Building is designed as an exclusive dwelling house with unusually shaped and open-type planning flats. Main facade follows the tradition of perimetrical building blocks but in modern architectural tectonics, avoiding of any historical clichés or pastiche.
This is an attempt to add some new spatial qualities to the historically significant environment of city centre – respecting the character of the urban environment but following the urban evolution, rather than formal signs of architectural styles.
The choice of the wooden elements for the facade finish is also by no means accidental – as a new trait to the face of Riga ancient wooden architecture and indirect recall of the wooden house which used to stand there once.

 

Schools are a challenging building type, but creative expression of the designer is often severely limited by strict program requirements and financial limitations of a municipal client. Nonetheless, we hope the architects efforts in achieving a rich spatial and aesthetic experience through function-based form, strategic placement of colorful accents, and constant visual connection between the inside and outside of the school building complex succeeded in the project of the “Forest school”. The unusual setting of this project was proposed as its inspiration, conceptual point of departure and the outer-most layer of spatial enclosure. We believ the greatest winners are the students of this institution.
The “Forest school” is seccondary school for 200 children including rehabilitation. Program requirements ask for clasrooms, dormitory accommodations of 90 students, canteen, gymnasium , meeting hall, activity rooms, rehabilitation gym, exercise room for massage and small indoor pool. There are three buildings for whole complex – new teaching and dormitory building, new gymnasium including small children classes and existing historical bulding for out of class work, library, rehabilitation.
Clasrooms are designed for not moore than 14 children each and are equiped with built in furniture, which alows to store in the classroom the main part of teaching aids. There are small playrooms for younger children which can be as opened or closed area and used for small group lessons as well.
Outside activities include green clasrooms, playgrounds , open air theater and football court. Children spend a lot of time outside between and after lessons, and have lessons outside in green classrooms in nice weather which is important part of rehabilitation proces. The palette of natural and regional materials was selected primarily for its durability and sustainability.
Complete accessibility of the complex of school building by physically handicapped and special needs visitors has been a top priority in it’s design and construction process. The new school building is equipped with the following accessibility features: all access points are ramped, all public and circulation spaces are equipped with wall-mounted hand rails and wood pannelling ,all levels of the school have handicap accessible restrooms ,floor finishes include functional accents highling entrances, nurse posts, reception desk, as well as other important features and services within the building ,all levels of the new buildings of school are vertically accessible by specification elevator, difference in hight betweeb floor levels inside buildings is ramped ,ramped walk way through the knoll created in the surounding school territory in the wood

 

After the reconstruction works, which have lasted for several years, the Centre for Regional tourism in Jelgava was opened on November 16, 2010 during a festive ceremony. Together with the Academy Square and the monument to Janis Chakste the regained Tower, being part of the authentic herigate, acts as a deeply symbolic place of the city ruined during the war. It is a place, where different layers of history, public space of the city and a modern function - the centre for tourism information, restaurant and an elevated sight-seeing podium - supplement each other (text - Artis Zvirgzdins)

 

The living house as all the other five family houses designed on the Puces street quarter is formed in a contemporary minimalist manner where concrete formwork walls interchange with large glass frames. A contrast between both distinctly horizontal house sections reflects the functional design of the building where a concrete and glass framed first story is set to accommodate an active family life while atop sitting rectilinear wooden volume shelters bedrooms area. The cross-section of both perpendicular volumes embraces the center of the house – a family living room. Sliding corridor wall and built in technical solutions allow adjusting the area for various everyday uses. The ascetics of the house exterior continue into the interior of the internal spaces. Flat and clear surfaces of furniture fittings interact with a texture of concrete and oak floors while the surrounding landscape transpires through glazed surfaces in the walls.

 

Angular location of a newly developed multifunction block suggested the DnB NORD bank building should be a clear boundary / corner formant of the block. But at the same time the building was created as an open, inviting and involving inside both visitors and workers. Free area under the top console roof creates a new type of space which seeks to blur the boundaries between inside and outside.

 

The architecture exhibition was commissioned by the Daile Theatre to celebrate its 90th anniversary and Ms Marta Stana, architect of the theatre building. After months of research we had an archive material of forgotten Soviet post-war modernist and a small exhibition space at contemporary art galleries. We immediately understood the importance of translating her ideas into the language of contemporary architecture and modern materials. We also wanted to transform the under-developed gallery box. We took ideas, shapes and volumes from the sixties and arranged them into a new story of talents operating behind the Iron Curtain. We did not copy the architect, we got inspired! Marta Stana became our hero and muse and we paid her back by creating modern frames and displays for original drawings and digital graphics. While searching for new building materials we discovered Dendrolight, a lightweight solid wood invented in Austria and produced in Latvia. We were the first to use it for exhibition displays of various shape, finishing and size. We were proud of the result.

