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.

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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The total climate footprint of the building and construction industry accounts for approximately 30% of Denmark's total CO₂ emissions[1]. To further accelerate the green transition, it is therefore necessary to implement and scale new solutions with a lower carbon footprint. The aim of the new agreement between the VELUX Group and Thylander is precisely to accelerate the transition of the construction sector and offer low-emission homes with a healthy indoor climate to more Danes.

Living Places principles to be implemented in rental housing in Greater Copenhagen
In 2023, Thylander launched its Build for Life fund, which aims to build attractive rental housing in Greater Copenhagen with high quality and good materials - and with a 30% lower carbon footprint than required by the Danish building regulations. The Living Places concept will play a significant role in the continued improvement of the fund’s new-built housing. The ambition is to build the new homes with inspiration from the five principles of the Living Places concept; that homes should be healthy, simple, flexible, scalable and strengthen the community.

Thylander is already working on the project 'Gartnerhaven' in Hvidovre with 106 new rental homes and ‘Søagerhusene’ in Smørum with 105 new rental homes. The plan is to add further construction projects over the coming period. The ambition is to build more than 500 new rental homes based on the Living Places concept over the coming years.

With the agreement, the VELUX Group shares analyses, calculations and simulations from Living Places as well as detailed information about the five principles behind the Living Places concept with Thylander.

About Living Places
The award-winning Living Places concept developed by the VELUX Group in collaboration with EFFEKT architects and Artelia engineers opened the doors to the first prototype in Copenhagen in April last year. The ambition of the project is to inspire and show that change is possible and that it is already possible to build with lower CO₂ emissions and a better indoor climate at a scalable and affordable level. Living Places is based on five key principles; that housing should be healthy, simple, flexible, scalable and empower community.

Read more about Living Places

1: https://concito.dk/nyheder/nye-co2-krav-kan-paavirke-flere-facetter-byggeriet, https://www.ft.dk/samling/20191/almdel/KEF/bilag/393/2229190.pdf

In July and August 2024, VELUX Group invited nearly 100 architects, entrepreneurs, designers and journalists from 12 countries to live at Living Places Copenhagen as part of an experiment that builds on years of research led by VELUX Group in scientifically monitoring different model homes to better understand how building design impacts residents' comfort and satisfaction while assessing indoor environmental quality and its effects on human well-being.

Living Places explores how to build homes with an ultra-low CO₂ footprint and an optimal indoor climate using standard materials, methods and technologies available today.

Using 17 environmental sensors strategically placed in the two houses, a questionnaire as well as personal testimonies, VELUX Group examined the houses' indoor comfort performance in terms of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, natural light levels and noise as well as guests’ perceptions of the houses’ functional comfort, such as the layout, their experiences with the community and atmosphere, and their overall satisfaction with the houses.

Five key conclusions from the Living Places Living experiment

1. Living Places can inspire and showcase how to build sustainably
For over 20 years, the VELUX Group has initiated and participated in more than 30 demonstration buildings exploring the future of healthy buildings through full scale experiments. In 2021, VELUX Group launched an open innovation process to change the way we build today towards more sustainable practices and to decarbonize buildings. The result, Living Places, shows that it is possible to build more sustainable and healthy buildings using standard materials, methods and technologies that are available today.

2. Healthy buildings that are good for people and the planet can be achieved by applying a holistic approach focusing more on comfort, energy and environment parameters
Advocating for the well-being of people and the planet requires a holistic approach to sustainable living and building practices that looks at the entire life cycle of a building, from design and construction to use.

3. The way we design our homes can significantly influence residents' well-being and their way of living
Our homes are an important part of our overall health. We spend 90% of our time indoors, yet 1 out of 3 Europeans is exposed to at least one indoor climate hazard such as lack of daylight, cold, damp or noise, according to the Healthy Homes Barometer 2022 and Healthy Buildings Barometer 2024. The way we build and live directly impacts our physical and mental health. The design of the house and indoor environment has a strong positive impact on residents' well-being, with over 70% of Living Places guests reporting improved mood, increased relaxation, and a sense of connection to nature while experiencing minimal negative effects.

4. The design of Living Places Copenhagen, which optimizes daylight and natural ventilation, has been well-received by guests
Designed to optimize daylight and natural ventilation, 83% of all guests favoured spending time in rooms with more natural light while 90% also found it easy to adjust the shadings to ensure an optimal indoor environment. As part of creating well-being at home, functional factors like design, layout, temperature, lighting, and indoor climate can invoke immediate feelings of physical comfort in a building. During their stay, 85% of the guests perceived the houses to fit their functional needs.

5. Living Places Copenhagen has achieved an indoor thermal environment within the comfortable range according to the European Standard
On a conceptual basis, Living Places had been awarded a first-class indoor climate. The results indicate "comfortable ranges" which reflect the actual performance during the experiment period which included the indoor temperature being within the best level of the European Standard (EN 16798-1:2019 standard (Category I)) 89% of the time in one house and 90% of the time in the other and within the comfortable range of the European Standard (EN 16798-1:2019 standard (Category II)) 98% of the time in both houses.

To learn more visit: Build for Life - Living Places Learnings 

This year, the award has a new value-based focus and honours Living Places Copenhagen, developed by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia and Enemærke & Petersen, as a pioneering example of design that creates positive change and addresses the major climate and health challenges we face today.

The Danish Design Award 2024 marks a new chapter in its history by moving away from fixed categories and focusing on solutions that challenge traditional boundaries. This year, judging was based on five core values: Do No Harm, Pursue Beauty, Lead the Way, Prove Your Impact and Solve Problems Worth Solving. Living Places Copenhagen was highlighted by the jury as a project that combines beautiful design with a low carbon footprint, healthy indoor environments and a whole new approach to how we live together.

A new paradigm in the construction industry
The Living Places concept was developed to show how an innovative approach to construction can help solve global climate and health challenges. The project has been exhibited as prototypes in the Railroad District in Copenhagen for the past 1.5 years, showing how it is possible to build homes with an ultra-low carbon footprint and with a first-class indoor climate - at a price that matches the market for newly built detached and terraced houses at scale.

Design that sets a new standard
The Living Places project has already received significant national and international recognition, and with this award, the Danish Design Award recognises the aesthetic and design quality of the project, which goes hand in hand with the sustainable principles.

About Living Places
The Living Places concept is developed by the VELUX Group in collaboration with EFFEKT architects and Artelia engineers. The first prototypes were presented in Copenhagen in April 2023. Living Places has already been nominated for 14 national and international architecture and design awards and has won 8 of them. Take a virtual tour through Living Places Copenhagen or read more about the project.

The Netherlands face enormous challenges in the built environment that is dominated by a significant housing shortage, houses being built with four times the recommended CO₂ footprint[1], and homes becoming increasingly complex and less comfortable for users. The Smûk house is an example of how to address these challenges as it showcases a house based on the Living Places concept that is affordable to build, healthier to live in with a minimal CO₂ footprint.

The built environment is responsible for 38% of all Dutch CO₂ emissions with 27% of these coming from energy use during the building's lifecycle and 11% from emissions during the production of building materials[2]. These numbers underline the urgency of transforming the building industry by applying new construction methods and ways of thinking.

A new way forward for Dutch housing
Although the Smûk house offers higher comfort and is affordable to build, it still faces challenges in Dutch legislation to actually be built as an alternative to the current housing tradition. From environmental plans and installations to visible beam constructions, there are challenges to overcome in urban planning and to achieve permits.

