STUDIES
Secondary education at the 3rd Gymnasium
Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Degree in French Philology (1964–1969)
Courses in Art History at the École du Louvre, Paris (1969)
Studies in Architecture – following successful entry examinations – and Diploma in Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1970–1975)
Studies and Degree in Romanian Language, I.M.X.A.
Courses and Diploma from the International Postgraduate Seminar on “The Protection of Rural Architectural Monuments,” University of Eger, Hungary (1975–1978)
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Unpaid scientific associate, later assistant, at the Laboratory of Architectural Morphology and Rhythmology (Prof. N. Moutsopoulos) (1977)
Permanent Lecturer in the Department of Architectural Design and Technology (Sector A), School of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, AUTh. (1986–1992)
Permanent Full-Time Lecturer in the same Department (1992–1999)
Assistant Professor (05-07-2001)
Retirement (2012)
Practiced as an architect in a private design firm (1975–1993)
Partner in a Public Works Design Office – with a Grade B license – under the name OMETh. OE, Grade E (1984–1988)
Consultant in both private and public design firms (1993–2012)
SOCIAL ACTIVITY
Member of the Association of Architects of Thessaloniki, SADAS-PEA, and the Association of Educators of AUTh.
Member of the National Committee of the Greek section of ICOMOS, elected in national elections (1982–1986)
Member of CIVIH
Member of committees and working groups of the Technical Chamber of Greece, Central Macedonia Department, focusing on the protection of architectural and traditional heritage, intervention programming methodology for valuable complexes, and specifications for the study of traditional settlements
Member of the Board of Directors of the Folklife and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia-Thrace, Thessaloniki (1986–1990)
Member of the committee for the establishment of an ICOMOS section in Thessaloniki (1997)
Member of the EGE (Greek Women’s Association)
CONCISE CURRICULUM VITAE
Anastasia (Tessa) Manousi Vakalopoulou was born in 1945 in Katerini, Greece, and grew up in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki, where she spent her childhood facing financial difficulties. Her father, originally from Northern Epirus, worked at a bank, while her mother was from the village of Seli.
She attended the 3rd Girls’ High School and later studied French Philology at the School of Philosophy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, ranking 4th in the entrance exams and graduating with honors. Choosing a different path, she declined immediate employment in education or banking, and instead gave private lessons to fund her preparation for the entrance exams to the School of Architecture, where she was later admitted.
She graduated in 1975 with a diploma thesis under Professor N. Moutsopoulos, focusing on the challenges and preservation of traditional mountain settlements.
Following her studies, she worked in architectural offices while cultivating a deep interest in traditional architecture.
From 1975 to 1982, she collaborated closely with the Department of Morphology and Rhythmology at the School of Architecture as an unpaid scientific associate and later as assistant, participating in teaching, exhibitions, and conferences. During the same period, she also undertook private projects, often in collaboration with her husband.
She is married to architect Angelos Vakalopoulos and they have a daughter, Maria Vakalopoulou, who is a gynecologist.
After 1982, she joined a research and teaching team led by Professors D. Fatouros and P. Lazaridis. As a lecturer, she designed and taught a course focused on the integration of contemporary structures into historic environments, drawing on her academic and practical experience.
In parallel with her academic work, she practiced architecture independently and in teams, specializing in the conservation and restoration of buildings. From 1993 to 2012, her focus shifted more toward education, where she revised her teaching to introduce the topic of transitional housing, while occasionally serving as a consultant for architectural offices.
*I would like to thank my friend, architect Sofia Chatzigeorgiou, for her valuable help in preparing the project file.