Eight Daylight Student Projects Shortlisted for International Architecture Award
Eight winners selected among hundreds of worldwide submissions in the Light of Tomorrow by VELUX competition, focused on shaping the future of architecture through daylight.
Eight student architecture projects from around the world have been selected as regional winners and special prizes of Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026, following an international jury evaluation of hundreds of submissions from architecture schools across multiple continents.
The selected projects represent the strongest entries across the competition’s global regions and reflect a wide range of approaches to exploring the role of daylight in future architecture. Together, the eight regional winners highlight how students worldwide are responding to shared challenges such as sustainability, wellbeing, and the transformation of the built environment by using daylight as a key design driver.
Global competition, global perspectives
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX is a biennial international competition that challenges architecture students to explore daylight as a fundamental architectural resource. The 2026 edition attracted submissions from hundreds of student teams worldwide, underscoring the continued relevance of daylight in architectural education and practice.
The eight winning projects were selected for their innovative use of daylight, depth of research, clarity of architectural thinking, and overall presentation. While rooted in diverse local contexts, the projects collectively demonstrate a strong global commitment to designing buildings that prioritise human wellbeing and environmental responsibility.
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX is exciting because it gives us a glimpse into the future of architecture. The competition challenges students to rethink how daylight can respond to global challenges such as climate change, resource efficiency, and human wellbeing. For VELUX, it is a vital way of staying connected to new ideas and ensuring that daylight continues to play a central role in how we design better, more sustainable buildings
The eight regional winners
- Western Europe – Woven Light, Lund University, Sweden
- Eastern Europe & the Middle East – Filtered Light, National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Ukraine
- The Americas – The Light as Memory, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Chile
- Asia & Oceania – Sun the Quilt, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, China
- Africa – Woven Time, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
(Regions corresponding to the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Regions)
Special prizes
In addition to the regional awards, three special prizes were granted for outstanding work in the following categories:
- Daylight in New Buildings – Reclaiming the Tropical Plaza, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- Daylight in Building Transformations – Folding Light, Tsinghua University, China
- Daylight Investigations – Evaporative Cooling Celosia, Royal Danish Academy, Denmark
Recognition for students and educators
Each winner receives €3,000 for the student team and €500 for the supervising teacher, recognising both student excellence and the vital role of educators in guiding future architects.
What happens next
All eight winners are invited to take part in a workshop in Barcelona, where they will then present their projects live to an international jury during the UIA World Congress of Architects. Following the presentations, one global winner of Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026 will be selected and awarded €4,000 for the student(s) and €1,000 for the teacher.
About the jury
The international jury consisted of James Carpenter (US), Liene Jākobsone (LV), Níall McLaughlin (IE), Oya Atalay Franck (CH), and Elena Arregui Jaeger (VELUX, ES).
The jury highlighted the overall quality, diversity, and ambition of the submitted projects, noting how students interpreted the theme Light of Tomorrow in response to both local conditions and global challenges.
About Light of Tomorrow by VELUX
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX is an international competition for students of architecture, held every second year since 2004. The 2026 edition is organised in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and is acknowledged by EAAE, ACSA and AIAS.
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About the VELUX Group
VELUX roof windows have been bringing daylight and fresh air into peoples’ homes around the world for more than 80 years, creating better living environments. We offer a range of products including roof windows and modular skylights, decorative blinds, sun screening products, and roller shutters, as well as installation and smart home solutions. They help create bright, healthy, and energy-efficient places for people who live, work, learn, and play under the roof. We work globally – with sales and manufacturing operations in 37 countries and around 11,500 employees worldwide. The VELUX Group is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited company owned by the Villum Foundation and members of the Kann Rasmussen family. In 2025, the VELUX Group had a total revenue of EUR 2.97 billion while VKR Holding had a total revenue of EUR 4.11 billion. The same year, the Villum Foundation and the VELUX FOUNDATION donated a total of EUR 306 million in charitable grants.
For more information about the VELUX Group, visit velux.com.