BGDD is known for its innovative approach and collaborates with local farmers to grow biobased insulation materials, such as hemp and flax. Additionally, peat meadow areas are flooded to cultivate cattail and miscanthus. This not only reduces CO₂ emissions but also produces circular materials for construction. 

The Smûk house was unveiled on Thursday, September 19, at the construction company's site in Dokkum, Friesland where over 350 customers, policymakers, and partners participated in a large event that focused on inspiring, connecting and setting new standards. Her Majesty Queen Máxima, Director General from the Ministry of Housing and Spatial planning Mr. C. Kuijpers, King’s commissioner from the province of Fryslân mr. A. Brok, and Mayor from the municipality of Noard-East mr. J. Kramer were also present at the event.

[1]Coppe8: Woningbouw binnen planetaire grenzen
[2] Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC); Whole life carbon

The jury of internationally acclaimed architects including Song Yehao (CN), Jenni Reuter (FI), Ewa Kurylowicz (PL) and Kent Holm from VELUX A/S (DK) selected two global winners following live presentations by nine regional winners at The EAAE Annual Conference in Münster, Germany, on 30 August. The nine finalists from eight different countries around the globe were chosen from 468 daylight projects, submitted by students from 220 schools of architecture. 

Since the regional winners of the competition were announced in June, the students have been awaiting the chance to present their projects to the jury in the final round of the competition. Finally, the jury saw the live presentations and had a chance to ask questions to the teams. Based on the presentations the following projects were selected as the global winners.

Global winner category Daylight in Buildings: The Light Filter

Students: Wan Zilin, Poon Gin Yong & Zang Jiayou 
School: Tsinghua University 
Teacher: Li Xiaodong 
Country: China 
Region: Asia & Oceania

‘The Light Filter’ addresses the decline of fireflies due to light pollution and human encroachment on nature. The project creates daylight spaces and viewpoints for humans while using specialized filtered glass to block specific light spectra, creating a darkened environment conducive to firefly survival. The jury appreciated the project's thoughtful approach, which extends consideration beyond humans to include other living creatures on Earth, offering a perspective that encompasses the experiences of diverse species.

Global winner category Daylight Investigations: Solar Sinter 

Student: Anders Eugen Lund 
School: Royal Danish Academy 
Teacher: Runa Johannesen 
Country: Denmark 
Region: Western Europe 

Inspired by Rajasthan's rural population, who live in clay-plastered adobe houses, the project addresses a common problem: monsoon rains washing away the clay walls, necessitating frequent repairs and maintenance. ‘Solar Sinter’ proposes using a Fresnel lens to solar sinter the plaster, transforming the clay into ceramic, and making it more resilient. This innovation reduces the inhabitants' workload while preserving the traditional vernacular architecture. 

The jury was impressed by the global impact of the project, which seeks to address a real-world problem with a practical, CO2-neutral solution. Closely aligning with the theme ‘Light of Tomorrow,’ the project reflects a strong commitment to innovation, embracing the challenges of trying and learning from failure.

The winners in categories Daylight in Buildings and Daylight Investigations will receive the prize of 5,000 €; 4,000 € to the student(s) and 1,000 € to the teacher(s). 

Explore the Global winning projects here

About the International VELUX Award for students of architecture 

The International VELUX Award is a competition for students of architecture that runs every second year. Since the launch, it has grown into the largest competition of its kind with students from 800 schools, from 130 countries of all continents, submitting more than 6,000 projects on the award theme “Light of Tomorrow”. 

International VELUX Award for students of architecture is organised in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA), and is acknowledged by the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and Architectural Research Centres Consortium (ARCC). 

The next competition cycle will take place in 2026, with registrations opening in Autumn 2025. 

Find out more on our website, Facebook  and Instagram

The total carbon footprint of the construction industry accounts for approximately 30% of CO2 emissions in Denmark[1], of which 10% comes from the production of building materials and materials for the entire building and construction industry, including the construction of bridges, roads, renovation and new construction[2]. Consequently, there is a need to implement and scale new solutions with a lower carbon footprint if the construction sector is to succeed in the green transition. The new partnership agreement between the VELUX Group and HusCompagniet is a good example of how partners across the construction sector join forces to realize this ambition.

HusCompagniet wishes to contribute to the development of the construction industry - especially within sustainability and the green transition. Since 2019, HusCompagniet has worked with sustainability initiatives as an integral part of its strategy and is now systematically collecting data and knowledge from its houses and suppliers to establish an informed basis for reducing CO2 emissions. With the partner agreement on Living Places, HusCompagniet will gain an even deeper insight into how to work with material selection, design, CO2 footprint, and health in homes going forward.

The ambition behind the award-winning Living Places project is to inspire change and show that it is already possible to build with lower CO2 emissions and a better indoor climate at a scalable and affordable level. Living Places is based on five key principles; that homes should be healthy, simple, flexible, scalable, and empower communities.

With the agreement, the VELUX Group shares analyses, calculations, and simulations from Living Places as well as detailed information about the five principles with HusCompagniet. HusCompagniet will work to implement this knowledge in several future projects with the ambition of eventually offering homes with a first-class indoor climate and as low a carbon footprint as possible to Danish homeowners. Thus, the partner agreement is a long-term collaboration between the two parties, where the overall ambition is to push sustainable development and translate insights from the Living Places project to homes for the general Danish population.

About Living Places
The Living Places concept is developed by the VELUX Group in collaboration with EFFEKT architects and Artelia engineers, who opened the doors to the first prototype in Copenhagen in April last year. Since then, several Danes have shown interest in building houses based on the Living Places concept.

Read more about Living Places

[1] https://concito.dk/nyheder/nye-co2-krav-kan-paavirke-flere-facetter-byggeriet , https://www.ft.dk/samling/20191/almdel/KEF/bilag/393/2229190.pdf
[2] https://www.ft.dk/samling/20191/almdel/KEF/bilag/393/2229190.pdf

One in four Europeans live in buildings where indoor air quality falls below national standards.  Since we spend 90% of our time indoors, how we build and live directly impacts our physical and mental health. Living in a building with a poor indoor climate can result in severe health issues with ill effects ranging from respiratory and skin problems, headaches, and allergies to serious mental health concerns and life-threatening heat or cold[1]. 

The Living Places concept explores how to create an optimal indoor climate with the lowest possible carbon footprint using readily available and tested products, materials, and technologies. On a conceptual basis, Living Places has been awarded a first-class indoor climate, but now the time has come to test how the houses perform with real people living in them.

Since July over 20 architects, influencers, and families from across Europe have lived in the Living Places Copenhagen houses in the railroad district in Copenhagen.

Live monitoring of indoor climate performance
The indoor climate performance of Living Places was predicted during the design stage using simulations and compared synthetically against a benchmark Danish house through the Active House Radar.

The health impacts of Living Places Copenhagen on its occupants are measured through the data from spatial sensors tracking temperature, relative humidity, C02, barometric pressure, particles, light, sounds, occupancy, and some VOCs and the learning will be shared during the fall of 2024.

See the virtual tour of Living Places Copenhagen and read more about Living Places
 

[1] Healthy Buildings Barometer 2024

With increasing concerns around the pressing environmental crisis, there is a growing demand for more sustainable construction approaches and the building industry has a responsibility to develop methodologies that accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and decarbonized practice.

Over the past two decades, the VELUX Group has embarked on more than 30 demonstration projects in 22 countries, advocating for healthier and more sustainable building practices through full-scale experiments. Building on this legacy of learning and innovation, the Living Places project shows that it is possible to build affordable and healthy buildings with an ultra-low carbon footprint using standard materials, methods and technologies available today.