The idea for digital poster and graphic design was based on metaphor of the Iron Curtain (limited communication with western countries) and Stage Curtain, use of bright colour in Marta Stana’s drawings and wireframe architectural drawings for the National Theatre project in Budapest.

 

A five-story and nine-story blocks are connected in a one axis building that stands in an inner yard territory on Unijas St.
On both ending sides of the building, at ground floor level, are distributed some social spaces with a central empty space that permits visual interrelation with the surroundings.
The upper five floor levels have different size apartments (43-151sqm).
Submerged, on the north side, are located the parking places. These parking places are covered with green areas and landscaped terraces.
The facades are going to be from multicolored cement boards.
The added value of this building is its 2000 sq. metre large roof terrace accessible solely to the residents and constructed on the top layer of the parking area that has been immersed into the ground.
With the help of this raised, free-standing and originally furnished platform it was possible to achieve a total openness of the building towards its surroundings, avoiding the need of a fence around the property, whilst ensuring a safe, isolated and landscaped outdoors space for the residents of this building. The cars that are parked in the parking space below the terrace are successfully hidden from sight when overlooked from the yard and windows of the surrounding buildings, and are further protected from direct rain and snow.

 

This building is positioned to be a new level modern culture and education facility. It is constructed as a multi functional unit consisting of several decoratively expressive volumes, each with its own separate function. Planning of the building is divided into 3 separate functional blocks - Culture center with café, Arts and Music School, Office space for rent.
In the external furnishing it is envisaged to reinvigorate the symbols of Latvian national signs that emotionally revert to the values of the past and create a link to the future, which is the ultimate goal of the culture center - spiritual strengthening of people and education of new generation. The idea of structural and colour scheme of the building complex comes from Latvian traditional ornament colour schemes and codes.

 

In the beginning of 2009 the new office building with warehouses was finished. The building attracts its tenant’s already from the beginning of construction works.
The first floor of the building contains office and demonstration premises which are connected with warehouses. The second floor contains office premises and the inner terrace, the most part of which is foreseen for the common use - a rest place for employees of whole building. The third floor also contains offices. At present the building is fully rented out and it attracts the tenants with its high quality materials and successful architectural solutions.

 

The restaurant about which I want to tell you would definitely get three stars from Michelin. It means – it is worth it to go there intentionally instead of running-in while passing by.
... if you arrive in Riga and you do not know where to go for dinner then do not hesitate and go to Jūrmala. Of course, the weather must be beautiful... The fresh pine forest’s air surrounds you. As we are getting closer the destination, the road becomes narrow and winding until we reach a small square. Our breath gets taken away – there is sea, so close. This view is charming because the sea is at our feet. But right there another surprise is waiting for you – a building likely to smooth wave. A building which is clung to dune and separated from the ground at the same time. The pines reflect on it, behind it and around it. In the background is sea – blue-gray. The building has pulse. It is restaurant. Lauris cooks there.

 

Eclectic style wooden building built on 1895th is located in historical center of Tukums. Original composition of facade and historical details during reconstruction work are maintained. Additionally new staircase is built at the side of yard. Staircase is made ascetic simple to give a priority to pompous historical building. Offices are located in 1st and 2nd floor of building. Lounge with walls decorated with paintings of historical Tukums are located in 3rd floor.

 

According to the construction documentation of Līdēre Mortuary-Chapel a mortuary-chapel, a square and a parking were built in the territory of an existent cemetery. According to LBN 201-07 about the fire safety of constructions the mortuary-chapel is a construction of IV type of use and it has U3 rating of fire-resistance.

The site area of the mortuary-chapel was chosen in the old section of the cemetery near the former main entrance. The building of the mortuary-chapel is situated lengthwise along the border of the cemetery, remotely from the road with the entry facing the access road. The bell tower is free-standing and visually serving as the gates of the cemetery.

The belfry – gates lead to the main path of the cemetery. It runs through all the territory and connects the new section of the cemetery with the old one.

The composition of the mortuary-chapel is asymmetrical; the asymmetry is seen also in the use of the materials – brick wall contra light wooden constructions. All the functions of the building are placed at the end of each other starting from the access road – the bell tower, covered entrance of the mortuary-chapel, ceremonial hall and, in the end, an auxiliary room with separate entrance from behind. This order is defined by the siting of the building. The long building is divided in smaller pieces by wooden rib constructions. Thus the building corresponds with the scale of the surrounding environment.

The mortuary-chapel is built using natural materials – brick and wood. The light sources of the ceremonial hall are the windows in the south facade. The windows are placed in the upper part of the wall to correspond the function of the hall.

