The Best Graduation Projects of Architecture Students of Baltic States 2025
BAUA Student Awards 2025
BAUA Workshop
The BAUA Workshop will take place from Wednesday, October 22 to Friday, October 24 at the Riga Technical University, Institute of Architecture and Design, Ķīpsalas street 6, Riga.
This year, students will reimagine Iceland Square – a symbolic gateway to the RTU campus and an important node in Riga’s urban fabric. Although currently functioning mainly as a transit area, the square has strong potential to become a lively meeting place and a recognizable landmark, linking the university environment with the wider urban context.
The workshop aims to activate this underused territory through creative ideas and bold interventions, transforming it into a vibrant public space for students, residents, and visitors alike. By connecting the academic environment with the urban fabric, the workshop will help shape a new identity for the RTU student campus and its role in Riga’s evolving cityscape.
BAUA Workshop task
Teams will explore the potential of Iceland Square as an inclusive public space that strengthens the identity of Riga Technical University while opening the campus more to the city. The focus will be on accessibility, usability, and character – transforming the square from a transit area into a place for meeting, interaction, and student life.
The results of the workshop will provide input for RTU’s campus development and contribute to Riga’s broader urban vision, combining long-term strategies with practical, near-term interventions.
Organisational aspects
Students of architecture and urban planning and young architects (recent graduates) from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as Ukrainian students studying in Baltic countries, are welcome to join the workshop. Participants will be organized into teams of 4–6 members, with each team including students from different schools and countries.
The workshop is primarily intended for BAUA nominees, but a limited number of places will be available to other students and young architects. In case of higher participation interest, priority will be given to senior students. The workshop is led by BAUA – Baltic Architects Unions Association.
BAUA Awards 2025
The BAUA Awards 2025 will take place on Saturday, October 25 at RISEBA, Durbes Street 4, Riga.
The BAUA Awards were created by the three members of the Baltic Architects Unions Association as an annual exhibition and competition of the best graduation projects by architecture students. The event is held each year in a different Baltic capital.
The aim is to present, compare, and award the best graduate works of architecture students from the Baltic States. It provides a platform for young architects to showcase their creative potential, receive feedback from professionals and the international community of architects, as well as build connections between academia and practice. The exhibition reflects the results and quality of architectural education in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, offering insights into different teaching methods and programmes.
Jury
The graduation works will be evaluated by the jury, consisting of licensed architects who are not involved in teaching architecture at any of the participating schools in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania.
Evaluation criteria
The projects are evaluated on:
- conceptuality, originality, innovativeness;
- coherence of the architectural or urban idea;
- quality of the presentation;
while also taking into account the New European Bauhaus values:
- sustainability (from climate goals to circularity, zero pollution, and biodiversity);
- aesthetics (quality of experience and style beyond functionality);
- inclusion (from valuing diversity to securing accessibility and affordability).
Event schedule
BAUA 2025 workshop
Event venue: Riga Technical University (RTU), Institute of Architecture and Design (ADI), Ķīpsalas street 6, Riga, Latvia.
Workshop topic: Iceland Square – a symbolic landmark of the RTU campus and an important node in the city’s urban fabric.
Wednesday, October 22
13:00 - 14:00 arrival & registration
14:00 - 17:00 thematic presentations to the topic of the workshop
17:00 - 18:00 visit of the workshop site
18:00 - 19:00 formation of the teams, setting up team workspaces
Thursday, October 23
09:00 - 13:00 work in groups, discussions with mentors
13:00 - 14:00 lunch
14:00 - 17:00 work in groups
17:00 - 19:00 presentations, discussions with mentors
Friday, October 24
09:00 - 12:30 work in groups
12:30 - 13:30 lunch
14:00 - 17:00 presentations
17:00 - 18:00 Jury discussions
18:00 BAUA workshop closing session
BAUA Student Awards 2025
Event venue: RISEBA, Durbes street 4, Riga, Latvia
Saturday, October 25
09:00 - 10:00 gathering, morning coffee
10:00 welcoming words of Juris Poga, Vice President of BAUA Latvia and
Dainis Rūdolfs Šmits, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design
10:15 - 11:00 Introduction of the Jury: Matti Rautiola (FI), Miķelis Putrāms (LV), Eneli Kleemann (EE), Marija Nemunienė (LT)
11:00 - 13:00 Presentations, session 1
13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 16:00 Presentations, session 2
16:00 - 17:00 Jury discussions
17:00 Award ceremony
Sunday, October 26
09:00 - 13:00 Architecture excursion to new development projects in Riga
The schedule may be subject to change.