The publication of "Living Places: Principles and Insights for a New Way of Thinking Buildings" signifies that VELUX is committed to leading the way within the building industry by sharing knowledge that shows why industry actors need to adopt new building principles and adapt to a new way of thinking about buildings.

A book for use
The book takes an open-source approach to sharing the knowledge gained by all partners throughout the Living Places project. Beginning with the ways of working and transformative partnerships, the book unfolds the Living Places concept through its principles and People and Planet Methodology and finishes with an explorative review of the first prototype Living Places Copenhagen.

The book is published by the Danish Architectural Press and will be available to purchase at retailers around the world from June 21^st.

Read more about Living Places: Principles and Insights for a New Way of Thinking Buildings
Buy the book here: https://arkitektensforlag.dk/shop/p/living-places

The renowned jury comprised of Song Yehao (CN), Jenni Reuter (FI), Ewa Kurylowicz (PL) and Kent Holm from VELUX A/S (DK) who met for the jury meeting in Copenhagen.

The jury were impressed by the overall range of the projects that touched on so many different aspects of daylight and the creative ways in which the students interpreted the theme ‘Light of Tomorrow.’ It was clear to the jury that students are engaged in the environmental, social, cultural and political key issues of our time and that they are really seeking and exploring solutions. In particular, the jury were struck by the existential nature of the issues highlighted in the submitted projects on both a global and local level. The jury were particularly drawn to projects that demonstrated a research-backed approach to tackling their proposed problem, with a strong concept and clear connection to daylight. 

Natural light is a universal necessity - there is no life without light. The students' projects clearly demonstrate that what is important for people is important for architects and thus highlights the necessity of working with daylight in architectural practice to ensure a brighter future for all. 

The jury made their final evaluation of the projects in accordance with the following criteria from the award brief: 1) the work with daylight as a premise for architecture, 2) how the project is researched and documented, 3) how the project addresses contemporary and future challenges, 4) the level of experimentation and innovation, as well as the overall graphic presentation of the project or how the project presents itself. 

The jury unanimously selected the winners as listed below.  

The following regional winning projects in the Daylight in Buildings category were awarded with 1,000 € for the student(s) and 250 € for the teacher(s): 

Western Europe: Silo of the ambient light  
Students: Anniina Rautakoski 
School: Metropolia University of Applied Sciences 
Teacher: Janne Järvinen 
Country: Finland

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: Lightroof  
Student: Aleksandra Cassino 
School: Politechnika Warszawska  
Teachers: Anna Lorens  
Country: Poland

The Americas: Lighting up the Rocinha favela  
Student: Paulo André Pereira & Mariana Costa do Carmo 
School: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro  
Teacher: Eliane Silva Barbosa  
Country: Brazil

Asia & Oceania: The light filter 
Students: Wan Zilin, Poon Gin Yong & Zang Jiayou 
School: Tsinghua University 
Teacher: Li Xiaodong 
Country: China 

Africa: Radiant echoes 
Student: Kenza Kettani & Bouchra Rah 
School: International university of Rabat Teacher: Yassir Aziz 
Country: Morocco 

The following regional winning projects in the Daylight Investigations category were awarded with 1,000 € for the student(s) and 250 € for the teacher(s):

Western Europe: Solar Sinter 
Students: Anders Eugen Lund 
School: Royal Danish Academy 
Teacher: Runa Johannesen 
Country: Denmark 

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: (No) daylight 
Student: Iwona Kin, Alicja Smoczyk, Agata Czugała & Paweł Mordeja
School:  Politechnika Wrocławska
Teachers: Tomasz Broma 
Country: Poland 

The Americas: FeatherGuard 
Student: Yining Ma 
School: University of California, Berkeley 
Teacher: Myrna Ayoub 
Country: United States 

Asia & Oceania: Gaplight Collective 
Students: Zehong Zhang, Ruotong Luo, Jiaxun Song, Dasen Li & Xinyue Dong 
School: South China University of Technology 
Teacher: Zheng Hao 
Country: China 

Africa: Sparkling souls 
Students: Bidzan Pout Fabrice Emmanuel, Abega Ebanga Rosalie Valentine, Tambe Mcwilfried Masoda, Ndibatchou Alexis Junior & Fopa Jerry Karmel 
School: École Nationale Supérieure des Travaux 
Teacher: Aba Nkasse Alain 
Country: Cameroon 

The regional winners are invited to a 3-day trip to Münster, Germany, to The European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE) Annual conference at the end of August. At this annual architectural event, they will present their projects to the jury.

After the regional winners’ project presentation August 26-30 at the EAAE conference, the jury will select the two global winners of the International VELUX Award 2024. The winners in categories Daylight Investigations and Daylight in Buildings will receive the prize of 5,000 €; 4,000 € to the student(s) and 1,000 € to the teacher(s).

International VELUX Award 2024 is organised in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA), and is acknowledged by the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and Architectural Research Centres Consortium (ARCC). 

Read more about IVA.

Find out more on our website, Facebook  and Instagram.

The Architizer A+Awards is one of the largest award programs focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture. The “Sustainable Private House” category awards private housing projects that incorporate sustainable systems and materials, and follow best practices within ethical design, construction, and operation. The “Architecture+Innovation” category is dedicated to projects that unlock new ways to build, including incorporating new, experimental, or unconventional design concepts and materials, or rethink traditional approaches in pioneering ways. The Architecture+Innovation award is based on public voting.

In 2023, Living Places Copenhagen won the EY Sustainability Award in the innovation category, the Innovative Design Award of the Bo Bedre magazine, as well as the “Sustainable Future Award” and the “Merit Award for Architecture” from the American Institute of Architects. In March 2024, Living Places Copenhagen won the “Active House Radar Master Award” and the MIPIM 2024 award for “Best Residential Project”.

About Living Places Copenhagen
In April 2023, the VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects, Artelia engineers, and Enemærke & Petersen contractors opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen in the Railway District in Copenhagen – the first prototype of the overall Living Places concept. The vision behind the project is to lead the way in the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The concept is based on five key principles that aim to make homes that are healthy, adaptive, simple, shared over time, and scalable. These guiding principles are relevant to both new constructions and established communities.

See the virtual tour of Living Places Copenhagen and read more about Living Places
Read more about the Architizer A+ Award

The project has earned its place at this year’s MIPIM Awards by using a holistic approach to building more sustainably. It demonstrates how to build homes with a CO2 footprint that is 2/3 lower than the current Danish standard. This is achieved while ensuring a first-class indoor climate and by using existing technology and materials.

This year’s MIPIM Awards will focus on projects that have been developed with ‘a consideration of construction and operational carbon, to climate and life cycle concerns, and prizes will go chiefly to projects that best serve their end-users and wider communities while making a contribution to the economy’. Read more about the MIPIM Awards 2024.

The winner will be announced at the international MIPIM real estate event in Cannes on March 14th, 2024 where the most influential players from all sectors of the international property industry gather.

In 2023, Living Places Copenhagen won the EY Sustainability Award in the innovation category, the Innovative Design Award of the Bo Bedre magazine’s Design Awards, as well as the “Sustainable Future Award” and the “Merit Award for Architecture” from the American Institute of Architects. 

About Living Places Copenhagen
In April 2023 the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia, and Enemærke & Petersen opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen in the Railway District in Copenhagen – the first prototype of the overall Living Places concept. The vision behind the project is to lead the way in the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The concept is based on five key principles that aim to make homes that are healthy, adaptive, simple, shared over time and scalable. These guiding principles are relevant to both new constructions and established communities.

For more information about Living Places, visit livingplaces.velux.com

VELUX Group and BayWa r.e. today announce a groundbreaking dual-site deal to address the world-leading roof window manufacturer's European operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2024.

The Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will drive the development of two new solar parks in Southern Spain, one close to Seville and the other in nearby Granada. The latter, called Alhendín solar park, includes BayWa r.e.’s first installation of innovative Agri-PV technology in Spain, which will allow for crops to grow in between the solar panels.

Bringing more renewable energy online

Connecting to the grid in 2023 and 2024, the two plants will generate 167 GWh of renewable electricity every year for VELUX, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 45,000 European homes. Eighty per cent of the total electricity generated by the plants will be generated due to the PPAs with VELUX. The new PPA will reduce the carbon footprint of VELUX with approximately 40,000 tonnes of CO2e from the company's European operations and activities on a yearly basis.

Pioneering solar plant symbiosis

About 10% of the Alhendín solar park will be an Agri-PV installation, a new solar application that combines energy generation and food production, of which BayWa r.e. is a pioneer and leader. This installation will be specially designed with taller rows of panels, more widely spaced to allow farming to continue and modern farming machinery to pass between the panel rows, in this case to produce crops. The PV modules will also be used to collect rainwater, which will help the farmer manage the continuing risks posed by climate change and droughts in a very dry area.

This PPA is pioneering the concept of solar plant symbiosis – a concept integrating solar power production with nature and community for mutual benefit. The development of both the plants will include a comprehensive plan and suite of community and environmental measures that will enhance local biodiversity and foster community involvement.

To ensure that the parks will always prioritize their local environment and communities, BayWa r.e. will be partnering with nearby universities – namely Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Universidad de Córdoba – to form an interdisciplinary research group whose findings will ultimately inform a comprehensive and bespoke site strategy.

Helping to deliver on VELUX Group’s historic carbon capture commitment

Once connected to the grid, the new solar farms will enable VELUX to achieve its 2030 target to reduce emissions from its own operations and activities by 100%. This target is part of the company's 2030 sustainability strategy commitment to pioneer climate and nature action. The commitment also includes targets to capture its historical emissions since its founding in 1941 through forest conservation projects in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) by 2041 and halving its value chain emissions by 2030.

Schneider Electric, the leading advisor on global corporate renewable energy procurement, supported VELUX in the selection of the projects and their negotiations.

The jury reviewed all the projects, individually and across regions, to get an overall impression of the entries, their quality and their themes.

The jury observed strong overall engagement in the environmental, social, cultural and political challenges of our time, that students provided solutions to through the use of daylight.
 

The projects demonstrated a strong commitment from both students and teachers regarding the topic of daylight. Specific themes were recognised as part of the same educational programme in schools. The projects signalled a multiplicity of directions and concerns that light plays an important spatial role as a common denominator and as an inspiration independent of latitudes and attitudes.
 

The winners represent a mosaic of different approaches to the question of light, as they cover a range of futuristic concepts, technology and applications, as well as the more fundamental aspects of architecture, space, place and memory.

The winners from the ‘Daylight in Buildings’ category are:

Africa: A Million Little Lights
Student: Michali Jameson
School: Greenside Design Centre, College of Design
Teacher: Jean Wiid
Country: South Africa

The Americas: Bright Roots
Student: Alejandro Satt
School: Universidad Andrés Bello
Teacher: Javier Del Rio
Country: Chile

Asia & Oceania: Ink and Light
Students: Mingjie Guo, Jingwen Yang, Cong Liu, and Ziyong Mou
School: Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology
Teacher: Rui Wu
Country: China

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: SUNCITY
Student: Alperen Temur, Nasibe Nur Dündar, Nijat Mahamaliyev, and Ezgi Üzümcü
School: Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi
Teachers: Mehmet Cem Altun
Country: Turkey

Western Europe: Solar Desalination Skylight
Students: Henry Glogau
School: Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Teacher: David Garcia
Country: Denmark
 

The winners from the ‘Daylight Investigations’ category are:

Africa: Let There Be Light
Students: Emmanuel Ayo-loto and John Ogungefun
School: Obafemi Awolowo University
Teacher: Babajide Onabanjo
Country: Nigeria

The Americas: AQIP - Air Quality Index Pavilion
Students: Mina Onay and Richard Schutte
School: University of Toronto
Teacher: Jason Peter King
Country: Canada

Asia & Oceania: Light Therapy
Students: Qianqian Zhou, Gezi Li, Zhu Chen, Fengming Li, and Lurui Lyu
School: Beijing Jiatong University
Teacher: Yinan Zhou
Country: China

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: The Theater of Light
Students: Julia Giżewska, Dominik Kowalski, and Paweł Białas
School: Silesian University of Techonology
Teacher: Jerzy Wojewódka
Country: Poland

Western Europe: Words to Light – Lucioles [Fireflies]
Students: Xingyu Chen, Matteo, Giglio, Ghil Meynard, Noëlie Seguet-Pey, Nicolas Salha, Raphaël Pletinckx, Hiba Nasser, and Ghil Meynard
School: Université Catholique de Louvain
Teacher: Jean-Luc Capron
Country: Belgium
 

An honourable mention, category ‘Daylight in Buildings’

The jury granted a special prize in the category Daylight in Buildings for Asia and Oceania.

Honourable Mention: Melody of The Light Weaving
Students: Yeonginn Moon, Hagyung Seo, Rayoun Hwang, and Sungjoo Han
School: Hongik University
Teacher: Tony Woonghee Cho
Country: South Korea
 

The global winners of the International VELUX Award will be chosen from the regional winners at the World Architecture Festival.

Russell Foster, United Kingdom receives the award for his clinical studies in humans addressing important questions regarding light.

Henry Plummer, United States, receives the award for lifetime achievement by recording daylight phenomena in his brilliant photography and writing.

The extraordinary award, made only this year celebrates the 40th anniversary of the very first Daylight Award, given to Jørn Utzon.
 

The Daylight Award 2020 for Architecture: Juha Leiviskä, architect and designer

Juha Leiviskä is one of the most significant contemporary architects in Finland. In his works, he demonstrates a unique ability to make daylight an integral element of his buildings, in a way that combines emotional stimulus, functionality, and a subtle yet thrilling presence of light as part of the spatial experience. In the current context of environmental values of architecture and the use of natural resources to create natural and sustainable comfort, the work of Leiviskä on daylight is particularly relevant today.
 

His first remarkable building was Kouvola Town Hall in the late 1960s, designed in collaboration with Bertel Saarnio. Leiviskä came to international attention after the 1970s with a number of exceptionally refined and emotive religious buildings. In addition to several churches and congregational buildings, he has built a number of high quality houses and apartment buildings, a library, an embassy, and a cultural centre in Jerusalem. In addition to his built work, he has made numerous competition entries and unexecuted projects, i.e. for museums of contemporary art. His architecture is always humane, modest, calming and optimistic. It is welcoming and gentle without any attempt to dominate or impress the visitor, or draw attention to the architect.

Leiviskä’s churches are indeed masterfully articulated instruments of daylight. While his sources of inspiration include Bavarian Baroque churches, especially the Vierzehnheiligen by Balthasar Neumann, his planar orthogonal compositions echo De Stijl principles of visual counterpoint. Leiviskä is also inspired by music, and his architectural projects have a musical quality evocative of, notably, Mozart. While Leiviskä’s architecture echoes architectural and musical precedents, equally, his treatment of light reflects the natural light conditions in Nordic forests, especially counterlight seen through foliage, and the ambience of birch trees with their white vertical rhythms.

Juha Leiviskä continues to enrich the significant traditions of the Nordic masters of modern architecture.

