Architect · Researcher · Founder & CEO of FUV Group
Theo Tountas
Architecture, materials and building science
For more than two decades, I have worked across architectural design, construction, materials, energy performance and technical research.
My work has developed through projects in Greece and sustained involvement in international technical networks.
Profile
Berlin, Genoa, Athens
Born in Berlin, I graduated in architecture from the University of Genoa, Italy, and founded FUV in Athens, Greece in 2005.
I gained my first hands-on experience on construction sites in Athens while still at school. That early encounter sparked a lasting curiosity about how space is formed and how inert matter can be transformed into a living environment for people. I chose architecture because it offered a way to bring creativity and applied science together.
A European outlook
I see myself as a European citizen, Greek by nationality but an Italian architect, shaped by different languages, climates, ways of life and building traditions, with a professional outlook that extends beyond national boundaries.
FUV began as an architectural practice. As projects developed, the practice expanded into construction, materials, energy systems, measurement and technical education.
My professional experience spans architectural design, construction sites, product development, research and teaching. The same questions have followed each stage: how buildings are made, how they perform and how people experience them.
Professional context
Through the years of crisis
I built my practice in Greece through a long period of economic crisis. I saw energy poverty at close range, and how poorly performing homes turned energy costs into real hardship. During the same period, more than 500,000 Greeks left the country. I remained and continued to invest in equipment, specialist knowledge and the training of local teams.
Local conditions and the ability to build, maintain and replicate a technical solution remain central to my work.
FUV
A way of thinking and living
FUV takes its name from Firmitas, Utilitas and Venustas—strength, usefulness and beauty. I later added Sostenibilitas, placing sustainability alongside the three Vitruvian principles.
For me, these four principles express a way of thinking and living. They guide how I approach architecture, materials, resources and our responsibility towards people and the environment.
Timeline
Selected professional milestones
First construction-site experience in Athens
Diploma in Architecture, University of Genoa, Italy
Founded FUV in Athens
Began airtightness testing on FUV projects
Became the first CasaClima Energy Consultant in Greece
The Aegina project received CasaClima Gold certification and the Cubo d’Oro
Green Awards: Gold and Platinum distinctions for the CasaClima certification project
Joined the AIVC Board, representing Greece
Technical practice
Construction, energy and the indoor environment
Much of this work developed directly from the condition of Greek buildings and the realities of construction on site.
Materials
Blown-in insulation
Through FUV, I introduced blown-in insulation to Greece as a professional construction method, combining suitable materials with dedicated machinery, site procedures and installer training.
Measurement
Airtightness
I began using BlowerDoor tests on FUV projects in 2011, before clients were asking for airtightness testing and before it was required by Greek regulation. The work later expanded to large buildings, ductwork, hospitals and room-integrity testing.
Indoor environment
Ventilation and indoor air
Through FUV, I introduced mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) to Greece alongside my work on airtightness and energy performance, bringing indoor air quality into the centre of design decisions.
Construction
Natural materials and timber
I promoted natural building in Greece and developed applications using natural insulation, breathable construction and timber systems, including mass-timber systems such as CLT.
These applications have improved indoor comfort for thousands of people. Selected projects and applications are presented through FUV Group.
Visit FUV GroupInternational work
AIVC and TightVent Europe
I contribute data and experience from Greek buildings to the work of AIVC and TightVent Europe. I joined the AIVC Board in 2025 as Greece’s representative and serve on the Scientific Committee of the 2026 AIVC Conference.
Education and media
Technical education and public communication
Education
Seminars and practical training
For many years, I have delivered seminars and practical training to engineers, craftspeople and homeowners. The teaching draws on completed projects, site experience, measurements, materials and the practical use of specialist equipment.
FUV Channel
Interviews and reporting
I founded FUV Channel to document technical experience, interview specialists from different fields and make specialised knowledge accessible to a wider audience. FUV Channel Greece and FUV Channel Global cover architecture, nature, materials, energy, buildings, history and politics. More than 5.5 million views and nearly 12,000 subscribers.
Current direction
The work today
My current work brings together architecture, materials, energy, indoor air quality, research and public communication.
This experience now extends internationally, with a particular interest in how proven building systems enter countries where they are not yet established, and how they are adapted to local construction, climate and professional practice.
International expansion requires a viable local structure for supply, training, installation and after-sales support.
The work continues through FUV Group, FUV Channel and collaborations with researchers, manufacturers and professionals in different countries.
Research, interviews and technical collaboration now extend this work beyond Greece.
FUV GroupContact
Interviews and professional collaboration
For interviews, technical collaboration, market development and international partnerships.