the instructor.  The course will be taught concurrently with Architectural Illustration so that students can integrate the translation of concepts from paper to this digital CAD format.  

Field Work   Student teams will regularly visit the project site, agency offices, local building material supply sources, local building contractors, and architectural offices. This participatory planning process requires direct involvement of the citizens, significant groups, the business community, and political decision-makers so regular meetings with these and client informants are important. Photographic documentation of the project development is important throughout the process and digital still and video cameras can be checked out for these purposes.

Final team project deliverables

• Final CAD drawings and details in perspective

• Site plan with multiple dwellings, typical floor plans, and elevations (2-D)

• Perspective view of multiple dwellings “composited” into GIS format

• Narrative report booklet (proposed solution, rationale, needs, family profiles, etc.)

Suggested reading   C. Alexander, S. Ishikawa, M. Silverstein, M. Jacobson, I. Fiksdahl-King and S. Angel, A Pattern Language (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977).

       SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO: Architectural Illustration

FALL 2006

Instructor   Professor Arunas Oslapas, IDSA  (Fall 2006). Visiting Professor, Industrial Design, Western Washington University

Course content  The course explores perspective drawing systems and rapid visualization techniques as a means of expressing new architectural ideas quickly on paper. Finished drawings include rendered materials, shading, shadow construction, reflections, vegetation, figure indication and other aspects of technical drawing as they apply to architecture.

Course objectives  The course focuses on teaching students how to sketch architectural concepts quickly and confidently and to refine the freehand sketches into presentation level drawings. Students begin by learning about line quality, plan views, elevations, and perspective drawing systems such as one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective. Students learn how to best utilize perspective in showing 3-dimensional objects on a 2-dimensional plane.  After line drawings are learned, drawings are rendered by adding color, shading, shadows, materials, and reflections to dramatically affect the final image. Scale is addressed with the inclusion of human figures, products, and vegetation. Each assignment will build upon the next as the subject matter progresses.  Technical or construction drawings will be introduced which include building cross-sections, fastening of materials, architectural details, and standards for dimensioning. Construction drawings will dovetail with the Architectural CAD and Design course since they are mostly created by computer today.  Finally, freehand presentation techniques will be addressed which cover design layout, dramatic views, hand lettering, and mounting work on boards. Students will be required to faithfully keep a sketchbook with daily entries that would include documentation of vernacular architectural details such as doorways, windows, and other pertinent and inspiring subject matter.

Fieldwork  Visiting Blue Village will be required to draw from nature and study native plants, trees, local vegetation and topography. Documenting local building materials, textures, color, and will also necessitate some fieldwork.

Instructional methodology  Daily critiques and demonstrations. Each class begins with a critique of the previously assigned work. After the critique the next assignment is explained and an in-class demonstration is completed. Examples of the next assignment are also shown. Remaining time is dedicated to working in class with feedback from instructor.  After the basics are covered project teams will be assigned and begin working on design sketches and drawings for the Blue Village proposals. These assignments will be coincide with the Architectural CAD & Design course and will serve as preliminary sketches for the designs developed on computer. 

Text   Ching, Francis, Drawing: A Creative Process, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990

Fall 2006, Fall 2007

Instructors:    Ioannis Kalogeropoulos, MSc Env, MBA, Mechanical Engineer. Ioannis Tsipouridis, Ph.D.

 

Objectives    To provide to the students the ability to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using various forms of Renewable Energy Sources in order to cover the energy needs of small traditional communities, using sustainable practices. The students will make case studies for Blue Village, which will help them to understand how Renewable Energy Sources affect the local development and sustainable behavior of habitats and tourists.

 

Overview      This class provides an in-depth investigation into Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Sustainable Energy Practices. Although RES are usually advertised as the sustainable solution of covering our energy needs, there are many limitations, especially in their power capacity and construction cost, which make often difficult their installation or acceptance into a small community. So it is important to learn how to choose the right form or combination of forms of RES, in order to maximize the benefits and minimize the disadvantages.   The study will be focused in small traditional communities, where tourism and agriculture are the main local economies which have to be protected and developed. The students will learn the advantages and disadvantages of a) Wind power Energy b) Solar energy c) Geothermal Energy d) Energy from various Fuel Cells e) Hydro Power f) Tide Energy and other more innovative forms of energy production.  Understanding the various forms of RES, will be ready to figure out how these can help a small community, like the Mediterranean island villages, to keep their traditional character, promote the idea of sustainable tourism, decrease the costs and increase the quality of agriculture production, protect the beauty of the local environment and lower the cost of energy production for the local community.  Finally, students will learn that Sustainable Energy Practices are not only using Sustainable Energy Sources. Decreasing our energy needs, renovating old energy power units, or choosing other forms for heating, cooling or transportation is another aspect of sustainable use of energy.