The covered square in front of the mortuary-chapel entrance can be used during Cemetery Festivals. There is lighting available and electronic devices can be connected. For the visitors of a Cemetery Festival there is a wide semicircular gravel area around the mortuary-chapel. This area is separated from the parking with a line of decorative plants.

 

Following the City of Jurmala’s decision, the designed observation tower for the Ragakapa Park in 2004/2005 was moved to a new location -the Dzintaru Mezaparks- and built in the year 2010.
Taking in consideration that both locations were different, some changes of color and dimensions were made.
The replacement of the tower from a location with common pines on top of a hill to a forested flat demanded an increase in height, which after the re-design, jumped up to 33.5m from ground level. In total, including the cellular operator antenna, the tower has 38m.
The rest remained as it was projected, a light, simple parallelpiped tower with a metallic structure covered by glued wooden elements and a comfortable, wide and metallic staircase that whirls around a squared structural core that takes us to an asymmetric platform at the very top. Along the way, 12 balconies allow us rest and enjoy the view feeling the loneliness of the place and watch nature with squirrel’s eyes.
The structural concept defined the tower’s visual appearance –a laconic, quadrilateral and elongated tower with stretched elements and randomly distributed balconies which end with a dynamic observation “cage”.
The wanted transparency of the tower is achieved by designing it light but providing a moderate adrenaline dose to the visitors and making the shy climber reconsider his wardrobe before getting to the top.

 

8 BLACKS
Initially planned as a holiday house, at the end of the design process - socially active family’s living house complex at the River Venta near Kuldiga.
The place drags in to live there.

8 BLACKS consists of:
1. A group of buildings for daily living, located around the paved courtyard and creating center of gravity for the complex,
2. Guest house and Sauna house located at a distance,
3. Cellar sat within relief and ancillary buildings.

8 BLACKS is a modern approach for traditional living complex in Kurzeme adopting the archetypal cross-section as a common element for all buildings. Union of traditional and modern in the image of the house entail sense of inheritance and belonging at the same time providing the necessary comfort for active living.

Expressive nature of the terrain - a swift river, remarkable relief, wind - defined the minimalist form of buildings; they do not compete with nature.
Using one material for both - walls and roofs – homogenous look of the building is achieved; surface texture and details are reached by the finish of raw wood planking.
In contrast of 8 BLACKS the inner courtyard is connected to garage building, made of white polycarbonate and operating as a large lamp and illuminating the yard.

8 BLACKS - 8 black painted wood planking buildings forming a complex.
Large windows of the buildings provide a visual link with the surroundings; the terraces of various sizes offer an opportunity to go out while being in the house.
Indoor space is formed following a principle of 'box in a box' - free-standing room blocks with built-in furniture walls. The space above the ceilings is used as extra sleeping area.

 

In 1880 stock company „Ulei” ordered architect Reinhold Schmeling to create a reconstruction project of a building on a spot that united three land plots, to be used for the Riga Third mutual society of trust loan and the society of „Ulei”. The building of “Ulei” has always served as a place for art and social events for the city of Riga, after some time it was established as a the abiding residence of Riga Russian drama theatre – now called Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre.
The first performance of Riga Russian Theatre in this building was held in 1883.
Until 1940 the building was remodeled several times, but the next major reconstruction took place in 1956-1967. At that time the theatre building was principally rebuilt; an auditorium was created with more than 700 seats, and the stage box was built over street Kalēju. Also a new main entrance was designed, the entrance hall and main stairway was remodeled, and a lot of other functional and architectural changes were brought to the building. The author of the project was Juris Skalbergs.
In 2006 the head of Riga came out with an initiative to reconstruct the building of the theatre, since it was already exhausted both physically and morally, and did not agree with many modern standards of safety and technology. Taking into account the status of Riga in the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO, a disputable question was the stage box built in 1960-ties above street Kalēju. The city organized a competition of architecture in which the right to design the project of reconstruction and restoration was given to GRAF X.
GRAF X designed the project of the reconstruction and restoration of the theatre building between 2007 and 2008, and the field supervision was done during the construction process between 2008 and 2010, when the building was put into service.
The basic principle of the rebuilding was to create a new, smaller auditorium, and after that to place all the other rooms depending on the auditorium, so that it was comfortable for both the spectators and inhabitants. The auditorium, which holds 536 spectators (464 seats on the parterre plus 72 seats in the balcony), is located, as it used to be, on the second floor, but it has been moved further back into the building, allowing reopening of the previously closed windows on the façade facing Līvu square, because there is located a foyer for the spectators.
The new stage box is placed over the main building of theatre, and is moved further away from street Kaļķu. After the removal of the old stage box, the façade of the historical private residence of Kr.Haberland (facing street Kalēju) was restored to the best possible result. A glass paned crossing on the second and third floor was designed to serve for a functional connection of all three buildings (Kalķu 16, Kalēju 4 and Kaļķu 14) above street Kalēju.
The facades of streets Kaļķu and Vāgnera have been restored.
An interior project of the theatre building was designed and completed. The ornate workmanship in two rooms on the first floor of the building is a cultural monument of state importance, so both of these rooms have been restored.
The team of GRAF X on this project: architects Ruta Krūskopa, Ludmila Potapova, Laima Baltiņa, Juris Gusevs, Dainis Broks, Renāte Cerbule, Ilze Krūskopa – Kaleine; engineers Vilnis Griķis, Mārtiņš Trušelis, Larisa Kuzurmane, Andris Solovjovs and Baiba Dzilna, Dagnija Kornhubere, Pēteris Strancis, Ilona Sivicka.
The project of the theatre building and its completion would be impossible without the support of head of Riga City Council and the customer - Property Department. A successful collaboration was with the general builder “Re&Re” and “Moduls Riga”, and also the director of the theatre.