The Daylight Award 2020 for Research: Russell Foster, neuroscientist

Professor Foster is Director of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, UK. In 2015, he received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to science. The author of nearly 200 scientific publications and four popular science books, he is also a widely sought speaker and lecturer.

His interest is in understanding of how the circadian rhythm and the sleep-wake rhythm are generated and modulated. Professor Foster’s early research involved transplanting a specific group of brain cells from one breed of hamster to another. In doing so, he was able to demonstrate that it is the brain that sets the rhythm of the body clock. His most acclaimed scientific discovery was that the eye contains a specialised cell, a light sensor that aligns the body clock and the sleep-wake rhythm to the day-night cycle. Without this specialised cell, we would drift out of sync with the day. This singular discovery has changed fundamental tenets of knowledge regarding the effects of light on biological systems and human physiology.

In the industrialised modern world, we spend, on average, 90% of our lives inside buildings, and the built environment is a primary moderator of the light to which we are exposed. The architectural community acknowledges Professor Foster’s work that identifies the short and long-term health consequences of light and addresses when and how light ingress should be encouraged, and conversely, when it should be reduced and blacked out.
 

The Daylight Award 2020 for Lifetime Achievement: Henry Plummer, architect, writer and photographer

Henry Plummer is an architectural academic who has devoted his career to researching daylight in architecture. An Emeritus Professor, he taught architectural history and design at the Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He gained his MArch degree from MIT, studied light-art with artist, photographer, educator and art theorist György Kepes, and was a photographic apprentice to Minor White.
 

Plummer emphasises the role of his two media:
 

He has published numerous remarkable books revealing the transformative power of daylight in architecture, with notable publications including early contributions to the Japanese journal ‘Architecture + Urbanism’, such as “The Poetics of Light” (1987), “Light in Japanese Architecture” (1995) and “Masters of Light” (2003). The latter is an extensive (420-page) catalogue of over 50 twentieth century architectural masterpieces and provides the first comprehensive and compiled analysis of daylight in projects by architects ranging from Aalto to Wright. This work was followed by books including “The Architecture of Natural Light” (2009), “Stillness and Light: The Silent Eloquence of Shaker Architecture” (2009), “Nordic Light: Modern Scandinavian Architecture” (2012) and “Cosmos of Light: The Sacred Architecture of Le Corbusier” (2013).

As is evident from this output, Plummer is unique in having studied and photographed architectural light in varying cultural, climatic and geographic contexts. This cross-cultural engagement ranges from the role of light in Japanese architecture – complimenting Tanizaki’s classic book ”In Praise of Shadows” – to its significance in Nordic and Shaker architecture. In addition, he has succeeded in emphasising and mediating multi-sensory experiences, as exemplified in his recent book ”The Experience of Architecture” (2016) – in his images and writings, especially the interplay of silence and light. Plummer’s studies capture the ephemeral, spiritual and metaphysical phenomenon of light for future generations.

Henry Plummer’s research is characterised by its humanistic, artistic, analytical and metaphysical focus. The depth and quality of his analysis is based on rigorous studies, embracing experiential and phenomenological as well as intuitive and artistic attitudes towards investigations of daylight. His photography is exceptional and his writing has brought a deeper level of understanding and appreciation of the quality of light to academia and the profession.

His words and photographs are an inspiration in the study and practice of architecture worldwide.

The award seeks to inspire future architects to consider the use of daylight in their work through its theme Light of Tomorrow. 

Regional and global prizes
Regional winners for each category will be invited to attend the World Architecture Festival in Lisbon, Portugal in December and present their project. The regions are defined by the UIA (International Union of Architects) member regions: 1) Western Europe, 2) Eastern Europe and the Middle East, 3) the Americas, 4) Asia and Oceania and 5) Africa. A Global Winner for each category will be selected after the live presentation to the jury

The IVA 2020 jury comprises Odile Decq (France), Sebastián Adamo (Argentina), Nóra Demeter (Hungary), Juri Troy (Austria), and Martin Pors Jepsen from VELUX Group (Denmark).

When it comes to what the jury will be looking for, Odile Decq offered the following reply: “I know when I look at projects…I want to be surprised, I want to discover some things that I will think oh my god, I have to think about that.”

About International VELUX Award
The Award is organised in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the World Architecture Festival (WAF) and is acknowledged by the following educational organisations; The European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC), and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).

Read more on iva.velux.com or follow us on facebook.com/internationalveluxaward and @internationalveluxaward on Instagram.

Let the light in 
Around 5% of the world’s population is, according to the Lighting Research Center in the US, hit by some sort of depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD)¹, characterized by recurrent depressive episodes in the autumn and winter.  

While the cause for feeling blue or depressed is not yet fully uncovered, studies in the past 20 years have documented how exposure to bright light significantly affects our wellbeing and can help reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder². Symptoms of SAD can be increased feeling of depression, reduced interest in various activities, sleepiness and irritability, and increased appetite and consequent weight gain³.  

Something as simple as pulling your curtains back and pulling up your blinds can let more light into your home. Also, pay attention to when you shut them again: wait until the sun has fully set or they can deprive you of what little sunshine your home is getting at this time of year. During work hours, ensure to work close by a window, as they provide at least as much light as a light box, also used in some parts of the world as treatment of SAD². 

Transform spaces If you don’t have enough light coming into your home, you might want to consider a more permanent solution. Whether you want to improve an existing room or create new space and maximize the amount of sunlight coming into your home.

When thinking about adding an extension to your home, it’s important to consider the function of this space and how you best can maximize it. By placing a roof window over a kitchen table or work top, you can transform this space, making it enjoyable when preparing meals and ensure you’re exposed to natural light, or for children completing their homework. 

For those whose renovation plans are focused on an existing room in the home then designing with light in mind can also have a transformative power. Think about the direction the room faces and position seating in places where the light is most likely to fall. Adding another window is always worth considering if possible. If a roof window isn’t an option, VELUX sun tunnels are also a great alternative. 

Sources

[1] Lighting Research Center: https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp

[2] Wehr et al. (1991). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp

[3] Wirz-Justice et al. ”Natural’ light treatment of seasonal affective disorder” (1995). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp

The jury, consisting of Johan Carlsson from JAC Studies, Shane Kelly from TP Bennett and Per Arnold Andersen, VELUX Group, chose the winner from a shortlist of seven finalists. The prize was awarded at the World Architecture Festival’s gala dinner on December 6.

“I am really pleased that this project is the very first winner of the ‘Best Use of Natural Light’ prize. This transformational project is a truly great example of how a big and dense building complex can be renovated in an innovative way. The architects took a radical approach to opening up the ground floor to nature, by incorporating daylight, well-being and retreat into the daily life of the campus,” says Per Arnold Andersen, Special Advisor, Architect MAA.
 

About the prize

The ‘Best Use of Natural Light’ prize is a new category among Special WAF Prizes. The prize is sponsored by VELUX and it showcases the unique use of a daylighting in completed buildings. Special emphasis is put on projects that consider the impact on human well-being, performance and joy. For more information about the ‘Best Use of Natural Light’ prize and all seven shortlisted entries, visit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/use-light-2019.
 

Special recognition of benefits of daylighting in buildings 

About WAF

The World Architecture Festival is an annual festival and awards ceremony, which brings together more than 2,000 architects to be inspired by some of the most innovative projects (completed building projects and future projects) from around the world and to network with peers. At the festival, more than 500 architects present their projects live to a judging panel. One of these projects is awarded the World Building of the Year title. In addition, there are several other awards. The first WAF was held in 2008. The VELUX Group has been a sponsor of WAF since 2015. See all WAF 2019 overall winners.
 

