George Thomas Kapelos

Growing up, George Kapelos had ambitions of becoming a chemist or scientist. When he discovered architecture, his goals pivoted, but his curiosity about the world around him continued. Today, Kapelos is involved in a wide array of impactful work, from city planning to historic building preservation to skin cancer prevention. “Everything I do focuses on the interrelationship between humans and their built environments,” he says, “including how architecture and identity are connected.”

Kapelos’ own identity is tied to his Canadian, American and Greek roots. So, when the opportunity arose, it was a joy to take a group of graduate students to Greece. After exploring everyday life in cities and towns, as well as visiting Delphi, Delos, Hermopolis, Bassae and Athens—including a thrilling behind-the-scenes tour of the Parthenon restoration—the group got to work.

With their peers from the National Technical University of Athens, his students set up a studio to explore Keramikos, the “sacred city” that marks the beginning of the ancient procession to the Acropolis. Tasked with designing meaningful new experiences for tourists, the students proposed an interactive museum, viewing platform and more. “The trip was an amazing learning and personal growth experience for them,” Kapelos says. “For me, too.”