The conference “Construction 2025+: Are We Creating Value or Forever Patching?” brought together the entire Estonian construction sector for the eighth year in a row. This tradition, where professional associations and the state jointly discuss the future of the industry and recognise its top performers, has become a key annual event in Estonia’s construction landscape.
This year’s programme and gala were once again the result of a joint effort by the Estonian Association of Civil Engineers (EEL), the Estonian Association of Engineering Consultancy Companies (EKEL), the Estonian Association of Architects (EAL), the Estonian Association of Construction Entrepreneurs (EEEL), the Digital Construction Cluster, the Estonian Association of Construction Materials Producers (EETL), the Association of Finish Material Installers and Suppliers (VIMPTEL), the Estonian Heating and Ventilation Engineers’ Association (EKVÜ), Woodhouse Estonia, and the Ministry of Climate. Together, we placed the spotlight on a central question: what level of quality does Estonia need in design and construction, and how can we achieve it? The evening gala brought to the stage the construction sector’s best of the year – the people, projects, and ideas shaping the industry’s future. Woodhouse Estonia presented the sector’s annual recognitions.
The Estonian Woodhouse Association presented distinguished awards to outstanding contributors in the timber building sector. The Woodhouse Person of the Year title was awarded to Peeter Peedomaa, whose leadership has brought Estonian timber engineering convincingly onto the international stage. Under his guidance, Arcwood’s glulam and cross-laminated timber structures have reached world-class quality and now support both Estonia’s architectural landmarks and prominent international construction projects.
Alongside Peedomaa, recognition was also given to nominees Siim Leisalu of Timbeco, whose consistent contribution to sector-wide cooperation, education, and visibility has been highly significant, and Taavi Tuvike of Vipson Projekt, whose long-term work in handcrafted log construction has shaped the image of Estonian log building, with his projects standing out for years in the Factory House of the Year competition.
Friend of Wooden Houses is Tallinn School of Construction, whose cooperation with the Woodhouse Academy and the association has created a strong foundation for training new skilled workers in timber construction in the volume and quality the sector needs today.
Also highlighted as a nominee was Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, whose contribution to developing timber construction expertise and educational partnerships has significantly supported the overall professional growth of the sector.
The Influencer of Estonian Wooden Architecture title was awarded to Kavakava Architects, whose Loodusmaja project stands out as one of the most influential recent examples of the architectural power of wood. Kavakava has demonstrated that timber is not merely a structural material, but a confident and aesthetic medium of contemporary architecture, opening new possibilities in both spatial design and technical solutions.
In the same category, nominee Renee Puusepp was also recognised for years of promoting Estonia’s modular timber building concepts on the international stage and for profoundly shaping how a new generation of architects understands and approaches timber architecture through his professional work and teaching.
Influencer of Estonian Wooden Architecture – Kavakava Architects
Through the Loodusmaja (Nature House) project, Kavakava has showcased the architectural potential of wood in its most powerful form, inspiring an entire generation of architects to design with timber more boldly and ambitiously.
Other Construction Sector Titles and Laureates of 2025
- Builder of the Year – Ahti Suppi, Merko Ehitus Eesti AS
- Young Construction Engineer of the Year – Elina Vink, Merko Ehitus Eesti AS
- Construction Engineer of the Year – Dmitri Gorbatjuk, Stricto Project OÜ
- Indoor Climate Engineer of the Year – Pille Kaasan, Telora OÜ
- Best Building Construction Project – Arteri Quarter (Architect: Martin Aunin; Lead Designer: Projektipea OÜ)
- Best Infrastructure Construction Project – New Pärnu Bridge (Lead Designer: Stricto Project OÜ)
- Digital Construction Future Talent – Sander Jaaniste, TalTech
- Innovation Project of the Year – KOKO Architects / Port of Tallinn
- Flooring Achievement of the Year – Rüütelkonna Building (Executors: Pro Põrand; solutions by Lincona)
Construction Conference 2025+ once again confirmed that Estonia’s construction sector is capable of working together to define a shared direction for improving quality, fostering innovation, and recognising excellence. Eight years of joint discussions and collective decisions have built a strong tradition – and it is precisely this kind of collaboration that enables the sector to create real value instead of endlessly patching things up.