Boulouki, a versatile collective of architects, engineers, and heritage professionals, is dedicated to revitalising traditional craftsmanship for contemporary construction needs.
In April 2024, INTBAU announced Boulouki as one of the recipients of its Grassroots Grants Programme, established as part of INTBAU’s commitment to supporting innovative solutions rooted in local knowledge to address the modern challenges of the built environment. Boulouki’s Grassroots grant will support the completion of two research projects to advance the establishment of a centre for traditional building techniques in the Frasta village, Central Tzoumerka (Epirus).
Today, INTBAU extends its congratulations to Boulouki for being honoured with the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2024. Presented by The European Commission and Europa Nostra, Boulouki received this award in the “Education, Training, and Skills” category. This recognition is in alignment with the decision from INTBAU’s international Grassroots selection committee, emphasising Boulouki’s significant potential to positively influence the future of its local built environment, and embodying the values of tradition, sustainability, and community engagement that lie at the core of the INTBAU Grassroots Grants Programme.
The European Heritage Awards jury commended Boulouki’s initiatives for their social, environmental, and economic impact. By fostering social cohesion among diverse demographics, advocating for the use of local materials, and contributing to the preservation of both built and natural landscapes, Boulouki sets a precedent for future restoration efforts. Their endeavours underscore the transformative role of heritage in advancing sustainable development.
Read more about the INTBAU Grassroots grantees and Boulouki’s project.
Read on to learn more about the Europan Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award and Boulouki’s mention.
European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2024 for Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building (Greece)
Brussels / The Hague, 30 May 2024
The European Commission and Europa Nostra today announced the 2024 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. This year, Europe’s most prestigious awards for heritage go to 26 outstanding winners from 18 countries across the continent (see the full list below).
Among this year’s winners is the collective Boulouki – Itinerant Workshop on Traditional Building Techniques (Greece), whose exceptional work has been awarded in the category of “Education, Training & Skills”. Boulouki is an innovative non-profit organization which employs a diversity of educational formats and tools, always connecting them to actual restoration or construction works, with the goal of integrating traditional techniques into contemporary building.
The winners were selected by the Awards’ Jury, composed of 12 heritage experts from across Europe, upon evaluation of the applications by the Selection Committees. A total of 206 eligible applications to this year’s Awards were submitted by organisations and individuals from 38 European countries.
Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “Our cultural heritage is our collective treasure, a bridge connecting our past, present and future. It holds a special place in our hearts and daily lives, fostering a sense of belonging and identity. The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards highlight the crucial role of exemplary projects and individuals dedicated to preserving and promoting our rich heritage. I warmly congratulate this year’s winners on their outstanding achievements.”
Cecilia Bartoli, the world-renowned mezzo-soprano and President of Europa Nostra, stated: “My heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards on their well – deserved recognition. By honouring these fantastic creative projects, we also demonstrate our great commitment to protecting our shared cultural heritage, which is vital for building a more united, sustainable and beautiful Europe. May their inspiring examples be followed by many citizens – heritage professionals, volunteers and lovers – public organisations and private companies across our continent and beyond.”
The winners will be celebrated at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony 2024 on 7 October at the Romanian Athenaeum, the most prestigious concert hall in Bucharest, Romania, which recently received a European Heritage Label in recognition of its European significance. This high-profile event will be co-hosted by the European Commissioner Iliana Ivanova and Europa Nostra’s Executive President Hermann Parzinger. During the ceremony, the Grand Prix laureates and the Public Choice Award winner, chosen from among this year’s winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards and entitled to receive €10,000 each, will be announced.
The ceremony will be a highlight of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2024 which will take place on 6-8 October in Bucharest. The Summit, co-funded by the European Union, is organised by Europa Nostra in close cooperation with heritage organisations and partners, both public and private, in Romania.
Heritage supporters and enthusiasts are now encouraged to discover the winners and vote online to decide who will win the Public Choice Award 2024, entitled to receive a monetary award of €10,000. You can cast your vote until 22 September.
Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building (Greece)
Boulouki is a versatile collective of architects, engineers and heritage professionals dedicated to revitalising traditional craftsmanship for contemporary construction needs. Their vision is to promote a renewed building culture in Greece and worldwide, drawing from traditional knowledge and techniques.