The selected regional winners will be invited to the World Architecture Festival 2020 in November where they will present their projects to the jury in front of a live audience.

Based on the presentations, the jury will select one global winner for each of the two award categories, ‘Daylight in Buildings’ and ‘Daylight Investigations’.
 

Get to know the jury

Odile Decq is a French architect and urban planner, awarded the Architizer’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 for her pioneering work, but also her engagement and contribution to the debate on architecture.

Sebastián Adamo from Argentina is the co-founder of the architecture firm Adamo-Faiden based in Buenos Aires since 2005. Their international practice extends to teaching and research and their works are widely exhibited in the Americas and Europe.

Nóra Demeter is an architect based in Hungary. Together with Zoboki-Demeter and Associates, her vast international expertise has enabled her to tackle complex local and international projects, like the Palace of the Arts in Budapest.

Juri Troy is an Austrian architect whose projects concentrate on sustainability, energy efficiency and holistic building concepts. Therefore, the use of wood always plays an important role in his work.

Martin Pors Jepsen, from Denmark, is Vice President of Global Product Management at VELUX. He has held several positions in the VELUX Group including as General Manager for VELUX China and Global Product Manager for VELUX Solar.
 

Registrations are open

The registrations for the International VELUX Award opened this September. Architecture students from across the world are encouraged to sign up for the award and start thinking about their bright idea for a daylight project. The registration deadline is the 1st of April.

To register for the award, students can visit: https://iva.velux.com/users/new

To read more about the jury, visit: https://iva.velux.com/competitions/international-velux-award-2020/pages/jury

The Healthy Homes Barometer 2019, taking the temperature of today’s housing standard, was also launched, unveiling that there is a serious problem with today’s building stock. In fact, every third child in Europe live in what the research institute RAND Europe labels as an unhealthy building, characterized by dampness, darkness, excess noise and cold temperatures. 

Fortunately, there are many things we can do to address this issue Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, pointed out as a response and highlighted 36 different ways to create healthier homes.
 

The design options are endless 

Architects, representing very different practices and geographies, showed how they have designed for health and comfort; and always with the needs and life-pattern of the homeowner in mind.  

Vincent Le Garrec and his practice, Nomade Architects, demonstrated this through a broad range of projects, both past, current and future housing, schools and public buildings. 
 

Nicolas Michelin, founder of ANMA, dwelled upon the relationship between natural light and architectural design and illustrated this through different achievements how it continues to reinvent itself according to the context of each operation. "The light that is introduced in architecture is architecture revealed. It’s through contrasts that it comes alive. And so, shadows become sharper and our eyes relish the volumes," Michelin said, while demonstrating this in some key projects, the Arènes de Nîmes, the Art School of Limoges, the theater of Chatenay-Malabry, the university library of Strasbourg, the gallery ARTEM in Nancy or new types of urban planning projects such as Les Bassins à Flot Housing, in the historice area of Bordeaux, France. 
 

How do we move from “one” to “many” and catalyze scale? 

Professional house builders and developers, from North America and Europe, presented their take on house designs, delivering value for customers and the bottom-line of their business, while living up to today’s building requirements and different certification schemes. 

Leading the Canadian home building industry as the first to include healthy building design, Great Gulf succeeded in combining climate care and use of resources to improve comfort for people living, working and enjoying their homes. “The question for us is no any longer, if homeowners want it, but HOW we turn this into a solid business and make healthy buildings affordable, so it’s not only for “the few” but also for the majority,” said Tad Putyra, Great Gulf President Low Rise. 

Morten Chrone from HusCompagniet, having built more than 20.000 residential houses across Denmark, backed this strong point: 
 

HusCompagniet is a Northern European market leader with strong presence in Denmark, Sweden and Germany, having annually sold and built almost 2000 homes. HusCompagniet takes pride in providing high quality houses at a favorable price based on credibility and well-being. 

Harwil de Jonge​, director of the large Dutch building developer, Heijmans Real Estate, with an annual revenue of EUR 500 million, backed this viewpoint and made a strong statement: “Healthy living should be for everyone, but unfortunately that is still not reality. In Heijmans we thoroughly evaluate our use of building materials: Are they healthy? Are they sustainable?” He also explained how their partnership with the Dutch certification partner, NL Greenlabel, turned a new-build residential neighbourhood in Hooghkamer, providing 283 more new homes once complete, in a much healthier and sustainable direction. 
 

Making sense for the user 

Occupant experiences were also brought forward. A Canadian family told how they felt living in a healthily designed house compared to their everyday life in a more traditional Canadian house. The family of four moved into a newly built house by Great Gulf, designed to fulfill a new certification for healthy and sustainable buildings, Active House, aimed at creating healthier and more comfortable homes for their occupants without burdening the climate. 
 

Nature can reduce stress and increase wellbeing
Restorative environment research studies have also documented how being in nature or exposed to nature can increase wellbeing. 

A new research review conducted by independent research institute RAND Europe on behalf of VELUX, has also identified several studies that find a positive association between people’s exposure to nature and their mental health and wellbeing, for instance helping reduce people’s perceived stress state.

77% believe they should change daily routines to reconnect with nature, according to the YouGov Survey​

The survey found that 77% think they should make changes to their daily routine and lifestyle to enable them spend more time in nature. In Italy the number is significantly higher, with 88% thinking they should make changes. Similarly, Canada is also the nation in which percentages are the highest of people spending an average of one hour or less a day in nature in the past month (69% compared to a 52% global average).

Aside from having a positive impact on mental wellbeing, 86% of Austrians believe that having access to nature, daylight and fresh air has a positive impact on physical health, and 84% of people in Poland believe that it has a positive impact on quality of sleep. In the US its positive impact on stress levels (71%) was the most popular opinion. Inside the home, two thirds (66%) of all respondents enjoy watching the weather through a window. In Poland and Slovakia people are particularly fond of bringing nature inside with the majority enjoying having house plants (76% and 73% respectively).

This new population survey echoes VELUX’s new global campaign, ‘Let nature back in, which highlights the risks of a nature deficient society. It explores the effects that indoor-based lifestyles can have on our overall wellbeing amid a shift to an increasingly urbanized population, illustrated in a film directed by Martin de Thurah, showing how children from previous generations played outdoors, to the children of today who are far more likely to stay inside in front of various screens.  

To learn more, go to outsidein.velux.com.

The light of your life

Whether you have a partner who lights up your life, or friends and family who keep you smiling, your home can also be a source of great joy and fulfillment. It’s an important place where you can enjoy the company of those closest to you and by letting more natural light and air inside you can realise a wealth of benefits. Firstly, it can improve a personal sense of wellbeing, giving a boost to your mood and productivity levels. A healthier and happier home can also arguably have a positive effect on your personal relationships too. People often prefer well lit, airy interiors which means that families are likely to congregate in the same rooms of their homes, spending quality time together as result.

There are also the functional and aesthetic benefits to consider.
 

Top tips on how to create a space you’ll love, for Valentine’s Day and beyond

Consider the layout

When it comes to creating perfect spaces, practicality is often key. You need to consider the layout of a room, from where you enter to where heating, lights and furnishings are positioned to ensure maximum convenience and impact. By placing a roof window over a kitchen table for example, you can ensure you and your family are always dining under the sky or stars.

Let in the light

Bathe your room in a beautiful natural light by investing in roof windows. By positioning a window in the roof you’ll ensure that you’re getting the maximum amount of sunlight into your house throughout the day. Place one above a bed to enjoy the romance of beautiful sunrises and sunsets with your partner, for the perfect start or end to a day.

