A field of study that keeps me up at night is architecture, more specifically - sustainable architecture and universal design. I think that every contemporary designer should limit the usage of non-renewable resources and energy, without compromising on quality and comfort or undermining the needs of the disabled. In my future career, I hope to find ways of achieving that. I've been drawn to architecture ever since I can remember myself. As a child I would spend hours in my room, creating dollhouses from old cardboard boxes, drawing house layouts on the grid-paper, or designing houses in "Sketchup". But my true passion for architecture started after I saw Ole Sheeren speaking on TED stage about his project "The Interlace", and saw the scale of architecture's impact on the environment. Then listening to the interviews of architects like Marwa Al-Sabouni and Bjarke Ingels further showcased to me the architecture's power to offer inclusiveness to the disabled, affordable housing to the less privileged, and sustainable design for global environmental impact. In 2021 I graduated from the 4 year interior design program in Riga school of Design and Art. For the final year research project I created an accessible interior design project for a person in a wheelchair. This project is not intended to simply provide inclusive lodging for one family. Rather, I hope it functions as a conversation starter, raising awareness of the universal design. Having chosen my future career as an architect, I aspire to contribute to the field of sustainable design and minimize the footprint our generation leaves onto Earth while improving the populations’ quality of life through greener, more cost-effective, and innovative spaces. Right now I am working on an accessible design for a restaurant in NYC, which is hiring people with disabilities, and studying B.arch at NYIT.

A field of study that keeps me up at night is architecture, more specifically - sustainable architecture and universal design. I think that every contemporary designer should limit the usage of non-renewable resources and energy, without compromising on quality and comfort or undermining the needs of the disabled. In my future career, I hope to find ways of achieving that. I've been drawn to architecture ever since I can remember myself. As a child I would spend hours in my room, creating dollhouses from old cardboard boxes, drawing house layouts on the grid-paper, or designing houses in "Sketchup". But my true passion for architecture started after I saw Ole Sheeren speaking on TED stage about his project "The Interlace", and saw the scale of architecture's impact on the environment. Then listening to the interviews of architects like Marwa Al-Sabouni and Bjarke Ingels further showcased to me the architecture's power to offer inclusiveness to the disabled, affordable housing to the less privileged, and sustainable design for global environmental impact. In 2021 I graduated from the 4 year interior design program in Riga school of Design and Art. For the final year research project I created an accessible interior design project for a person in a wheelchair. This project is not intended to simply provide inclusive lodging for one family. Rather, I hope it functions as a conversation starter, raising awareness of the universal design. Having chosen my future career as an architect, I aspire to contribute to the field of sustainable design and minimize the footprint our generation leaves onto Earth while improving the populations’ quality of life through greener, more cost-effective, and innovative spaces. Right now I am working on an accessible design for a restaurant in NYC, which is hiring people with disabilities, and studying B.arch at NYIT.

My passion is creating imaginary spaces. I have been drawing, painting, and creating scale models ever since I was little, bet recently I discovered a new medium- digital 3d art. Inspired by projects like the "Mars House"- the first digital building to be sold as NFT for 500,000 dollars, I have been exploring the possibilities to create surreal spaces with the help of modern technologies. Before starting college, I graduated from the 4-year interior design program at Riga School of Design and Art and worked in an internship as an architectural rendering artist for an architecture company. Currently, I am studying in the bachelor of architecture program at the New York Institute of Technology in NYC. In the future, I hope to become an architect and create a better life for the next generations through sustainable structures and inclusive public spaces. I have been addressing sustainability in my creative works too. The art piece I have chosen is a digitally made underwater restaurant, created to provoke the thoughts of conserving marine life.

When I was 9, I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. It’s an autoimmune rheumatic disease that causes joint aching, swelling, and inflammation. After 2 years of spending weekends at different polyclinics and hospitals to visit a wide range of specialists, my family was relieved to finally understand the cause of my pain. For a while already I had been unwilling to engage in any physical activities, refusing playdate invites to stay home and read. But, while some comfort can be found in the ability to recognize the issue, not every illness can be cured. When it comes to arthritis, there’s still no remedy. Having limited mobility, I found myself having an abundant amount of excess time. Most of it I spent drawing, writing, reading, and gathering recycled materials to make dollhouses for my toys. During this period I uncovered my two deepest passions- architecture and science. Right then I set myself the “raison d'etre” - to devote my life towards building a more inclusive world for the next generations, an idea I still stand by and hope to implement in my future career in the field of architecture. It wasn’t until I turned 12 that I decided to challenge my long-held beliefs about being disabled for life, experimenting with fasting, vegetarianism, and beginning a more active lifestyle. I’ll never forget the first time I tried running. Years of sedentary lifestyle had taken their toll on my lungs and heart; within 100 meters I was gasping for air, the tears formed by anger, disappointment, and dissatisfaction with myself, running down my cheeks in the bitter autumn air. If someone had then told me that during high school I'd be able to run half-marathons, I'd laugh at them. They were less than 100 meters I run that day. Yet they were the first 100 meters towards my new life. I returned to the same spot the next day, prepared to feel miserable, not prepared to give in. After a couple of months of maintaining the new evening routine of running, crying, then running some more, I realized that exercising didn’t cause more pain than merely sitting still. And finding myself running a little further week by week, I came to the realization that having arthritis doesn’t mean I have an excuse not to do something. It simply means that I need to put in more work than most people. This realization lit up the fire in me, inspiring me to dream big, forget about boundaries, and fully immerse myself in reaching a goal. After about a year of maintaining healthy lifestyle habits, my suffering eased. I would wake up in the mornings, noting that I haven't woken up to the sharp pain in my knees throughout the night. And once I stopped using the medicine, which had side effects like headaches and clouding of consciousness, it felt like I had woken from a decade-long slumber. I picked up new hobbies, joined multiple community clubs, and started self-studying physics and mathematics in my spare time. While the childhood battle with arthritis itself wasn't pleasurable, it has shaped me into who I am today. The experience taught me to be persistent, and see personal disadvantages as a reference point, a seed for growth. It has turned me into a more empathic person and shown the importance of an accessible environment. Recently I used my personal experience to create an interior design for a disabled person for the final year project coursework at school, and I am currently working on an actual interior design project for an accessible restaurant in New York.

From having a positive attitude towards life and being a valuable member to society to being motivated and goal oriented, self care is an important aspect of the daily life that impacts the way we serve the world. One of the crucial things I do every day is set up a time in my schedule when I can go for a long walk. During this walk I leave all the electronics at home, giving myself a time to reconnect with the nature. As I walk, I am able to reflect on my day, get a reassurance on my goals, come up with an action plan, and simply clear my head. After the walks I come back ready to focus on the tasks ahead of me. I have an inspiration to seek new ideas, look from different perspectives and implement other techniques. I also feel rested and energized to help my community and friends, becoming a better person. For me going out in the nature is a very important way of self-care. I believe that everyone must have some time for themselves in order to grow and become better citizens. I achieve this by giving myself a time where I’m walking by myself in the nature