FestivaL'and 5.0 / Jul 22–Aug 3, 2024 / Valmiera, Latvia

The summer schools organised since 2018 have been led by the teams of international and local architects and designers, landscape specialists, artists, theorists and invited professionals: architect and designer DIDZIS JAUNZEMS, architects KARLIS MELZOBS, ARNITA MELZOBA, landscape architect and urbanist AIGARS LAUZIS, set designer and carpenter RUDOLF BEKIC (Latvia – Austria), architects RALF LÕOKE, SILLE PIHLAK from Estonia, architect and printmaker MALGORZATA MARIA OLCHOWSKA (based in Belgium), architect and furniture designer YORK BING OH (based in Belgium), artist ANDRIS EGLITIS, Estonian architects LAURA LINSI, ROLAND REEMAA, theatre director and set designer REINIS SUHANOVS, architect DINA SUHANOVA.

TUTORS AND GUEST LECTURERS IN 2024:

KRISTA ZVIRGZDA is a maker, teacher and researcher. She is currently a lecturer at the School of Art at Kingston University. Krista is also Operations Manager at Natural Building Systems, a company that produces modular, digitally manufactured building systems from bio-based materials.
Previously, Krista was a Research Associate at the University of Westminster School of Architecture and Cities' Fabrication Lab. For seven years she played an active role in developing the Lab's innovative strategies for 'teaching making' and running design-build workshops. Krista's teaching and research interests focus on the intersection of craft and digital fabrication in sustainable design solutions. Learning through making is her approach to most things in life. Her passion and hobby is making and experimenting with materials and technologies. She is a very hands-on person – there is always a project going on.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristazvirgzda/
https://naturalbuildingsystems.com

JONAS NORDGREN is a co-founder of Schauman Nordgren Architects. He graduated as an architect from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen as well as a furniture designer from the Danish Design School. In 2005 he was elected by Wallpaper as one of the worlds 10 most wanted designers. Since then he has exhibited internationally and also been published in various magazines and books such as Casa da Abitare, Wallpaper, Blueprint and the book Nordic Designers. In 2012 Jonas Nordgren graduated with honours; after he continued his professional career at COBE Architects. At COBE, Jonas worked with a range of praised projects such as the PFA offce building in Copenhagen, ESS, European Spallation Source and Science Village Scandinavia in Lund. Jonas is a member of the Danish Architect Association (MAA) and the Swedish Association of Architects (SAR).

MARIS BARDINS is an architect, urban planner and founder of AAStudio, an innovative architecture and urban design studio based in Riga. With a focus on concept-driven architecture, the studio addresses contemporary social, cultural and environmental challenges, aiming for a better future. AAStudio takes a collaborative, research-based approach, challenging conventions while prioritising innovation, sustainability and functionality. Maris Bardins holds a Master's degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Riga Technical University and has worked on various projects at different scales, as well as contributing to numerous international award-winning competitions across Europe. As a lecturer at the RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design, he shares his expertise and promotes innovation in the architectural discourse. 

ACHIM HACK is Professor of Furniture and Interior Design at the Faculty of Architecture and Design at Wismar University of Applied Sciences. Achim is an experienced designer of objects, spaces and productions, most of which have been created in cooperation with the design group. He is a master carpenter and studied interior design at Burg Giebichenstein, University of Art and Design Halle. Achim has more than 25 years of experience as a furniture designer, planner and exhibition designer with projects, trade fair and exhibition participations and competition wins in Germany and Europe. In addition to his many years of experience as a teacher, he is interested in the development of materials and technologies as well as the research and implementation of transdisciplinary development scenarios.

RUDOLF BEKIČ is an experienced scenographer, exhibition designer and carpenter. Born and educated (apprenticeship for cabinetmaking at Novak&Steiner, Vienna; BA Product Design/metal at the University of Applied Arts Vienna; MA Set&costum Design at University of Applied Arts Vienna) in Austria, he now lives and works in Latvia. He has been working in theater as a set designer (apprenticeship as a scenographer in Schauspielfrankfurt, numerous set designs in Latvian theatres), but now he is busy with wood, designing and making furniture for children, and is involved in other installation and carpentry work. He is also engaged in academia and as a passionate wood specialist helps to master the craft to young professionals, designers and architects.

