Scientific
Committee

The RIXARCH Scientific Committee brings together internationally experienced architects, researchers, and educators from Latvia, Turkey, Germany, Denmark, and beyond — united by a commitment to advancing architectural discourse and critical design thinking.

ANNA OĻHA

Director of Bachelor Programmee in Architecture at RISEBA FAD. Researcher and lecturer.

Annaʼs academic qualifications include professional masterʼs and bachelorʼs degrees in architecture, complemented by advanced studies in Real Estate Investment and Development, as well as an MSc in Economics. This multidisciplinary education, acquired in Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria, provides her with a solid foundation for integrating architectural design, urban theory, and economic thinking within undergraduate studies.

Anna has over 20 years of experience working in multicultural environments, with extensive practical expertise in design, architecture, construction, logistics, and project management across projects of varying complexity and fields of business.

She is a PhD candidate at Riga Technical University (Faculty of Architecture) and a member of the Latvian Design Association. Her doctoral research focuses on adaptive residential outdoor environments for inclusive aging in place, addressing age-inclusive urban concepts, strategies, and practical adaptation methods for existing built environments in response to demographic change.

In addition to academic and administrative responsibilities, Anna regularly participates in international scientific conferences, contributes analytical publications, visits international design orientated fairs, leads her own LV-BG based development practice and actively engages in sports.

DINA SUHANOVA

Research Fellow
Art Academy of Latvia, RISEBA

Dina Suhanova is a research fellow at the recently founded Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture of the Art Academy of Latvia.Dina has a diploma in Architecture and a Master of Arts degree in History and Theory of Art and Culture.

Parallel to several years in architecture practice, Dina has turned her interests toward processes, research and activities related to contemporary architecture culture. Dina has been an editor of numerous academic publications and frequently contributes with writings and publications to local and international journals.

In recent years Dina has also performed as an Architecture programme director, and lecturer at RISEBA and led various interdisciplinary projects related to the architecture field and education. In 2019 Dina was a co-curator of the international conference “Architecture of Migrationˮ organized by the Latvian Association of Architects as part of the Union of International Architects forum in Riga.

From 2022 Dina is one of the researchers working in the Latvian Science council funded State research program project “Landscapes of Identities: History, Culture, and Environmentˮ (IDEUM) within the Art Academy of Latvia.

EFE DUYAN

Associate Professor
RISEBA Faculty of Architecture

Efe Duyan, born in İstanbul in 1981, teaching theory, history, and design at RISEBA FAD. He has affiliated with several universities for research or guest lectures, such as Mimar Sinan FAU, Berlin Technical University, Caʼ Foscari University, Minnesota University, Istanbul Technical University, Atalanta University, Iowa University, George Washington University, and Boston Massachusetts University.

His fields of research are contemporary design, critical design perspectives, spatial experience, architectural writing and theory, Early Modernism, and the history of Eastern Mediterranean architecture.

He has studied architecture and philosophy at METU (BA – 2005), History and Theory of Architecture at YTU (M.S.-2008), and History of Architecture in Mimar Sinan FAU (PhD-2013).

As an advocate of freedom of expression and creative thinking, he has been an active cultural actor curating international events, workshops, and conferences, in addition to his work in academic editorship.

HELĒNA GŪTMANE

Landscape Architect, Urbanist.
ALPS Atelier, RISEBA FAD Lecturer

Helēna Gutmane is a landscape architect, urbanist, urban activist, and planner. She is a partner and process designer at atelier for landscaping, public and private spaces ALPS and lecturer at RISEBA. She is co-founder of Urban Institute Riga and member of Riga centre development association (RCAB). Helena studied philology at University of Moscow and University of Latvia, obtained qualification landscape architecture at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, planning of human settlements at Architecture department, University of Leuven.

As a principal landscape architect and process designer she has been participated in numerous projects of public space reconstructions and competitions in Latvia and abroad, has led applied research projects concerning publics spaces, worked in competition juries in Latvia, Russia and Ukraine.

As urban activist she has been involved in international federation of landscape architects (IFLA) as chair of UIA working group which aim was to unite professionals from spatial design disciplines around idea of empathy through design.

ILZE PAKLONE

Architect, lecturer Architectural History and Supervisor at the RISEBA FADʼs Architectural Design studios

Ilze Paklone holds Doctoral Degree in Architecture from Riga Technical University completed in 2015 with the thesis Visual representation in spatial planning in Latvia.

