In recent years the transformation of Karfas into a tourist resort has been very rapid and today the small cosmopolitan town bustles with life both day and night. The sandy beach, unfortunately, due to the extreme and uncontrolled tourist development lately, has lost its natural beauty.

The request for high quality tourism and the lack of leisure and health facilities has led the tourist organization of Chios Island to propose a Mastic Health Farm & Spa centre which will accommodate various facilities...........................................





“ The environment is the source of a project’s poetic sense. Every site has its own character; the challenge is to capture that character and translate its spirit in to architectural poetry.”
Robert Harvey Oshetz.......................................................



The snake and ladders concept:

The site is amphitheatrical with steep banks, deriving from the organic form of the site. The conceptual ideas were formed in a shape of a snake allowing a continuous connection between the banks..............................................

The new Proposal Plan Idea:

The basic idea of the planning organization was taking by Anavatos one of the first mediaeval villages of Chios.

Locals took advantage of the natural fortification of this cliff, and strengthened it with a circular wall surrounding the houses that seem to be glued, one to the other.

On the lower part of the village there is the old tavern and the original mediaeval square. Both are still the meeting points for the people when first arriving in the village. On the higher level of the village are the most important buildings: the old Castle and the Church...................................................

The conceptual idea:

From the beginning of the project, the idea was to follow the natural organic shape of the outline site and to create organic caves for the new proposal building. The caves are not only characteristic of the mediaeval life style of the island but also denote a primitive and a natural feeling within the health farm. The journey is more interesting when people enter the caves and discover new and different areas with various facilities at which people can live, learn and enjoy a healthy life style....................................................

Another aspect of the Project is to promote the world’s unique Mastic tree and Mastic products.

The mastic tree thrives only in the south part of the island of Chios and nowhere else in the world. The tree itself is an evergreen bush 1,5-3,5m tall. It has an irregular shaped trunk (light grey when young and grey-reddish when older) with a lot of branches. Its scientific name is "Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia"

From ancient times Mastic has been used as a natural medicine. In fact, a leaf fossil from a Mastic tree has been found dating back to six million years. Mastic oil and other sub products are produced from mastic and they used widely in medicine, the pharmaceutical industry, dentistry, and industry in general..............................................................

To be in touch with local architecture, the buildings in the complex incorporate the following design features:• the external walls are made of local stone;
• the buildings are in a different levels;
• open-air staircases relate to and give emphasis to the different volumes;
Artificial lake ,water canal, swimming pool, paved roads, steps and staircases are also made from the same local stone........................................................................................

Environmental Aspects
Thermal Mass:  All the buildings are constructed with local Karfas stone, This prevents the build-up of high temperatures in the buildings.
Oasis Effect:   Special attention has been paid to landscaping in order to create a favourable microclimate on the site. The trees and water bring about a reduction in air temperature fro

2006

2007