  

Study Area    The project focuses on redevelopment plans for Blue Village, Kefalonia. The Client for the project is represented by Village representatives and Island officials.  The course entails weekly field investigations and informational meetings with client informants. In addition, students will schedule meetings with appropriate public agencies to support their research activities.

 

Field Work   Study teams will regularly visit the project site and agency offices. Digital still and video cameras can be checked out for photo analysis and project development. .

 

Methodology     The students will learn to calculate theoretically and practically the data of various Renewable Energy Sources. They will calculate Blue Village energy needs and will examine which RES are suitable for their needs. They will be divided into groups and they will design such a sustainable energy system. They will use appropriate software tools for their calculations and designs. Finally they will propose ideas for spreading the idea of Sustainable Energy Practices and they will make a plan to convince a local community to use them.

 

FALL 2006, Spring 2007

Instructors:  Michael Kornaros, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering Department, University of Patras; Aris Danos, MS.; C. Politis, Ph.D.

 

Description: Up-to-date the focus on wastewater management activities has been directed primarily towards the design of large wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serving the needs of big cities. Yet, a large percentage of people are served by decentralized collection and treatment systems. It is recognized that complete sewerage may never be possible or desirable for geographical, economic and sustainability reasons. Given the fact that complete sewerage is unlikely for many residents, decentralized wastewater management is of great importance to the future sustainable management of the environment. This course provides an overview of key-issues for planning, analysis and design of small and decentralized wastewater management (DWM) systems. Such systems must be appropriate in scale, cost and flexibility and in harmony with the principles of sustainability. The students will learn how to cope with the question of what level of wastewater management is required. To answer that question it is necessary to have knowledge of the constituents of concern in wastewater, the impacts of these constituents when discharged to the environment, their transformation and long-term fate in treatment processes and in the environment and the treatment methods that can be used to remove or modify the constituents found in wastewater.

 

Course Outline:: The key-issues that will be discussed in this course include a thorough description of the constituents found in wastewater and their fate in the environment; process design considerations including risk assessment; the design of alternative collection systems; the basic principles involved in the biological, chemical and physical treatment of wastewater; the design of conventional biological treatment processes; the design of onsite systems; the reuse and recycling of treated effluent; and the management of septage and biosolids.

 

Texts     

• Ron Crites and George Tchobanoglous, 1998, Small and decentralized wastewater management systems, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., USA.

• Metcalf and Eddy, Inc. Wastewater Engineering: Treatment, Disposal, Reuse. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., USA.

Projects   Students will analyze the current status of sewage collection and wastewater management in the case study of the “Blue Village”, investigate alternative treatment systems and finally design the most suitable DWM system(s) for the case. This project will be an integrated component of the planning studio redevelopment planning project.

 

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY RESILIENCY PLANNING - Spring 2008

Instructors: AWISHhellas faculty - course syllabus in development

 

Disaster mitigation planning for community safety, resiliency, and recovery, special focus on earthquake risk management.

 

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING - Spring 2008

Instructors: AWISHhellas faculty - course syllabus in development

 

Cost estimating, community financial survey, grants, public private partnership, enterprise development, and other aspects of community finance planning and implementation.

Additional Course Information

Program Philosophy Article by Nicholas Zaferatos

Kefalonia Program Slide Show

Program Faculty CVs

Mediterranean Architectural Resources - WebPages

Athens Walking Tour: Architecture

ELIGIBILITY

The Kefalonia program is open to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in the fields of sustainable design, urban planning, environmental studies, landscape design and architecture, natural resources management, community development, social anthropology and sustainable economic development.

MULTIPLE TERM OPTIONS

Students may choose to participate in the Kefalonia program during fall and spring terms (with the approval of the student’s enrolling institution, and on-site directors), or any combination of terms.  The Kefalonia program is unique due to its applied curriculum. Therefore, while general sustainable development topics may be similar from term to term, the application of knowledge is always applied to different phases of program development.

 

ACADEMIC CREDIT

Each fall and spring course provides 200 contact hours per term, the equivalent of 20+ quarter credit hours for the integrated 5 course curriculum. Course selections change from term to term depending on the phase of the case study research. Students attending receive home campus credit or transfer credit from Western Washington University. AHA International facilitates these arrangements after an application form has been submitted. The enrolling institution determines the number of credits earned per course.

