About
BOULOUKI
Itinerant Workshop on Traditional Building Crafts
Boulouki is a collective that studies and transmits traditional building crafts as an active and sustainable knowledge, through educational and participatory projects. Boulouki means “gaggle”, referring to the historical travelling groups of craftspeople who traveled around Greece, building stone bridges, paths, and communities. Boulouki consists of architects, engineers, craftspeople, researchers, heritage professionals, creators, and local communities who co-shape its work.
Boulouki’s first intervention took place on the old path leading to the historic Plaka Bridge (2018–2019), through a restoration project that was awarded the European Architecture Prize “Philippe Rotthier”. Since 2018, Boulouki has operated as a non-profit organization based in Athens, with a branch in Frasta Tzoumerka, in the Old School building, restored by the group and operating as the School for Research and Education in Traditional and Sustainable Building. In 2024, Boulouki received the “Europa Nostra” European Heritage Award in the category “Education, Training & Skills.”
Approach
Our approach is experiential and holistic: in response to the urgent need of lack of craftspeople and environmentally sustainable solutions, we identify the remaining bearers of traditional knowledge—dry stone walling, marble craftsmanship, wooden structures—and nurture a new generation of professionals with awareness and skills to preserve the historical and traditional architectural heritage.
Our vision is to contribute to a renewed culture of building, in Greece and abroad, integrating traditional knowledge and current sustainable practices.
Pillars
Research
We actively engage in architectural research, focusing on the study of both traditional and contemporary building materials, issues of ecology and environmental impact, as well as the ethnographic documentation of local knowledge.
Education
Our team designs and implements educational activities related to traditional building crafts and broader questions of cultural heritage, in collaboration with public and private institutions.
Practice
We undertake the restoration and renovation of historic structures, as well as the realization of new constructions using traditional building crafts and contemporary sustainable practices.
Public Dialogue
We initiate and contribute to public dialogue through various knowledge-sharing platforms, including publications, exhibitions, public lectures, conferences, and academic symposia.
Awards
Team
Panos Kostoulas is an architect. He has graduated from University of Patras and completed his post-graduate studies in Materials Science and Technology at the NTUA, focusing on historic mortars. Since 2012, he has worked as an architect, both as an employee and associate with several architectural firms in India and Greece. He is a founding member of Boulouki, where he contributes in research, design of educational programmes and project management.
Grigoris Koutropoulos is an architect. He graduated from the University of Patras, where he also worked as a teaching assistant at the Department of Architecture and participated in three research programs related to cultural heritage led by the institution. He holds a MA on cultural management of monuments from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). During the last years, he has worked as a collaborator with two architectural firms which are focused on surveys for the restoration of listed monuments in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt. He is a founding member of Boulouki and mainly focuses on the coordination of the team’s construction projects.
Ionas Sklavounos is an architect. He holds a PhD from the University of Antwerp, which he completed as a Marie Curie Doctoral Fellow. His work explores craftsmanship, collective care, and architectural theory through hands-on collaborative practices. Currently, he serves as guest lecturer in the Department of Architecture (D-ARCH) at ETH Zurich’s Institute of Landscape and Urban Studies, leading a visiting design studio with the Boulouki team. He is a founding member of Boulouki, involved in the design and coordination of participatory building projects, professional apprenticeships, and workshops in traditional building crafts across Greece.
Christoforos Theocharis is a civil engineer (D.U.Th.) and has been involved in the field of the built environment for more than fifteen years. He completed his postgraduate studies at TU Wien with a major in Building Science and Technology. During his stay in Austria, he planned and supervised the construction of buildings in Vienna, as a member of Bauklimatik GmbH. Christoforos is a co-founder of Boulouki.
Ioanna Ntoutsi is a chemical engineer, with an MSc in the “Protection of Monuments – Materials and Interventions” from the National Technical University of Athens, (NTUA). She worked as a research associate in various NTUA on architectural heritage and in industries of minerals processing and lime production. Her work in Boulouki focuses on the design and implementation of research and educational programs on diverse aspects of traditional knowledge systems.
Georgia Kanellopoulou is a Geo-Environmental Engineer (Diploma from Technical University of Crete) and has completed two postgraduate studies in Environmental Engineering (TUC) and Environment and Sustainable Development (NTUA). She has led a great number of participatory projects involving local communities in integrated sustainable development strategies and her work in Boulouki focuses on planning projects regarding geo-environmental and cultural heritage restoration and climate adaptation.
Dimitra Tsiaouskoglou holds a degree in History from the History and Archaeology School (AUTH). Her postgraduate studies include Art History (Aristotle University), Curating (École du MAGASIN, Grenoble), and Museum Studies (Leicester University, UK). She has received international grants and fellowships, and brings experience in administration and the management of nonprofit cultural organisations. At Boulouki, she focuses on grant writing and fundraising.