NIKLĀVS PAEGLE is one of the founders of the architecture practice ĒTER – Dezeen ranked it as one of the 29 most promising companies in the world in 2022 and the Milan Platform as one of Europe's new "40 under 40" architects. The ĒTER-designed support centre "Pērle" in Cēsis has been awarded the 2022 Latvian Architecture Prize and nominated for the EU Mies Award in 2024. The exhibition at the Design Museum in London won the Dezeen Awards for the best exhibition architecture of the year.
Niklāvs holds a Diploma in Architecture from the AA School of Architecture in London. He is a member of the British Royal Institute of Architects and Association of Latvian Architects. Parallel to his practice, he has taught architecture at the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts, has been a guest lecturer at several universities in the Baltics as well as in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and the UK. Niklāvs is one of the main founders of the emerging architecture school at the Art Academy of Latvia.

RUDOLFS DAINIS SMITS is a dean and lecturer at the RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design. Dainis is globally experienced architect currently leading his own practice RDSA Studio based in Riga. He studied architecture, art history and painting at the University of Illinois, Chicago and theology at Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis in the USA. Dainis has over 30 years of experience working in multi-cultural environments in Europe, Middle East and Central Asia. Internationally, he has focused on project idea delivery, design management and specialist experience incl. design innovation and research, technical detailing and value engineering of complex building envelope systems, specialist facades systems, curtain walls, glazed structures; stainless steel and stone cladding systems. Dainis research interests are related to architecture theory – a critical approach to design and reading architecture while distinguishing between idea, concept and affect vs. projective architecture. 

AIGARS LAUZIS is the Founder, CEO & Designer at ZELTINI / BeTriton – Latvian start-up building amphibious e-campers. Although trained in landscape architecture & urban design Aigars has been working across various design fields for more than 10 years. He lived, worked, and studied in London for many years before embarking on a 4-year bicycle ride from London to Tokyo with a few stops to work in the field of Landscape Architecture – Istanbul, Dubai, Singapore, and Shanghai. Aigars has worked on high profile projects across the globe ranging in scale from large masterplans to small pieces of product design. With the main mantra "FORM FOLLOWS FUN" he tries to design things that are playful, unique, sustainable, and meaningful to this world.

LinkedIn / Websites: www.zeltini.com / www.betriton.com
Facebook, Instagram & YouTube

PROGRAM MANAGERS:

DINA SUHANOVA is a trained architect and theorist of visual arts and culture. While working professionally as an architect, Dina turned her interest to the education of architects, and until 2019 she worked as an architecture programme director, tutor and project manager at RISEBA University of Applied Sciences. Since 2018, Dina has been the curator and programme manager of the summer school "FestivaL'and", organised in close cooperation with the Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival.

Currently, Dina is a researcher and project manager at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture at the Art Academy of Latvia. Previously, Dina worked with the architectural design studio "Mailitis Architects" and was a team member of the award-winning project of the Shaolin Flying Monk Temple in China. Dina is also an editor of numerous academic and scientific publications, contributes articles to the magazine "Latvijas Architektūra" and leads various interdisciplinary projects related to the field of architecture. In 2019 Dina was co-curator of the international conference "Architecture of Migration", organised by the Latvian Association of Architects. From 2022 she is co-curator of the architecture event series SALONS together with Dagnija Smilga.

ANNA SAUROVA is a graduate of the RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design (FAD). She is currently continuing MA studies in the Landscape and Urban Planning speciality. During her studies, Anna participated in various summer schools, plein airs, workshops and competitions and also accepted academic challenges while preparing an article for the scientific journal ADAMarts. Anna has participated in three "FestivaL'and" summer schools, both as a student and as part of the organizing team. From 2021, she combines studies with the position of project manager at FAD, which allows her to actively participate in various activities related to architecture education.