 

Project was elaborated for student competition in Zone of Future in Memorial Park. After winning the competition a technical project was elaborated thus investing in creation of Memorial. The strong bond between Latvians and nature is emphasized as nature is source of energy, peace and harmony. Terrain, trees and main viewpoints are taken into consideration. The architectural idea is the pavilion that “grows out” from pathway as one walks towards the terrace.

 

The building are located on the two historical plots in the historical centre of Riga. One of the plots has existing facade by K. Felsko from 1897, who is integrated in the new silhouette of the hotel building. The new part of the hotel building is created as contrast between old and new, with the respect to the historical heritage and city surroundings, creating the new architecture of Riga.

 

The central open space project of Rūjiena town is realized in a nordic temperate manner. Rhytm of very strict concrete steps on central square is ending by plastic lawn terraces on a slope. The dominant of square is Kārlis Zemdega sculpture "The Trompeter of Tālava"(1937). Hill's lanscape is culminate by apple-tree flowers meadow senses. Central square is comfortable for daily communications, but becomes more capacios to be connected by hill's landscape during the festivals. Design materials: native granite, concrete and substantial plants.

 

Low –rise residental building is located in quiet living area near the city center. Building is designed in shape letter L with large open yard to Slocene river valley. Nine apartments are located in three floors. Parking is in the basement floor, leaving more space for green courtyard. Original dark grey balconies create outdoor space for tenants with excellent view over Slocene river valley and they make this building different.

 

Stained glass technique offers the unique option to create the Picture by using the light as the basic element. Manipulations with the light are widely used in creating religious buildings.
The painted ornaments that historicaly decorated the church walls are now used as the key ornament frosted on glass details of the furniture. The furniture wooden parts are made of stained oak veneer combined with hardened glass details. The furniture design is very functional and severe opposite to original baroque arrangement. The author found the connection between the new and the original interior by means of the painted flower string ornaments that historicaly decorated the church walls. They are now used as the key ornament frosted on glass details of the furniture. Such analogy is used in the design of the loft banister that is made of glass boards with frosted picture of the baroque banister that originally decorated the church hall.
The most favorite piece in the entire church interior is the light spot projected on the altar wall that represent the Eternal light. The light is the altar piece in this church and the author of the Light is the God.

 

 

The building under design is situated near the Furniture house (Mēbeļu nams), not far from the crossroads of Dzelzavas street and G.Astras Street, which is an important city traffic junction. The main functions of the building under design are as follows: flats in 2 towers of the building – 289 altogether, with the total area 25 362 m2; shops and offices from the 1st to the 3rd floor – 11100 m2, with underground parking for 345 vehicles and parking on the 1st floor level for 10 vehicles. Children’s playgrounds will be established both at the sunny courtyard of the house and on the improved and green terrace of the 3rd floor roof.

 

Concept
Based on the design program similar to the prototype of this building – Meetinghouse (~200m2) in Plani, Jaunmezuli, built in 1785 - Vidzemes threshing barn archetype (moved to Latvian Opne Air Museum, Riga in 1940.) – to emphasize the succession in the silhouette/shape, at the same time discovering new dimensional, material and technological possibilities (first floor’s second level, overhead lighting, dimensional transformation possibilities, etc.)