The main feature

A great way to make a statement with your interiors is to introduce a main feature in to each of your rooms. This is something which should draw the eye and act as the center piece of a room, while still having a functional benefit. It could be anything from a magnificent kitchen island for your friends to sit at while you cook, or a log burner in the living room for the family to gather round on a cold winter’s day. Why not enhance these features further by strategically placing a roof window above to provide a natural flood lit effect?

The finishing touches

When it comes to putting the final touches to your home design project, comfort is often key. You want a place where you can relax and unwind, whether that’s for a family movie night, or a romantic Valentine’s day dinner with your partner! One easy way to improve the comfort of your home is to strategically place some soft furnishings around a room. A thick rug, soft blanket and pile of downy pillows can do wonders and will make a room feel so much more inviting, as will fresh flowers.

To find out more information on how to transform your home visit https://www.velux.co.uk/

Bright light reduces symptoms of seasonal affective disorder 
Around 5% of the world’s population is, according to the Lighting Research Center in the US, hit by some sort of depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD)¹, characterized by recurrent depressive episodes in the autumn and winter.  

While the cause for feeling blue or depressed is unknown, studies the past 20 years have documented how exposure to bright light significantly effects our wellbeing and can help reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder². Symptoms of SAD can be increased feeling of depression, reduced interest in all or most activities, increased sleep and irritability, and increased appetite with carbohydrate cravings and consequent weight gain³.  

A recent population survey by YouGov, carried out across Europe and North America, also revealed that seven in ten (69%) people believe that daylight influences their mood⁴. 

A daily walk outside can boost your mood 
Other studies points at 1-hour morning walks outdoors as an effective treatment of seasonal affective disorder⁵. A European study comparing artificial light (with a lux level of >2800) and natural light treatment of a group of people experiencing seasonal affective disorder, unveiled that natural light exposure improved the self-ratings of the persons involved in the study⁶. 

But, while spending time outdoors is a great mood enhancer, the reality is that January days are both cold and dark in many countries, limiting the opportunity to get a natural fix of light. In fact, initial findings from the YouGov survey, also revealed that around one fifth of people (18%) are spending almost all day indoors, between 21 to 24 hours. So how do different countries cope with the lack of light and what do they do to make their day’s that little bit brighter?  

Norway – Friluftsliv 
The expression literally translates as “open-air living” and describes the Nordic value of spending time outdoors for spiritual and physical wellbeing. Today, the phrase is used to explain anything from lunchtime runs in the forest, to commuting by bike (or on cross-country skis when the snow falls) to joining friends at a lakeside sauna (often followed by a chilly dip in the water) or simply relaxing in a mountain hut. 

Sweden – Fika & Lagom 
The Swedish custom ‘Fika’ is quite simply taking a tea break. At 10am and 3pm, people head to cafés with friends for lattes and cinnamon buns. It’s not just about a sweet treat, though – Swedes say it’s the socialising and the personal connection that is essential for their wellbeing.  

The translation of the Swedish concept of ‘Lagom’ is “enough, sufficient, adequate, just right” and is all about moderation. It advocates living a frugal life with just enough possessions, where everything is functional, and life is in balance. It encourages us to create a happy life by choosing to live a balanced and fruitful existence. 

Netherlands - Gezellig 
The Dutch ethos of embracing everything cosy and creating a sense of belonging and togetherness, reminds people to slow down, live in the moment and spend time with loved ones in a relaxing environment. 

Wherever you are this Blue Monday, why not take inspiration from one of these countries that are used to the darker, colder days? Snuggle down, get cosy and give yourself a much-needed mood boost, for a brighter blue Monday and beyond.  

Facts and research sources 

1. Norman E. Rosenthal, Lighting Research Center: https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp  
2. Wehr et al. (1991). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp  
3. Wirz-Justice et al. ”Natural’ light treatment of seasonal affective disorder” (1995). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp  
4. The YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of The VELUX Group in March and April 2018, asked 16,000 people across Northern European and Northern America (Great Britain, USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Spain) if daylight influences their mood. 
5. Wirz-Justice et al. ”Natural light treatment of seasonal affective disorder” (1995). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp 
6. Peiser, “Seasonal affective disorder and exercise treatment: a review” (2008), Biological Rhythm Research, Vol. 40, No. 1, February 2009 
7. Light therapy: The light level used for treatment in so-called light boxes are around >10 000 lux. The US National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder/index.shtml 
8. Typical light levels: 300 lux indoors, >3000 lux indoors next to a window, 10,000-100,000 lux outdoors. (Lux is a SI unit of illuminance, equal to one lumen per square metre). 

YouGov Survey  
Research for The Indoor Generation Report was carried out by YouGov on behalf of The VELUX Group in March and April 2018 surveying around 16,000 people across Northern European and Northern America (Great Britain, USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Spain).  

On average we spend 90% of our time indoors¹, so the quality of the air we breathe can make a big impact on our health. More than half of the body’s air intake during a lifetime is inhaled in the home². However, for 92% of us, the air around our homes is not safe to breathe³ and is linked to a range of health hazards.

Poor insulation and construction of buildings is often the cause of low energy efficiency and can compromise the occupant’s comfort and health. Around 65% of Europeans living in major urban areas are exposed to dangerously high levels of noise pollution⁴. This can lead to health issues such as stress, high blood pressure, hypertension and strokes⁴.

One study about living in a dark home found health worsened by 50% with headaches, insomnia and depression amongst other reported negative health impacts⁵. Therefore, good quality light, daylight when possible, is essential for a healthy life. Natural lighting is also an important energy reduction strategy in the home.
 

The guide recommends action to making a home healthier such as:

• Ventilate your home to clear away the hidden indoor toxins and bring fresh and clean air into your home
• Invest in insulation to boost energy efficiency, thermal comfort, less noise and lower energy bills
• Maximise the use of daylight and be efficient with lighting to lower carbon emissions, reduce energy costs and unlock health benefits.
   

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About the World Green Building Council

The World Green Building Council is a global network of Green Building Councils that is transforming the places where we live, work, play, heal and learn.

The goal is to help reduce the building and construction sector’s CO₂ emissions by 84 gigatonnes and ensure all buildings have net zero emissions by 2050.

We believe green buildings can and must be at the centre of our lives. Our changing climate means we must reshape the way we grow and build, enabling people to thrive both today and tomorrow.

We take action – championing local and global leadership and empowering our community to drive change. Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts, and commit to green buildings for everyone, everywhere. www.worldgbc.org.

References

1. Klepeis, N, Nelson, W, Ott, W et al. 2001. ‘The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS). A Resource for Assessing Exposure to Environmental Pollutants’ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.https://indoor.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/lbnl-47713.pdf.
2. Sundell, J. 2014. ‘On the history of indoor air quality and health’ Indoor Air. 2004;14 Suppl 7:51-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15330772.
3. World Health Organisation. Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. http://www.who.int/phe/infographics/breathe-life/en/Health issues such as stress.
4. Münzel, T., Gori, T., Babisch, W. and Basner, M. (2014) Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise exposure. European Heart Journal. DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehu030) from European Commission study ‘Science for Environment Policy’ Thematic Issue: Noise impacts on Health January 2015, Issue 47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3971384/.
5. Velux. 2017. Healthy Homes Barometer. https://www.velux.com/health/healthy-homes-barometer-2017.
6. International Energy Agency. Buildings. https://www.iea.org/buildings/.
    

Sunlight as a form giver 

“Light Forms Juggler” by Maslova from Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering in Russia was selected as a winner in the Daylight in Buildings category after impressing the jury by asking relevant questions about the way we design buildings today.

