Evolution of Architectonic Spatial Environment in Latvian Rural Populated Areas Due to Natural and Human Interaction

Abstract: The natural environment of the Baltic Sea coast became the life habitat of the people who settled there. By changing the water and greenery systems and creating architectural structures a new functional environment was established. In the territories inhabited by the Baltic tribes one could find at the same time several types of inhabited areas: castle hills, fortified settlements defended by natural barriers and unfortified rural settlements. Nature elements began to appear in the architectonic spatial structure of rural populated areas. In the 13th century the German Order of Knights arrived in the territory of Latvia and started to build fortress walls instead of the destroyed wooden buildings in the local inhabitants’ residential areas. New administrative political centers were created on the highest points of the riverside terrains in order to control the strategically significant trade and water roads, and population developed around them. The pieces of land allocated for construction influenced the planning of fortified populated areas. Fortresses lost gradually their purpose of local inhabitants’ shelter and became as feudal homes. The knights and vassals did not want to live any longer in the narrow and uncomfortable houses, therefore manor farms and farmsteads were formed in the rural environment. Manor centers and farming developed, where all the necessary things and food for daily life were made. Natural environment changed due to human activities, but the planning of inhabited areas and architectonic structures gave every Latvia ethnographic region characteristic features and identity. In 1795 the territory of Latvia was included into the Russian Empire due to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth partition. In the rural environment the monumental building complexes built according to the architects’ projects in the centers of manor farms created changes, which were linked with an artificially made natural environment – parks. An appropriate type of buildings was developed for every functional need. After the serfdom abolition the number of farmsteads established for family needs increased in the countryside, but the agricultural production changed the natural environment. On November 18, 1918 Latvia Republic was proclaimed independent, and since 1920 the land reform was started in the countryside – the structure of national economy and understanding of the environmental aesthetics changed. New administrative centers were created whose architectonic spatial environment was determined by national characteristics. Latvian citizens were allocated pieces of land for farm building. Residential buildings were built for individual family needs and next to them gardens were cultivated. During the Latvian Soviet Socialistic Republic times radical changes took place in the countryside –collective farms were founded and new villages built, at the same time eliminating lots of farmsteads, which were the origins of many ancient Latvian traditions. The newly created agricultural production model affected ruthlessly and even destroyed the through centuries in the countryside founded balance in the relationship between the manmade architectonic space and natural environment. In 1990 Latvia Republic regained its independence and on May 1, 2004 it joined the European Union. The type of land ownership changed in the country; therefore the formation of an appropriate spatial environment for a sustained development of Latvian rural populated areas became topical. Topicality of the research: changing the type of land ownership, transport system and agricultural production traditions, at the same time trying to preserve the cultural heritage and natural values, new conditions have been created in which it is necessary to find successful solutions for the planning which would promote the preservation of the identity of Latvian inhabited rural areas and provide a sustained development. Aim of the study: analyze the planning o