International VELUX Award Announces 2008 Jury

The jury of for the International VELUX Award 2008 for Students of Architecture consists of highly distinguished architects.

The jurors will evaluate student projects that demonstrate new thinking about the use of daylight in architecture under the theme, "Light of Tomorrow."

The jury for the International VELUX Award 2008 consists of Hani Rachid (US), Matthias Sauerbruch (Germany), Enrique Browne (Chile), Huat Lim (Malaysia), Eva Jiricna (UK), Francis Nordemann (France) and Michel Langrand (France).
Together the seven jurors make a truly global group, all of whom have lived, studied and worked in different countries throughout the world, all active in projects worldwide, several teaching or lecturing at schools of architecture.

"We are happy to present a distinguished jury that represents many different geographies, cultures and ways of approaching architecture and daylighting," says VELUX project manager Anne-Marie Hasselbalch: "The broad constellation of the jury promises well for the evaluation of the projects that come from the entire globe, representing many different backgrounds and viewpoints."

The Jurors' works are remarkably diverse and encompass projects ranging from industrial design to virtual museums and airports. Their individual backgrounds also speak to their diverse interests and inspirations.

Hani Rachid is a principal in Asymptote Architecture in New York City and the Kenzo Tange Design Critic at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has taught at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen, the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles, the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. Among other projects, Rachid has been involved in designing digital environments and art installations for the Guggenheim Museum. His firm is currently working on projects in Penang, Malaysia, Budapest, Hungary and Busan, South Korea.

German Matthias Sauerbruch is known for his engagement with issues of sustainability and economic use of resources in design. Matthias Sauerbruch was a professor at the Technical University in Berlin from 1995 to 2001. Since 2001 he has been chair of the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kunste in Stuttgart and in 2005 he was Kenzo Tange Design Critic at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.

Chilean architect Enrique Browne is a distinguished architect and author and has been celebrated for re-interpretations of classic Latin American architecture. His designs often involve the use of low tech solutions like planted screens and greenery to diffuse light, soften elevations and create shade. Browne, today a principal in Enrique Browne & Associates, has also been published in numerous journals and magazines around the world.

Malaysian Huat Lim started his career working with Sir Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Ron Herron and is today a principal in ZlgDesign in Kuala Lumpur. His focus on engaging the human experience at all levels of major public projects has garnered international attention, including the International Barbara Cappochin Foundation Special Prize Award.

Eva Jiricna is originally from Czechoslovakia and her London-based design firm is today known for using classic materials in designing highly modern interiors. Her clients include the Royal Academy of Arts, Selfridges, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Hugo Boss. She is an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) and a CBE (Commander of the British Empire), She has also served as a Professor of Architecture & Design, University of Applied Arts, Prague, and holds several honorary degrees from British Universities. Ms. Jiricna is the representative of the International Union of Architects (UIA) on the jury. Frenchman Francis Nordemann works with urban design issues in a private practice, teaches at the Ecole d'Architecture de Paris Belleville and is the vice president of the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), a non-profit association committed to the exchange of ideas and people within the field of architectural education and research. He is the EAAE's representative on the jury.

Michel Langrand, President of VELUX France since 1993, serves on the jury on behalf of VELUX.

The International VELUX Award 2008 is the 3rd edition of the student Award. Selection of the jurors has focused on finding a jury striking the right balance of tradition, innovation, education, world experience, and multicultural orientation. A new jury is gathered with each Award in order to allow a wide scope of daylight interpretations and concepts.

Read more about the Award at velux.com/iva. Registration deadline is 8 March 2008