 

Second World War’s first shot in September 1st, 1939 places Gdansk in the war’s history map.
The artistic character given to this Second World War museum is duality, whose essential elements are – EMPTINESS – a bomb hole, a crater and a second contrasting character – a BEAM – a way, a future opportunity bridge or a hope dock.
EMPTINESS characterizes war’s missing wounds, thoughts, recalls of internal sufferings that stay deep inside in silence, and contrasts with a second element, a – BEAM – s that symbolizes people’s possibilities, the idea of getting rid of the force, standing up and visualizing the magnificence of life and future possibilities.
EMPTINESS – the crater is located in the outdoor area – in the center of the square and serves as the plazas and the museums spatial, functional and emotional center. It functions as a natural light collector for the indoor areas that are located in the underground levels and as a projector screen for the museum areas bellow the center of the crater.
An elevated BEAM (ray) – two direction cantilevered ramps that takes the museum’s visitors from the museums exposition level (level –2) over the square to the river shore, showing the Moltowas River area and the landscape of the city and then back to the starting point – the lobby of the museum.
Public outdoor area-the square around the crater is an important element of the museum complex that serves as a meeting area and helps as an outdoor exposition area with 2700sqm. In the crater and the square section, the contours reflects the old city’s architectural structure and geometry.

 

Galleria is located in densely developed area containing four historical plots in the very centre of the city. Building volume and facades are split based on historical boundaries and follows scale and rhythm of neighborhood. Roof space on different levels is allocated for public use and houses open skating ring and outdoor recreation areas.

 

The Vīna studija wine shop is created to continue and expand the corporate style of Vīna studija brand, and to adapt it for premises of the shopping centre Galerija Centrs. Both, shop and bar area, are merged and placed at the front, leaving kitchen, storage, staff rooms and WC in the background. The shop and the bar can also be used as a space for wine school and other social events.
The architecture of the shop is pragmatic and rational, and is created to emphasize rich assortment of wine without losing transparency and spaciousness. The walls, ceiling and bar are painted black to shield the space from busy atmosphere and discomfort of the shopping centre. Additional intimacy is created by quietly illuminated oak tables, allowing clients to forget their troubles, noise and time.
An illuminated walk-in wine cabinet is placed in the centre of the shop as a sign of competence of Vīna studija chain. It catches the eye of the passers-by and invites them to buy and consume wine.

 

New building is located in Papes Koņu village Rucavas parish, within cultural and historical landscape area in the neutral zone of Pape Nature Park.
The building is constructed in accordance with the actual situation, and it fits in harmoniously into the Baltic Sea coastal areas building manner. Finishing materials used are according with Rucavas parish building regulations - a vertical wood siding, stone wall. Roofing - wooden board covered with tin sheets.

 

Two, 2-floor annexes were constructed both ends of the kindergarten along the Pļavas street. This dimensional composition is in contrast with the capacity of the existing building. The contrast is also accented by irregular sequence of windows and unequal facade color separation. The glass and other modern materials usage in facade emphasizes the contrast even more. The colors separations in the facades are made to grasp the sense of semantics and children should have the image of building associated with “LEGO” cubes.

 

Multifunctional ice arena was designed thinking about future development possibilities, high exploitation quality with environmentally friendly architecture.
Arenas dimensional solution anticipates to create a hall in the center of the land and a caffe at the side of Ausekla street.
The planning base of the ice arena is a circle, which can be easily divided and structured with typical and equipollent center. In the center of the hall – main element of arena – ice rink.

 

 

 

The reconstruction of former Latvian Society Building (1912), together with new premises, forms the Ventspils Creative house, housing the education classes of schoolchildren in arts, crafts and technologies. The key values of the old building are facade reconstruction, and exposure of Art Nouveau interiors with harmonic spatial and visual substance.
The historical aura of Society building is enriched with the new premises, interpreting handwork traditions both in facade and interiors, functionally fulfilled with creativeness and technologies – planetarium and observatory.

 

Šampēteris is an old Riga neighbourhood on the Pārdaugava side of the Daugava river. Its name derives from french word champetre ( country, pastoral ) manor house name. The private house location in the park-like environment creates the wish to make large windows to view the forest on the opposite side of the Šampētera Street and the garden on the yard side. The house has a simple layout and cubic shape. The main architectural element is the deep red-brown panelling that makes the horizontal and vertical line screen. The console on the yard side is used as the outdoor terrace ceiling and is the main façade accent. The entrance is placed on the central line of the house that is continued till the bay window on the yard side that makes the house transparent from the entrance. The entrance hall is two-storey volume with the overhead lighting that creates the feeling of sapciousness. The interior composition is developed by means of warm yelow and brown colour shades used in the decoration, furniture and wall colouring.

 

Riga long has been famous for its outstanding architectural heritage, green gardens and many parks. Project site is located in one of the most beautiful parks of the city center, in Esplanade - on the Boulevard arc, and is a part of the UNESCO historic heritage site. The site, and the existing building on it, require sensitive approach in designing new addition - they determine shape of new addition and volumetric relationships of both, old and new structures. The project is based on two principles / ideas: to provide sensitive attitude toward historic building and context, and keep existing public outdoor space of the park the same size as before, while satisfying contemporary museums demands for open, attractive public space. The historical building is located above ground but new addition is mainly underground, having main connection between the two underground and leaving existing structure intact. Existing museum as Classical Museum, is historically constructed closed and introvert, but the new addition is created as open and extravert space. The new volume is designed as part of the landscape, not as object in the park.

