Architect Rudolfs Dainis Šmits, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design at RISEBA University, received the Cross of Recognition this year for his contribution to Latvian architecture and the education of young architects. In addition to his academic work, he runs architecture firm RDSA Studio in Riga and has previously worked on large-scale projects around the world. In the Nice Touch section, Rudolfs Dainis talks about a hobby that helps him embark on a creative adventure.
«I think that for any creative work, it is important to balance it with another creative activity — but with much lower demands and expectations for results. For me, that is painting. It allows me not only to switch off my mind and renew my creative energy but also works as a catalyst for ideas. I paint abstract landscapes, the sea, sunsets — feelings rather than facts. Especially when working abstractly, I can fully immerse myself in the process: the colors, the movement, and the sensations, without a fixed goal or outcome that must be achieved. It is a moment when I allow myself to experience a sense of adventure..»
Rudolfs Dainis Šmits was born in the United States and studied architecture, art history, and painting at the University of Illinois in Chicago, as well as theology in St. Louis. He has more than 30 years of experience working in a multicultural environment, and as chief architect and design manager, he has been involved in various large-scale commercial, residential, and public projects around the world. In November, the world’s largest archaeological museum opened its doors in Egypt, a project on which Rudolfs Dainis also worked.
Since 2020, Rudolfs Dainis Šmits has been head of the RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design (FAD) and, together with colleagues and students, regularly conducts various projects that focus on current topics in architecture, as well as highlight lesser-known pages of architectural history related to Latvia. In 2024, Dainis, together with the foundation Arhiteksti, received the Latvian Architecture Award 2024 for the project Astra Zariņa — A Force of Nature, which introduced the intellectual legacy of the notable Latvia-born architect and educator Astra Zariņa.
Submissions are currently open for the international architecture and design conference Rixarch 2026, organised by RISEBA FAD. This year’s theme, Liv-in, focuses on the challenges of today’s living environment, new lifestyles, and the transformation of the role of housing in cities.
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