Valmiera's Strauta Street wins two second-place awards at national construction contest
The rebuilt Strauta Street in Valmiera received two second-place awards — in the "Engineering Structure" and "Landscape Structure" categories — at the final of the "Best Building in Latvia 2025" competition held in Riga on September 10, 2026.
At the awards ceremony of the "Best Building in Latvia 2025" competition held in Riga, the reconstructed Strauta Street in Valmiera was recognized with second place in two categories: "Engineering Structure" and "Landscape Structure." This year the competition drew 74 entries from across Latvia, as well as projects completed abroad by Latvian construction companies.
Reconstruction completed last year
The reconstruction of Strauta Street in Valmiera was finished in summer 2025. The project transformed the area into a multifunctional urban space comprising six distinct functional zones. The sidewalk and roadway were built at the same level but visually separated through different surface materials and color tones. New parking spaces, green areas, and rest zones were also created, including raised planting beds with trees. The municipality has described the goal not merely as fixing the roadway, but as creating a safe, comfortable environment for pedestrians and cyclists while forming a space where people can linger. The redeveloped area now links several actively used city locations — the museum, theatre, market, and city center.
Competed against other Valmiera projects
Valmiera had submitted other candidates that advanced to the second round, including the low-rent residential buildings at Ķieģeļu iela 11 and 13, and the Valmiera Industrial Park, but neither reached the final. Strauta Street was therefore Valmiera's sole finalist.
Category results
In the "Engineering Structure" category, first place went to the Jēkabpils city flood protection dam, while second place was shared by Strauta Street and the reconstruction of Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve in Riga. In the "Landscape Structure" category, first place was shared by the second stage of Uzvaras Park in Riga and the Lielā Ezerkrasta promenade in Ludza, while second place went to Strauta Street together with the green infrastructure development project of Riga's historic center.
The "Best Building in Latvia" competition was held for the 28th time this year, aiming to highlight quality construction and promote professional growth in the industry. Entries were assessed over three rounds, including an in-person jury site visit.