 

Gate portal at Marstalu street 23 is referable to 17th century. Before restoration the portal, due to various reasons, was in critical condition and was dangerous to the surroundings as it could collapse. Conservation was used as method of restoration. After the restoration the gate portal has become an important landmark of the Marstalu street.

 

The building was constructed around a growing body compositional center -
inner gadren. It was conceived Stylistics Japanese tsubo garden form of the
Japanese garden culture generally been integrated inside the house, as a
recreational area. Space around the garden was intended to be transparent,
thereby fusing, at the same time separating the functions of acquiring and
natural feeling to a room. During project implementation, unfortunately, the
customer refused to inner garden, adding indoor seating area.

Shape the direction of home was holding against the neighboring streets,
parcel boundaries and corners. Building a vertical direction followed by the
sun span, thus the second floor of the south side places deeper,
resulting in direct sunlight. On the second floor bedroom has a spacious
terrace with a planned green plants.

Building is finished with a blackish tree, creating a variety of boards in
rhythm, but resulting in a seamless whole volume, where the main emphasis
put on the form. Finishing a different highlight only the entrance area,
including the smooth metal door in the plane. Emphasizing the building face,
the remainder of the plot-driven corner wooden footbridge, situated in an
outdoor fireplace. From there, the building is perceived in its entirety.

 

 

COMPETITION ENTRY FOR EXTENSION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF LATVIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART IN RIGA, LATVIA LNMA REST ART - an organic connection between Latvian national museums’s of art historical building and new park gallery. LNMM REST ART proposal for museum's historic building includes several design changes, which significantly don’t change the historical structure, but considerably improves its existing incorporating new features. The ground floor hall serves as the representation lobby with existing entrance from Kr.Valdemara Street and new pedestrian entrance along the road from the Esplanade. Ground floor is provided for administration offices, shop, cloakrooms, toilets and museum’s restaurant. The solution for existing facade will restore historical monochrome gray plaster. The roof level will be reconstructed into new exhibition and conference halls. All existing exhibition halls will be reconstructed improving all necessary engineering facilities. Technical rooms, restoration workshops and storage are located in the underground level, equipped with roof lights. Museum staff entrance to the underground parking is from the existing road between museum and Academy of Arts. Private and museum supply transport streams are separated.LNMM REST ART – is a synergy between the park and museum and an organic connection between the two entrances and two squares. A new entrance on the corner of Brivibas/ Elizabetes street will lead visitor to new exhibition halls connected by pedestrian gallery that are integrated in the park landscape, respecting existing park structure and pedestrian pathways.

 

ESCLICE is a prefabricated compact class design house for 2+2 dwellers. It is completely assembled in factory including furniture and equipment and then transported to site in two parts. The idea behind the house is to create a spatial structure that satisfies desire for high quality living environment yet reducing its costs, unnecessary space and ecological footprint to minimum; space that embodies fundamental feelings of home - warmth and safety. It can be easily taken with you to your favorite place, adapted to the context and your personal needs. (See more description in attached material)

 

Supermarket proposal. Closeness of Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum and Jugla lake determines specific chracter of the site. Associative images such as reeds, wattle fence and fish scales are used in building composition to integrate it in locality context. Silhouette is played on with broken line of roof and division of volumes. Proportion of building is scaled down with raised relief towards the Brīvības street. Facades will be finished mostly with natural materiāls – pitched timber, titanium – zinc tiles.

 