 

PROGRAM SITE

A World Institute for a Sustainable Humanity – Hellas (AWISH-Hellas) is a non-profit educational organization sponsoring academic and applied research activities in sustainable community development in Greece, and provides site organization program support.  Affiliated with AWISH-International and other global sustainability organizations, the site organization brings together a local faculty of English speaking Greek educators supporting the U.S. visiting faculty.  AWISH-Hellas is a recognized partner of the Community Sustainable Development program of the United Nations, and a Member organization of the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development.  AWISH-Hellas staff provide daily faculty and student support, arrange for housing and travel, and coordinate the program curriculum.  Local site faculty are each involved in teaching, research and faculty, and join the U.S. visiting faculty to provide the coordinated curriculum.  Teaching facilities include a renovated schoolhouse in the town of Argostoli and the case study site of Blue Village.  Students spend entire days in the case study site undertaking research and attend classes, and applying that knowledge to the construction of community designs and plans in the Planning Studio course. Students work in interactive small groups, each assigned lead role in several research topics.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS

ATHENS - Students will spend several days of the program living in Plaka, at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens, living in hotel rooms.  During their urban stay, they will receive instruction in Modern Greek, cultural emersion into Greek life, traditions and events, and introduction to the courses. This is a wonderful opportunity to become acquainted with a truly vibrant European city before departing to the Island of Kefalonia.

 

ISLAND of KEFALONIA - Upon arrival to the island, students will be assigned housing in the town of Argostoli, consisting of a double room, bath, and a kitchenette.  The housing is within the center of town, with all services readily accessible.  The school facility is only a few blocks from the town square. The town borders Argostoli Bay, and local beaches on the Ionian Sea are reachable by foot. 

 

HEALTH

Medical information is required of all students who have been accepted into the program. This information is considered confidential. Medical insurance coverage is included in the program.

 

EXCURSIONS

The Kefalonia program offers excursions to explore the Island of Kefalonia, and other island communities, offering students the opportunity to intimately learn about island communities. Field trips to Farsa Village, only 5 km from Argostoli, are an integral part of the curriculum where students will undertake case study investigations.

 

PROGRAM DATES

Spring 2008 - March 31, 2008 – June 15, 2008

 

PROGRAM COSTS

Check AHA International Website for current program costs, which include:

-        Tuition and fees

-        Housing

-        Program excursions

-        Course material

-        Medical insurance

-        On-site orientation

-        Transportation between Athens and Kefalonia

-        International Student Identify Card

   

FINANCIAL AID

Most forms of financial aid for which a student is eligible, such as grants and loans, can be applied toward the cost of the program. Students need to consult with a financial aid counselor on their home campus for specific information about awards and eligibility.

 

REFUND POLICY

All cancellations must be sent in writing to AHA International. Verbal notification or notification given only to the campus study abroad office will not be accepted.  Regardless of official acceptance notification, applicants canceling fewer than sixty days prior to the start date of the program will forfeit 5 percent of the program fee; 10 percent will be forfeited if canceling fewer than thirty days prior to the program start date. A refund of all monies paid, other than a $50 application fee, will be made to those students who cancel their participation more than sixty days prior to the program start date, or to those who are denied acceptance into the program.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Students are encouraged to apply early, as program space is limited.  Applications have priority according to the date received. Students attending NCSA institutions may pick up an application at their respective study abroad office. Students attending other institutions should contact AHA International for an application.

 

To apply online, visit our website at www.aha-intl.org

1. Please submit the following to: AHA International. 221 NW 2nd Avenue, Suite 200. Portland, Oregon 97209. USA

Phone (503) 295-7730; Toll free (800) 654-2051; Fax (503) 295-5969; ahamail@uoregon.edu

• Completed application
• Non-refundable application fee of $50
• Program deposit of $200 for each term (applied to the total program cost)

Upon receipt of the application form, deposit, and application fee, the student will be sent a program packet that contains additional forms to complete and return.

2. The following materials are also required components of your application; however, they may be submitted separately from those listed above in section one:

• Two Essays - a) an autobiographical essay not to exceed 2 pages, and b) A more detailed essay (not to exceed 2 pages) explaining how the Kefalonia program furthers your particular career goals in fields relating to sustainable community development.
• Two references (using forms provided): one from a college instructor or academic counselor, the other from a group adviser, youth leader, counselor, or employer.  Do not use peers, relatives, or family friends.
• Official transcripts of all college of university work.

 

 3. In addition to the written application, students are accepted following a successful personal interview.

For more information contact:

aha

For additional information, please feel free to contact us or visit our Web site at www.aha-int.org