Additional information:
Dace Kalvane, Project Manager
dace.kalvane@latarh.lv or baua@latarh.lv
+371 29480702
BAUA Awards 2025
Riga Technical University (RTU), Institute of Architecture and Design (ADI), Ķīpsalas street 6, Riga, Latvia & RISEBA, Durbes street 4, Riga, Latvia
Event info
Estonian Academy of Arts Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning
Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA, est. 1914) is the only one of the six public universities in Estonia providing higher education in fine arts, design, architecture, media, visual studies, art culture and conservation. The Academy consists of four faculties: Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts and Faculty of Art and Culture. In addition to active study and research activities, EAA also offers lifelong learning opportunities through the Open Academy. Currently, there are more than 1200 students enrolled in the Academy.
Kaunas University of Technology Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Currently, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture of Kaunas University of Technology prepares wide profile architects having not only artistic abilities but also highly understanding means used by the architect – constructions, engineering infrastructure, building materials, urban context, environmental challenges, etc. Architecture study programmes provide diverse study modules through which architecture, as a discipline involving design and technology on built environment is explored in creative ways.
Riga Technical University Architecture faculty
Founded in 1862, Riga Technical University is the first higher technical school in the Baltic countries. At present, it offers studies in Architecture, Engineering Sciences, Natural and Environmental Sciences as well as in Engineering Economics. Faculty of Architecture provides architectural education at all levels of undergraduate and graduate education as well as undertakes scientific research.
RISEBA University of Applied Sciences Faculty of Architecture and Design
The Faculty of Architecture and Design at the RISEBA University of Applied Sciences was established in 2011. It offers international architecture studies in Latvia in two successive cycles - the Bachelor’s Study Programme “Architecture” (3.5 years, 210 ECTS) and the Professional Master’s Programme “Architecture” (2 years, 120 ECTS).
Tallinn University of Technology
Taltech is in a leading position in technically oriented research, development and innovation in Estonia. The TalTech BSc-MSc integrated five-year architecture curriculum offers professional higher education in architecture and spatial planning with a focus on knowledge-intensive design processes producing knowledge-intensive solutions, advancing the digital transformation in the construction sector, in the context of the e-Estonia brand.
Vilnius Academy of Arts
The roots of the Department of Architecture are in Kaunas when in the year 1922 it was established in the Faculty of Technique of the newly-founded Lithuanian University. During the initial stage, it was supervised by Prof. Mukolas Songaila. During long years the Department of Architecture was changing its place – in the beginning, it was part of Vytautas Magnus University, later – Kaunas Polytechnic institute, after the restructuring of this institute, in 1971 Architecture Department was moved from Kaunas to Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute (now VGTU), to the newly created Faculty of Architecture This school of architecture, until the end of 70-ties (as part of the technological university), was educating architects engineers.
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Faculty of Architecture
The roots of the Department of Architecture are in Kaunas when in the year 1922 it was established in the Faculty of Technique of the newly-founded Lithuanian University. During the initial stage, it was supervised by Prof. Mukolas Songaila. During long years the Department of Architecture was changing its place – in the beginning, it was part of Vytautas Magnus University, later – Kaunas Polytechnic institute, after the restructuring of this institute, in 1971 Architecture Department was moved from Kaunas to Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute (now VGTU), to the newly created Faculty of Architecture This school of architecture, until the end of 70-ties (as part of the technological university), was educating architects engineers.
Organizers
Baltic Architects Unions Association BAUA
Estonian Association of Architects EAA
2025 © BAUA