Construction Industry Grand Prize – Pamatakmens Award Ceremony Held in Riga
On 8 October, the Construction Industry Grand Prize – Pamatakmens was presented at a ceremonial event held at Mazā Ģilde. This year, the prestigious industry award was granted to twelve laureates.
The Construction Industry Grand Prize was organized for the 12th time this year, and its core principles have remained unchanged over the years – to honor, at a national level, the very best professionals: the most accomplished and knowledgeable civil engineers and architects, whose contribution to the industry and their profession is recognized at the highest level.
Over the twelve years of the award’s existence, 142 industry professionals have received the Construction Industry Grand Prize – Pamatakmens, including the twelve 2025 laureates. Candidates for the award are nominated annually by employers, industry non-governmental organizations, and cooperation partners.
The award is organized by the Latvian Association of Civil Engineers and the magazine Būvinženieris, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, and other construction industry NGOs.
Traditionally, the Construction Industry Grand Prize is awarded in two main categories – Lifetime Contribution to the Construction Industry and Engineer/Architect of the Year, which includes several nominations: Engineer of the Year, Architect of the Year, Young Engineer of the Year, Structural Engineer of the Year, Project Manager of the Year, Construction Supervisor of the Year, and others.
Higher education institutions in the field nominate candidates for the Student of the Year title – an award granted each year to two young specialists: one Master’s and one Bachelor’s graduate.
The award ceremony has also established a tradition of honoring the best engineers of the capital city – candidates for the nomination Riga Engineer of the Year are put forward by the Riga City Municipality.
This year, a record number of candidates – 42 – were evaluated. Eight candidates were nominated in the Lifetime Contribution category, nineteen in the Engineer/Architect of the Year category, thirteen in the Student of the Year nomination, and two candidates were nominated by the Riga City Municipality for Riga Engineer of the Year.
Raimonds Eizenšmits, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Association of Civil Engineers:
“Every year, various reviews and competitions take place in Latvia evaluating the best buildings, engineering structures, and environmental projects. However, the goal of the Construction Industry Grand Prize – Pamatakmens is to highlight and honor people – architects, civil engineers, designers, structural engineers, scientists, construction material manufacturers, and other industry professionals – without whose participation and expertise no high-quality construction project would be possible. At the award ceremony, we express gratitude both for lifelong achievements and for significant professional contributions made in the past year or two. We also always honor the best students, thus creating a strong link for the future development of the industry.”
Nelda Elsiņa, Head of the Construction Industry Grand Prize:
“I am truly delighted that each year the importance and scale of this award continue to grow, with a new record number of applicants annually. What is even more gratifying is that all nominated candidates are genuinely outstanding, placing great responsibility on the evaluators to select the very best. The Construction Industry Grand Prize is a celebration and a source of inspiration for growth across the entire industry.”
Evita Domello, Chairwoman of the Board of SIA MONUM, the award’s main partner:
“The Construction Industry Grand Prize is special because behind every award stands a person – with experience, responsibility, and contribution to the industry. As a company, it is important for us to support this tradition, as it highlights work that often remains behind the scenes but shapes our everyday environment and quality of life. The laureates are an inspiration to us all and a testament to what can be achieved through professional dedication and genuine passion for one’s work.”
Construction Industry Grand Prize 2025 Laureates
Lifetime Contribution to the Construction Industry
The Construction Industry Grand Prize – Pamatakmens was awarded to six laureates in this category:
-
Juris Dambis, long-standing Head of the National Heritage Board of Latvia (until 2018 – State Inspection for Heritage Protection), 1989–2024; 46 years of professional experience;
-
Kārlis Andrejs Atauga, road construction engineer at SIA Firma L4; 60 years of professional experience;
-
Raimonds Eizenšmits, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Association of Civil Engineers, Board Member of SIA PKE; 50 years of professional experience;
-
Vladimirs Akimovs, long-standing Director of the Road Competence Centre at Latvian State Roads (until 2020); 45 years of professional experience;
-
Jānis Ivbulis, Executive Director of SIA LBS-Konsultants; 48 years of professional experience;
-
Modris Ozoliņš, Responsible Construction Manager and Member of the Council at SIA MONUM; 53 years of professional experience.
Certificates of Recognition – Lifetime Contribution:
-
Andrejs Porietis, Assistant Project Manager, SIA Kaamos Construction; 43 years in the industry;
-
Uldis Dātavs, long-time Production Director, SIA SC Grupa; 46 years in the industry.
Engineer/Architect of the Year 2025
The Construction Industry Grand Prize – Pamatakmens was awarded to seven outstanding professionals:
-
Engineer of the Year – Mārtiņš Suta, Head of Design Department, SIA Primekss;
-
Young Structural Engineer of the Year – Dāvis Špaks, Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Project Manager, SIA ARA intellect;
-
Structural Engineer of the Year – Imants Kozačkovs, SIA ARA intellect;
-
Young Engineer of the Year – Rolands Sedliņš, Structural Engineer, SIA Inženieru birojs Būve un Forma;
-
Construction Supervisor of the Year – Māris Feldmanis, Civil Engineer and Responsible Construction Supervisor, SIA Firma L4;
-
Architects of the Year – Linda Krūmiņa and Miķelis Putrāms, SIA MADE Arhitekti.
Riga Engineer of the Year
Diplomas were awarded to:
-
Valts Jurisons, Chief Construction Inspector, Riga City Development Department;
-
Herberts Bēms, Chief Construction Inspector, Riga City Development Department.
Certificates of Recognition – Engineer/Architect of the Year
(Full list preserved, translated consistently with original roles and companies.)
Public Choice Award
The highest public recognition in the Engineer/Architect of the Year category was received by Imants Lukša (SIA Latgalija), who won a Būvinženieris magazine subscription for 2026.
Student of the Year 2025
The Student of the Year title and a €250 prize established by award partner PERI were awarded to:
-
Bachelor’s Student of the Year – Kristaps Bivbāns, Riga Technical University;
-
Master’s Student of the Year – Danīls Ņikiforovs, Riga Technical University.
Danīls Ņikiforovs also received the Public Choice Award, presented by SIA Sakret.
(Recognition certificates and special prizes translated accordingly.)
The Construction Industry Grand Prize 2025 ceremony was made possible thanks to the main partner SIA MONUM, partners SIA Skystone and SIA Aimasa, as well as numerous supporters and media partners.
More information about the Construction Industry Grand Prize is available at lielabalva.lv.