The basic architectural concept of Academic Centre of Nature Sciences is the contrast between irrational natural environment with its symbol hill and rationally designed volume, symbolizing scientific and technological progress. The design proposal of the Academic Centre of Nature Sciences emphasizes an openness to natural environment and open inner communication between different levels and departments inside the building. The ground floor relief shapes and unites exterior and interior creating continuous public space. This entrance floor space can be defined as an intersection of main flows and a platform of interaction and recreation. A central hall of the 1st floor (ground floor) is designed also as a happening space providing possibility to organize various university assembly events. There are also other public functions such as library, cafe and administration offices located on the 1st floor (ground floor). The large auditoriums are positioned below the public level creating joint space for all the lecture halls. The main entrance of the building is organized from the public square of the university campus creating greatly presentable image of the academic center. The spatial core of the building is an atrium what brings the light in an edifice, helps to find the location and encourages the common sense between the students and academical staff. There are several seminar blocks located in the atrium promoting an open interdisciplinary student communication. All the recreation zones are located around the atrium in each floor and give opportunity to organize specific learning exhibitions in the atrium hallways. Each of different departments (medicine, pharmacy, chemistry and geography) occupies different floor from second till sixth floor shaping highly rational top volume of the building. These floors include common recreation spaces, scientific and study laboratories, teachers offices and at least one auditorium positioned on each of different department floors. Due to technical issues such as ventilation and water supply all the laboratories are placed on top of each other. The top floor of the academic centre is devoted only for science and research offices. The façade construction of the building also accentuate the idea of openness in contrast to rationalism. The design of specific hexagonal façade structure relates to symbols of nature and gives certain recognizable image for the building creating excellent lighting scenery in an interior. The first floor of the building is designed enhancing the amount of glazing to point out the idea of openness. An external skin of the top volume is designed as a double layered hexagonal steel plate structure with one elongated side depending on orientation to control the sun energy. The construction scheme of the building consists of drilled pile foundations as a base for column grid (8×8 m) and in-situ cast reinforced concrete plate for underground floors. Due to architectural idea, overhanged parts and the atrium balconies building surface volume consists of in-situ cast concrete plates with post-tensioned reinforcement and column grid with increased reinforcement to strengthen the construction persistence without increasing the geometric sizes.

 

Hotel MiniKit is designed in former ice basement, built by duke Cropotkin, in nowadays – storage. All building structures shall be preserved – rubble-wall and brick vaults – which will be renovated and insolated. Inner walls will be replaced with metal columns, deepen floor level, reconstructed door/window openings. Basement's embankment to be changed to wooden shell – sculptural object - the guard of the old basement, saving it from rain, wind and sun in further.

 

 

 

The costume exhibition was commissioned by the Daile Theatre to celebrate its 90th anniversary season. The biggest design challenge was to find a suitable exhibition space inside the theatre – a typical modernist building with big open spaces, lots of glass and not enough walls for display. After long hours inside the building the most obvious and transparent place was chosen – horizontally emphasised main foyer visible both, from the inside and outside the theatre. To add some drama to the space, a black exhibition box was built from old set designs and production leftovers. Thus, a box made from trash, became a treasury chest for holding and displaying valuable costumes dating back to art deco era in the Thirties.

 

"Harry Morgan" is the first „deli-style” London restaurant in Riga. Its a natural products and food for reasonable price what makes this cuisine special.
The concept of naturality an sustainability is also used making interior design. Cardboard as a symbol of ecology covers the walls. Pieces of furniture and lamps are also made of recycled wood. Floor tiling is the same it was in first deli London.
The structure of restaurant consists of 3 parts: Bar, Restaurant space and VIP room. Partition wall for VIP is made similar to London’s deli facade.

 

The site is located near the bay of Daugava where a lot of nesting birds can be observed. Shape of the tower is Influenced by the triangular form of site and main view directions- widest side faces the river bay, narrow side facing a part of river where birds can be less oserved an the third- concludes view direction from Kvadrāta street. Reversed roof in skyline determines inviting ang intriguing caracter of building / construction.

 

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Valmiera Primary School is situated in a very scenic location, right next to the Valmiera State Grammar School. The primary school forms just the first stage of the entire building project. The school building is envisaged for 672 schoolchildren. It comprises 24 classrooms, workshops for handicrafts and computer training classrooms, an assembly hall, a gym-hall, a library and several rooms for extra curriculum activities. Within the project a large territory belonging to both schools has undergone an extensive improvement and refurbishment. It includes an amphitheatre and several recreation areas that have been built for leisure time and open air activities of schoolchildren, a parking lot along Leona Paegles Street, intended for visitors of the both schools, and a bus stop for the city buses.

 

The new assembly hall of Riga Stradina University has been constructed in the space of the previously existing, yet unfinished hall. It is intended for 600 visitors. It’s projected to host not only events and activities of the educational establishment but to serve as an acoustic concert hall, too. A celebrated Latvian pianist Vestards Šimkus has performed there for several times already and has highly approved its acoustic properties.

 

The use of the designed area has exhausted its efficiency potential – currently it encounters delivery difficulties, high property value due its specific location - close proximity to the city centre by river Daugava. Accordingly the production costs increase significantly. Present production unit, being also a source of environment pollution, obstructs the development of the entire adjacent part of the city. Moving the production to more appropriate locations, Riga city acquires potential area for business and residential structures, high-quality urban architecture, eventually reflecting traces of the former factories.

 

 

 

As a result of reconstruction an addition to one of the iconic contemporary bohemian places has been created.Although there is an expression - dismantling is no constructing, reconstruction of “Teatra bārs” bar has been exactly that - scrubing off and refinig layers of cladding until reaching the point of constructive and spatial clarity. As an associative idea for final touch-up the feeling and appearance of a theatre backstage has been used. The stencil of legendary latvian theater director Eduards Smiļģis on the walls reminds of a ghost that usually resides in that kind of places.

