Boulouki returns to the region of Tzoumerka, to the Former Primary School of Frasta in Central Tzoumerka, after four years of research, restoration projects, workshops, and activities with the local community.

The hands-on part of the workshop focused on the restoration of the former primary school in the village of Frasta, next to the area of Plaka, which has hosted most of the team’s projects in Epirus.

A series of restoration works and new constructions were carried out so that the 1955’s – not in use for decades – building could revive as a hub for educational and research activities.

The experienced stone and wood craftspeople guided the 18 participants through the following tasks:

• Repointing of part of the school’s western facade – preparation of 20m² of masonry and application of lime-based mortar, 
• Restoration of the schoolyard walling – construction of 50m² of dry stone retaining walls using local sandstone,
• Construction of a new gate – entrance to the schoolyard (combination of wood, stone, and lime mortar) – construction of 15m³ of masonry using lime mortar and local sandstone, construction of the timber roof supporting structure and frame of the new gate using traditional joinery techniques, and applying pine tar for the protection of the wooden surfaces.

In Parallel, during the workshop, we deepened our knowledge in the identification, documentation, and interpretation of the cultural assets in the areas of Frasta, Plaka, and Monolithi, using the tools of cultural mapping and focused ethnographic fieldwork.

Through collective walks and in situ recordings, semi-structured interviews with residents of the area and participation in local productive activities, the participants worked in groups to develop thematic maps about diverse thematics:  the use of the raw materials of the area in traditional building, water management, paths’ network and productive activities, as well as the history of the construction and operation of the old Frasta primary school.