Selection Jury

Manten Devriendt

Belgian architect and managing partner of the architecture and design firm, Sampling, and the chairman of the jury. Since the founding of Sampling in 2010, the activity of the studio has been interdisciplinary, distinctly conceptual and international. Sampling has undertaken a diverse range of projects, including building and reconstruction projects for various program types, development concepts for large territories, and exposition and product designs. M.Devriendt is actively engaged in the international academic community, where he gives lectures, leads creative workshops and seminars, conducts research, and develops publications.

Zane Tetere-Šulce

Founder and head architect at the OAD (Open Architecture Design), and an esteemed lecturer in various architectural and interior design courses. With a passionate advocacy for modernist principles, she has demonstrated a solid foundation and an unwavering vision, earning international acclaim. Notably, Tetere-Šulce has received three nominations for the 2023 ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards, as well as special jury recognition and a public vote award in the 2022 Latvian Architecture of the Year Award, and special jury recognition in the 2022 Architizer A+ Awards.

Ilze Ratniece

The leading architect of the construction company SIA Rem Pro. Designs mainly public buildings and interiors. Over the last ten years, she has worked in various teams, but mostly with Pēteris Blūms, on several significant restoration projects of the Daugavpils Fortress - the Information Center, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko art centre, Nicholas Gate, restoration of the Powder warehouse and the Engineer Arsenal. For the last two works, she has received the 2022 Latvian Architecture of the Year award. She is interested in the modern restoration of historical heritage and unconventional solutions.

Anda Kursiša

Member of the Board of the Latvian Union of Architects and the owner of the architectural firm, Virtus. Over the past decade, her design focus has been on the renovation of public and industrial buildings, improving the function and image of socially significant structures such as hospitals, manufacturing companies, and technological buildings. She has developed extensive expertise in improving the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings. In addition to her architect's certification, Anda Kursiša holds certificates and has experience in energy certification of buildings and expertise in building architectural solutions.

Normunds Tirāns

Civil engineer, a doctor of engineering sciences and is a head of the construction design office of SIA "IG Kurbads". He has served as the responsible structural designer for numerous building structures, including the high-rise Zunda Towers in Pārdaugava, Zeimulis in Rēzekne, the reconstruction of the New Riga Theater building complex, the reconstruction of Hanzas Perons, and the Exupery International School buildings. N.Tirāns also leads the sub-committee Eurocodeks of the Latvian Standard technical committee and is a member of the LBPA board.

Edgars Neilands

A certified arborist, gardener, tree expert, and tree technician in Europe, the founder and leader of the LABIE KOKI company for 15 years. As the son of an architect and landscape architect, he has been familiar with the interaction of architecture and the environment since childhood. He has supplemented his education in landscape design in Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany. He continues to experiment and learn new methods for integrating nature into urban environments. He sees his soul mission as learning and teaching others, which is why he has founded the Anna's Tree School Association with the goal of expanding knowledge in landscape architecture and as well as architecture.

Kaspars Vanags

Art critic, curator, and director of the Pauls Stradiņš Museum of the History of Medicine. He was the curator for the Latvian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Art Biennale (Katrina Neiburga, Andris Eglitis Armpit). Among the most significant recent exhibitions and art projects are Crosshatch: Between Normative and Fantasy at the kim? Contemporary Art Center (2015), You have received 1243 messages. Life before the Internet. The Last Generation at the Latvian National Art Museum (2018), Riga International Art Biennial's offseason public program microRIBOCA (2019), and Secrets: Digging into the Soviet Underground at the Garage Contemporary Art Museum in Moscow (2020).