 

Assignment – in two weeks’ time, to create a temporary Latvian fashion and design pop-up shop in a somewhat featureless shopping mall. Various materials are used in an alternative ways. Suspended ceiling mount construction and sewage pipes are used to hang products. These ideas are based on functionality, ease of use, and quick breakdown/reassembly for use in a different time and space. New signage was created by preserving and including the dust and construction patterns left on the walls by previous furniture. This idea of precise and compact graphic design was inspired by architectural sketches, where explanatory text is usually placed on lines at the sides of the drawing.As a sequel to the pop-up series another shop was created at shopping mall Sky&More, this time – in one weeks time. To fill enormous space, principles of stage design were used. The concept – design products as a yielding apple tree garden in August. Space was made even more enormous by opening the ceiling and revealing roof construction, thus making an impression of infinite sky. Apple trees were found in a garden near Bauska town soon to be eliminated. After one year when the shop is intended to be closed, the apple trees will be hacked-up and burned thus making the set-up of the shop environmentally friendly. As in the first shop, maximum spatial and functional residues of the former tenants were used.

 

The holiday house project started years ago when a family of five decided to acquire a property located in the North East of Latvia next to the picturesque Aluksnes Lake. When the architects at AB3D were approached to design a new house, the place was already well established with several buildings, old and newly planted trees standing on the plot.
The new building is a contemporary villa designed to complement the surrounding landscape. It sits on the slope, making only one level of the two-level structure visible from the access road. Curvy topography of the place demanded reverse functional order, hence bedrooms and other private functions, including fireplace area and wine cabinet, are placed on the ground level, but living rooms with the dining area and kitchen are organised on the second level. The idea of the third level in a form of viewing platform was developed during the construction works.
All materials used in construction and cladding are chosen for long-term use and include concrete, glass and thermowood. Most of the furniture – cabinets, wardrobes, kitchen and others – are part of the architectural design and provide the connection between architecture and interior. The elegance of modern rural living is accentuated by furniture, a comfortable and light design classic.
A significant functional element of the house is number of terraces, open and closed, located near different functional areas and providing intimate atmosphere in close vicinity of nature. Considering volume and details, the whole architectural concept is both, compact and monumental.

 

The philosophy and message imparted through the Latvian pavilion in Shanghai Expo 2010 is „The road to happiness leads through harmony between nature and technology”. The pavilion presents cultural achievements in Latvia, its measures to protect the environment, its technological advancements and successful business stories. The Latvian pavilion is located by the central square of the Shanghai EXPO exhibit next to the pavilions of Estonia, Denmark, Greece and Belgium and stands out prominently and is easy to spot from the main, pedestrian walkway.The facade of the pavilion is composed of 100 000 colourful, transparent, 15×15 cm plastic plates generating a dynamic and kinetic effect and symbolizing nature with its various facets – the forests, the sea, the land, the sky and the wind. The construction scheme of pavilion consists of steel framework structure with 2 intermediate precast concrete floors based on concrete foundation plate and built-in vertical wind tunnel technological devices. The entry stairway of the pavilion leads upward in a spiral, symbolizing the continuing, progressive development of humanity. The wind tunnel located on third floor is a centrepiece of the exhibition. The first floor of the pavilion houses a souvenir shop, a cafe and representative space for conferences, business meetings and the reception of delegations. There are three wind turbines located on the roof for evening shows performed by flying acrobats and complemented by a special light show.

 

2012-02-29

World Sustainable Energy Days 2012

The World Sustainable Energy Days are one of the largest annual conferences in this field in Europe. 29 February - 02 March 2012, Wels/Austria. More here.

2012-02-23

2012-02-22

A seminare about the development of parks

2012-02-11

ROCAD international conference

2012-02-07

LAA Show of the year 2010 in Ventspils

The exposition of the best works in Ventspils recreation centre "Jūras vārti" until the 2'nd of March. Opening on the 7'th of Februarī at 17:00.

2012-01-03

LAA library

The library is opened on tuesdays and thursdays from 14-18:00 in the House of Architects, in Torņa street 11.

2012-01-03

The development of the architects’ data base

There are now created the preconditions for the LAS web page’s section ARCHITECTS IN LATVIA filling with the information provided there.That section is intended as a database of information about individual architects and architectural firms practicing in Latvian, as well as architects, whose scope is not a practical design, but work scientific, educational or administrative job. More in the speech.

2012-01-02

LAA chronicles of events

Summarized in a chronological order in the section About us / LAA chronicles of events.

2011-04-30

In Latvia

Portrait