Giorgos Tzavaras is an architect, a graduate of the School of Architecture of NTUA. He is experienced in the documentation and restoration of wooden historic vessels in collaboration with museums and research institutions, while he has also worked in the framework of architectural studies and supervision of construction and renovation projects. He identifies in traditional practices and constructions a rich reservoir of knowledge and inspiration for solving modern technical and design problems.
Nikiforos Meimaroglou is a PhD candidate at the School of Civil Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and a research associate of ‘Boulouki’. He holds a diploma in civil engineering (NTUA) and an MSc in “Protection of Monuments, Conservation of Building Materials” (NTUA). His research focuses on historic and traditional building materials with emphasis on earthen architecture. He has professional experience in materials characterization projects from archaeological sites and monuments in Greece, such as the classical antiquity hydraulic mortars and earthen building materials.
Xenia Papatriantafyllou graduated in architecture from Technical University of Crete (TUC), and completed his post-graduate studies in Urban and Regional Planning at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Since 2009, she has been active in the field of ecological building techniques, working on design, supervision, and construction projects, as well as organizing educational programs. In parallel, she works in set and costume design, collaborating with prominent cultural organizations. Her research interests focus on construction techniques and the processing of natural materials, and their role in shaping cultural landscapes.
Evdokia Pagkrati holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and is a postgraduate student in the NTUA’s Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program in Monument Protection: Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Complexes. She studied at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar through a student exchange program and has attended the annual Set Design and Costume Design workshop at the National Theater of Athens. Professionally, she has collaborated with architectural firms on restoration studies, architectural documentation and design, as well as on the construction and painting of theatrical sets. She has actively participated in workshops and programs on cultural heritage and traditional building techniques in Greece and France.
Marilena Mela is an Assistant Professor of Heritage Studies at the Department of Arts & Culture, History, and Antiquity of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She earned her PhD at VU Amsterdam as part of the European Marie Curie-funded project HERILAND. Previously, she studied architecture and architectural theory at the National Technical University of Athens. Her research and education interests lie at the intersection of heritage, cultural history, landscape, sustainability, and climate.
Karen Knight is an experienced museum professional with a career focused on access to collections, buildings, and research, and on the role of museums in learning at all age levels. She has a track record of achieving organisational focus and change, as well as a proven ability to influence and gain support from Government, public and private benefactors, and other stakeholders. In recent years, she has worked with organisations in the UK and across the Balkans that focus on the retention of traditional craft skills and the renovation of heritage buildings.
Katia Dimitrakopoulou is a graduate of the Department of Business Administration (University of Macedonia) and holds a postgraduate diploma from the Training Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Greece. She has extensive experience in financial and accounting management, having worked for an environmental organization and a nationwide newspaper. She has also collaborated with accounting and auditing firms. Since July 2025, she is a Administrative and Financial Manager of Programmes at Boulouki.
Angeliki Kosma specializes in communications and management for cultural organisations, with experience in festivals, museums, and cultural heritage projects in Greece and abroad. Since 2016, she has been working on public events organisation, community integration and inclusion, and mapping audience experiences. In Boulouki, she is managing the social media platforms of the team, media relations, and the promotion of the Membership Programme.
Nefeli Kourtesa is a geographer with a Master’s degree in Applied Geography and Spatial Management (HUA), specialising in Spatial Policies and Development in Europe. Her academic focus is on the social, economic, and institutional processes shaping the European space, as well as the transformations occurring in urban and rural environments. At Boulouki, she supports organisational and administrative processes and has contributed to the organisation’s digital infrastructure and internal processes.
Michael Prodromou is a Heritage Conservation Engineer specializing in the structural assessment and seismic analysis of historic buildings. Experienced with stone, adobe, timber, and mixed systems, he supports both national and international projects through condition surveys, conservation design, emergency interventions, and structural reporting. His work spans a broad range of historic sites, materials, and architectural typologies.
Christos Kyriakongonas is a conservator of antiquities and works of art, holding a postgraduate degree from the Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program “Protection of Monuments – Materials and Conservation Interventions” of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). His work involves laboratory research on historic construction materials and restoration materials, as well as on the characterization and formulation of mortars. His research and professional interests include the study and application of traditional building materials and construction techniques, particularly earthen mortars, lime mortars, stone, and wood.
Always a part of Boulouki
Mina Kouvara (Founding member), David Baxter, Anna Zacharaki, Eleni Mentesidou, Maria Chassioti, Nafsika Stefanidou
Supporting Community
Strategic Partners
Supporters
Collaborations
Networks