From 2011 until 2015 supported by the Japanese Government Scholarship program Monbukagakusho she was a doctoral and research student at The University of Tokyo Urban Design and Conservation Laboratory focusing on the legal framework, theoretical and practical approaches to urban planning in Japan.

Her field of expertise in architecture and spatial planning includes such competencies as 1) extensive experience in design and technical projects within international teams 2) teaching and research at university level 3) publications for architects and wider audiences on contemporary architecture 4) graphic design with particular emphasis on visualizations for urban design.

Ilze has gained teaching experience starting from 2010 at the Riga Technical University, Latvia and Keio University, Japan, where she was a guest researcher-assistant for the project Measuring the Non-Measurable. Her work experience in architecture started in 2002. Ilze is the co-founder of STUDIO WASABI (JP) and has worked in such offices as Wiel Arets Architects (NL), NRJA and Armands Bisenieks Arhitekti (both LV).

Ilze has collaborated with RAFAEL A. BALBOA on publications for Italian magazine DOMUS and has a wide range of other publications in conference proceedings, graphic contributions for various publications, numerous presentations in the conferences and research activities. Architect, lecturer Architectural History and Supervisor at the RISEBA FADʼs Architectural Design studios JONAS BÜCHEL

JONAS BÜCHEL

Urbanist and Social Planner
Co-Founder at the Association Urban Institute

Jonas Büchel is Lecturer at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences, with a special focus on Social Work and Political Sciences. Since 2022 guest lecturer at RISEBA FAD.

During the last years focusing on the theoretical concepts and practical applications of cultural planning and participatory / co-creative methodologies in regional, municipal and community settings.

Jonas is Association Urban Institute co-founder, board member and project manager.

Initiator, co-creator and curator of the „Empty Spaces“ project. The project aimed to raise the awareness of the situation of abandoned buildings and conceptually worked on tools and instruments of temporary reuse of the buildings. in Riga. In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Riga. http://blog.goethe.de/weltstadt/plugin/tag/riga

Co-author of the „Free Riga 2014ˮ, later „Free Riga“ (NGO) movement.
Consulting partner of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Municipality of Riga, the City Architect Office in Riga, the German Embassy in Latvia and other state and municipal institutions in the Baltic States and Finland. Main working focus: Social and economic urban and regional regeneration.

RUDOLFS DAINIS ŠMITS

Dean and Director of the Master Programmee in Architecture at RISEBA FAD.

Rudolfs Dainis Šmits, Dipl. Arch., is a dean of the faculty and MA
Architecture programme director, lecturer. Dainis is also a 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.

Academic interest and research include architecture theory – a critical approach to design and reading architecture distinguishing between idea, concept and affect vs. projective architecture. He is investigating architectural space and aspects of memory, meaning, duration, transcendence, presence and parallel investigations in abstract painting – exhibited locally and internationally (e.g. Latvia, Estonia and the USA).

His projects have received local recognition and international citations for design excellence (e.g. LAS, AIA). Previous teaching experience – adjunct faculty member at Riga Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, 2nd-year studio design instructor and professional practice lecturer (2000-2003).

SUSANNE BRORSON

Guest Professor
RISEBA FAD, TU Berlin

Susanne Brorson graduated from Bauhaus-University in Weimar in 2004
with a Diploma in Architecture, with studies at the University of the Arts in
Berlin and Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

She has been working with Jarmund Vigsnaes in Oslo, East and Stephen Taylor Architects in London and Gonzalez Haase AAS in Berlin, before setting up her own award-winning practice STUDIO SUSANNE BRORSON on the Baltic Island of Rügen.

Susanne is currently finalizing her PhD on ‘Climate-responsive design strategies in Baltic vernacular architectureʼ at Berlin Technical University Berlin. She has been assistant professor at Brandenburg Technical University as well as adjunct professor at Potsdam School of Architecture, before being appointed professor at Wismar University of Technology 2019-2021.

Susanne is currently guest professor and member of the academic council at RISEBA FAD University in Riga.

ZANE VĒJA

Lecturer at RISEBA FAD, founder at Studio Veja

SZane Vēja, Mg. arch. started her academic career as a lecturer at RISEBA FAD, teaching urban design, architecture history and architectural design-related courses; at the same time, she is the director of RISEBA FAD bachelorʼs degree programme.

Her undergraduate and postgraduate work focused on urban public space development proposals in historical environments: the Jēkabpils historical centre (BA) and Riga Central Market and Central Railway Station territory (MA). She gained international experience while studying at Istanbul Bahcesehir University in 2014-2015.