Since its establishment in 2018 as a non-profit organisation, Boulouki operates on four pillars: education, research, practice and public dialogue. It is the only organisation in Greece that develops and implements professional apprenticeships, combining restoration projects with vocational training. They employ an itinerant approach, travelling around Greece, to conduct workshops that draw from, and respond to, the specific characteristics of every place.
Boulouki is currently developing the first centre for research and training on heritage building skills in the mountainous area of Epirus, at a former school building granted by the local public authorities.
Boulouki’s educational approach encompasses three primary formats: hands-on workshops tailored for students and practitioners in heritage-related fields, professional apprenticeships aimed at nurturing a new generation of craftspeople, and community participation initiatives. With a focus on interdisciplinarity, these programs unite masons, academics, students, professionals, and enthusiasts of all ages, fostering collaboration under the guidance of experienced craftspeople. Taking a holistic approach, Boulouki’s projects include guided walks, outdoor discussions, lectures, and seminars, as well as cultural mappings and celebrations that actively engage local communities and encourage intergenerational dialogue.
‘Under the Landscape’ is an exemplary project that began in 2021 and includes all the educational formats that Boulouki has developed so far. It concerns the participatory restoration of a cobblestone pathway and two underground rainwater cisterns which are part of the vernacular architecture and cultural landscape of the famous Santorini Archipelago. The project explores how small island communities may function as cores of social empowerment and creativity, through the participatory and collective care of their heritage.
The project has provided the local community and the regional government with tangible proof of how cultural heritage is a valuable asset. It addressed challenges around conservation, heritage and building practices in the Greek context, namely the limited use of local building materials and techniques, the possibilities to re-introduce them; and the over-development and building sprawl of many Greek islands.
“Boulouki’s activities show a remarkable commitment to preserving the Cyclades’ unique landscape, that is under increasing pressure from tourism development and was recently listed as one of the 7 Most Endangered sites of 2024. Its exemplary approach encompasses research, documentation, community engagement, and training, and has a strong commitment to sustainability through the reuse of heritage. The collective has succeeded in training in drystone walling, a technique inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, the Awards’ Jury commented.
“Boulouki’s activities have strong social, environmental and economic values. They promote social integration by bringing people of different ages and origins together, they champion the use of local materials and they support the preservation of the built and natural landscape. Boulouki sets a strong example for further restoration projects, highlighting the transformative power of heritage in promoting sustainable development”, the Jury added.
Contact: Panos Kostoulas, Boulouki – Itinerant Workshop on Traditional Building Techniques | info@boulouki.org
These are the winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2024 in five categories1:
Conservation & Adaptive Reuse
- Royale Belge Building, Brussels, BELGIUM Schulenburg Mansion, Gera, GERMANY Ignacy Historic Mine,
- Rybnik, POLAND Saxon Church in Alma Vii, ROMANIA
- St. Michael’s Church, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA Snow Wells, Sierra Espuña, SPAIN
Research
Education, Training & Skills
- Teryan Cultural Center – Empowering Armenian Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan, ARMENIA
- Boulouki – Travelling Workshop on Traditional Building, GREECE
- Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme, IRELAND Serfenta Crafts Revitalisation Model, Cieszyn, POLAND White Carpentry School, Narros del Castillo, SPAIN
Citizens’ Engagement & Awareness-raising
- The Square Kilometre, Ghent, BELGIUM
- The Silence that Tore Down the Monument, Kamenska, CROATIA
- Preserving the Community Halls for Local Civil Society Activities, FINLAND Fortified Castles of Alsace Association, FRANCE
- Citizens’ Rehabilitation of the Tsiskarauli Tower, Akhieli, GEORGIA International Festival of Classical Theatre for Youth, Syracuse, ITALY
- Foundation for the Conservation of the Historical Estate Ockenburgh, The Hague, THE NETHERLANDS
Heritage Champions
- Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, CROATIA Else “Sprossa” Rønnevig, Lillesand, NORWAY
- Professor Piotr Gerber, Wrocław, POLAND
Europa Nostra Awards 2024 for outstanding projects from the UK
This year, Europa Nostra Awards go to four remarkable heritage projects from a European country not taking part in the EU Creative Europe programme.
- Gideon Tapestries, Hardwick Hall (Conservation & Adaptive Reuse category)
- Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, Shrewsbury (Conservation & Adaptive Reuse category)
- Westminster Hall, London (Conservation & Adaptive Reuse category)
- Marcus Binney CBE, OBE Hon FRIBA FSA (Heritage Champions category)