Abstract

There is a number of codes related to the position of rural settlements and houses in Greece that are practiced since antiquity and are recorded on the ruines of the different archaeological sites. Written, official and systematic codes are prescribed since the Byzantine era (6th century a.C) and seems to have a major contribution to the special build environment of the Aegean sea traditional settlements which can be described by a typology of abutting houses in lines, that respect each neighbor's rights. These codes have been practiced until early 20th century and are providing a useful tool in studying vernacular architecture, an issue that became updated in analysing the character of a place, in order to conclude in generative systems and related processes of decision-making. The existing system of codes and their application, is important in understanding and learning in the prospect to produce greater places to live. The above issue is elaborated taking as cases studies three islands of the Aegean sea (Symi, Tylos, Chalki) in proximity to Rhodes island, where rural architecture even based on similar codes, results in divers context specific environment that have been developed in places in proximity. The architectural representation of each island is attributed to the different phase of its development.