We have just concluded the event 'Design Winter' of the Latvian Design Year Awards
On February 6th of this year, at the Riga’s greenest office complex 'Verde', located at 1 Roberta Hirša Street, a very broad and diverse community of design professionals gathered for an inspiring event - the presentation of the latest designs of the Latvian Design Year Awards 2024, named 'Design Winter'. The event was organized by the Latvian Design Centre with the co-financing of the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with the creative industry communication platform 'FOLD'. Its aim was to share design innovations in an informal atmosphere, discuss current issues, and foster new collaborations. Three professionals from different creative fields - architecture, events, and gaming industries - gave short presentations, talking about human-centered and engaging solutions created using various design disciplines.
The event kicked off with a tour of the 'Verde' complex's first building, led by the commercial director of the office complex, Iveta Lāce, and the architects of the building - Jānis Zvejnieks from the architectural bureau 'Arhis architects' and Reinis Prēdelis from the architecture studio 'Around'. Following the tour, the director of the Latvian Design Centre introduced the attendees to the latest updates on the Latvian Design Year Awards 2024 competition, encouraging submissions. This was followed by presentations from three different domain designers. First, architects Jānis Zvejnieks and Reinis Prēdelis elaborated on the architecture of the 'Verde' complex and the design of shared spaces. Then, Gundega Skudriņa, event organizer and founder of the creative alliance 'Skudras Metropole', talked about experience design at cultural events and the received international recognition. Finally, Aivars Neihēfers, a virtual reality game developer from the company 'HyperVR Games', informed about game design and games like 'Shave & Stuff' and 'Pets & Stuff'. After the presentations, the participants continued to discuss design issues, forge new acquaintances, and collaborations in an informal atmosphere.
The first presentation served as a continuation of the tour, where Jānis Zvejnieks from the architectural bureau 'Arhis architects' and Reinis Prēdelis from the architecture studio 'Around' discussed the modern office building's form located between Riga's historic centre and the newly developed city area, planning of green public spaces, and the use of energy-efficient and sustainable solutions in the project realization. The design and planning of the 'Verde' complex, emphasizing the presence of 'greenery', has been one of the main guiding principles in the project's design.
Gundega Skudriņa talked about the signature of the creative agency 'Skudras Metropole', which combines synergy from various sectors, innovative approaches, and attention to detail. The events organized by the agency allow visitors to enjoy various sensory experiences, appreciated both in Latvia and abroad. At the 'Design Winter' event, Gundega talked about the highlights of last year's events organized by 'Skudras Metropole': the international charity project 'Ukraine. Freedom residence', which the Latvian Design Year Awards 2024 selection jury nominated for the second round of the competition, the 'BOSS autumn/winter 2023 music residency' in Vienna, and the internationally acclaimed project 'Nature gallery'.
The third speaker was Aivars Neihēfers from 'HyperVR Games' - a virtual reality game development studio that creates interactive physics-based games for the growing VR game market, valued at several billion dollars. He talked about the game design process and the games developed by the studio. The game 'Shave&Stuff' - a virtual reality barbershop where players can take on the role of a barber and tattoo artist and serve clients using their imagination and available tools - gained popularity and recognition abroad last year. A new game, 'Pets & Stuff', was released a month ago, allowing players to take on the role of a pet caretaker in a veterinary clinic and assist little friends with various treatments.
The Latvian Design Year Award is the highest accolade in the field of design in Latvia, presented with the aim of recognizing, evaluating, and popularizing the achievements of Latvian designers, as well as promoting the use of Latvian design and the development of the design industry in Latvia. Submissions for the Latvian Design Year Award 2024 are open until February 15, 2024. For more information about the award: https://dizainabalva.lv