27.02.2015.
Riga Technical University International Summer School 2015 opens for applications and announces this year’s theme — «Arcadia». It offers students and young professionals of architecture, urbanism and design a unique hands–on experience.
TheSummer School is going to take place in Cesis — a town located within the Gauja National Park, which is the largest protected natural area in Latvia. Its high biological diversity, varied terrain and natural water resources provide for outdoor sports of all seasons and traditional picking of mushrooms, berries and medicinal plants. Being close to nature is an essential part of the town’s identity. Participants of the Summer School are going to decode the obvious and hidden qualities of the landscape, place them within a larger ecosystem and the collective memory, suggest strategies and design structures for public use.
Within two weeks, from July 25 to August 8, 2015, an international team of tutors will guide the participants through a complete project cycle —from first sketches to communication of complex data, construction of spatial structures in public domain and seeing their work being tested by local residents. The lecture programme with talks by international and local speakers, as well as project presentations by the participantswill be open to the public.
In 2014, participants of the RTU International Summer School explored the topic of well–being by building a miniature sanatorium with a fully functional sauna and an infinity pool, as well as a park pavilion for play and relaxation. They also published a newspaper «The Naturalist» which addresses living in the countryside. This year, a site of particular interest is the valley of Pirtsupite, a small tributary of the river Gauja. It stretches through Cesis, being both a divide in the urban fabric and a green connector between neighbourhoods.
Call for applications is open until May 3, 2015 for students and young professionals of spatial disciplines. Applicants should have completed at least one year of studies by the beginning of the course, be fluent in English and keen to work in groups. The fee including registration, tuition, accommodation, meals and social programme is € 675. A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available. The application form can be found on the Summer School’s website.
Organisers
The course is organised by platform for Latvian creative industries FOLD in collaboration with Riga Technical University Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning. RTU International Summer School is supported by State Education Development Agency and Cesis Local Municipality.
Online resources
More information on the Summer School
Facebook page of the Summer School
Video of the 2014 Summer School «Get Well City»
Additional information and questions:
Programme director of the Summer School
Evelina Ozola
+371 29287899