The project invites us to take a fresh look at architecture. At present, a very significant problem is insufficient lighting in buildings. But at the same time, there is so much sunlight. So how do we shape buildings to capture the maximum amount of natural light? 

The project suggests a change in the shape of buildings and their openings, where rectangular shapes increasingly limit the penetration of light into space. It also analyses various alternative forms that maximise the potential of natural light penetration as well as investigating the shadows cast by buildings.

Paving the way with light 

The global winner in the Daylight Investigations category, “Road to Light”, took home the prize after creating a well researched project that thoroughly addresses a real problem and presents a simple and practical solution.

The project, created by students from Tianjin University in China, stems from a very basic need for safe passage between communities. With the lack of road infrastructure and electricity in the mountainous topography of rural China, getting to school can be a very dangerous task for children – especially when coming home in the dark.

The team suggest introducing a small amount of inexpensive fluorite to the pathways. The bright colours of the stones will glow for several hours at night when irradiated by daylight during the day. Almost all provinces in China have large fluorite mines and the coarse processing of the raw stone into pavement material makes is economically feasible for poor rural areas.

The two winning teams received their awards, together with the overall winners of the professional architects’ categories, at the World Architecture Festival’s closing gala dinner in Amsterdam on November 30.  
 

About the Award 

The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2018 for Students of Architecture is “Light of Tomorrow.” Launched in 2004, and held biennially, the award seeks to challenge the future of daylight in the built environment by inspiring creative explorations on the themes of daylight in buildings and daylight investigations from the world’s leading future architects. 

The distinguished award jury – featuring Carme Pigém Barceló, Rick Joy, Li Hu, Saša Begović and Martin Pors Jepsen – selected the nine regional winners after reviewing more than 600 project submissions from 57 countries earlier this year.

For more information about International VELUX Award, visit iva.velux.com.
 

The study is based on a review of more than 400 academic articles, dozens of case studies and expert interviews focusing on health, wellbeing and productivity in buildings.

The majority of European buildings are inefficient and most do not deliver optimal indoor conditions for studying, working and healing, according to the study.
 

The majority of European buildings are inefficient and most do not deliver optimal indoor conditions for studying, working and healing, according to the study. As the existing hospitals, schools and offices will still be with us for decades to come, we need to reshape how we think about designing, operating, renovating and investing in buildings, the study says. The study is based on a review of more than 400 academic articles, dozens of case studies and expert interviews focusing on health, wellbeing and productivity in buildings.

It finds that the annual value of improved performance through holistic renovation amounts to the following in:

• Schools: 7-13 days school days saved per year
• Offices: EUR 185-315 bn gross value added
• Hospitals: average length of stay in hospitals is reduced to 5.3 from 7.6 days = EUR 38 -114 bn cost benefit
   

See more about the study.

Download the Market Brief.

Download the Policy Brief.

See also the VELUX Group’s Healthy Homes Barometer from 2017 and 2018, which also highlights how the synergies between health and well-being and energy efficiency also apply to our homes. 

• ​Healthy Homes Barometer 2017
• ​Healthy Homes Barometer 2018

See also the highlights from Healthy Buildings Day 2018, which brought together building experts, here.

The global survey was commissioned as part of a report aimed at highlighting the importance of living in healthy homes and the small changes that everyone can make to improve their living environment and daily exposure to light. Initial findings from The Indoor Generation report revealed that around one fifth (18%) are spending almost all day indoors, between 21 to 24 hours. 

Dr Steven Lockley, neuroscientist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School explains the impact of daylight on our brain: “Light is an acute stimulant which directly alerts the brain. If you’re exposed to brighter and bluer light in the daytime, then you get a better stimulant effect. You’ll be more alert and have better cognitive function; potentially be more productive at work and so on. If we’re thinking of offices, schools, hospitals, etc., it’s the alerting effects in the daytime which we want to take advantage of.”  

The findings support research from the World Health Organisation¹ documenting we spend up to 90% of our time indoors, isolating ourselves from nature’s vivifying sources. As a society, our always-on lifestyles are leaving precious little time to get outside and enjoy the benefits of natural light. 

As the days become shorter and colder, the importance of getting enough daylight is even more acute. A review published by the National Research Council Canada suggested that people in Western countries might not be receiving adequate exposure to daylight and this could be detrimental to our wellbeing².  

Adequate daylight during the day helps you sleep better at night 
Numerous studies have also proven the role of daylight in promoting a good night’s sleep while highlighting the negative impacts a lack of daylight has on health.  

Dr Steven Lockley, from Harvard Medical School further elaborates on the impact of daylight exposure on our 24-hour body clocks, our so-called circadian rhythm, that helps time our sleep-wake cycle: “Exposure to light-dark cycles is an absolutely crucial part of our biology and that’s due to the role of light in resetting our circadian clock each and every day. It resets our clocks to be in tune with environmental time, and light is the primary time-cue.” 

Our body clocks are informed by the different levels of daylight in a 24-hour period, we need plenty of light during the day and darkness at night to ensure a good night’s sleep. Some of the consequences caused by poor sleep include depression, diabetes, heart disease and weight gain. Other side effects linked to poor sleep include higher risk of work accidents, reduced concentration and low mood and difficulties in making decisions4. 

Daylight can also help enhance productivity 
As many as 63% of people stated in the YouGov survey that daylight influence their productivity. The link between daylight and office productivity has also been widely investigated and various studies show that daylight and a view to the outside increase performance at work. 

Workers in a call centre were processing calls 6% to 12% faster when they had the best possible view versus those with no view³. Other office workers, meanwhile, were found to perform 10% to 25% better on tests of mental function and memory recall when they had the best possible view versus those with no view.

Top tips for improving your sleep  

• Increased exposure to daylight will help you sleep better at night, sitting near a window at work or school and making an effort to get outside more will also help with this  

• Eliminate light from the outside to enter your bedroom at night  

• Sleep in a cooler bedroom  

• Avoid looking at electronic devices (TVs, smartphones / tablets) which distribute blue light before going to sleep – this can trick the brain into staying alert at the wrong time of day 

• Establish a good bed time routine – read a book instead of having more screen time 

• Give children a red or orange night light if they are afraid of the dark as these are the least disruptive to sleep 

The jury, consisting of internationally respected architects Carme Pigem Barceló founding partner of RCR Architects (ES), Li Hu, founding partner of OPEN architecture (CH), Rick Joy, principal of Rick Joy Architects (US) and Saša Begović, founding partner of 3LHD Architects (HR) and vice president of VELUX Innovation Centre, Martin Pors Jepsen, gathered in Copenhagen for two days in the end of June to evaluate the more than 600 student projects proposing innovative ways of using daylight in architecture.

After a long first day of reviewing all submitted projects, the jury arrived at a shortlist of 59 projects.

By the end of the second day, projects that demonstrated strong, genuine and well-developed ideas in each of the two award categories; ‘Daylight in Building’ and ‘Daylight Investigations’, were selected as winners

The winners from the ‘Daylight in Buildings’ category are:

• Western Europe: “Reaching the Light” by Joana Robalo, João Umbelino, Ana Ázar, António Lopes and Miguel Pedro from Universidade de Évora in Portugal

• Eastern Europe and the Middle East: “Light Forms Jugglers” by Anastasia Maslova from Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering in Russia

• The Americas: “Light Liquefaction” by Ziqi Chen, Shuaizhong Wang and Zeyu Liu from University of Virginia in the United States

• Asia and Oceania: “My Dead Relative in the Light” by Qi Wang, Jingkai Chen and Peilin Yin from Qingdao University of Technology in China

• Africa: “Light Pavilion” by Fatai Osundiji and Emmanuel Ayo-loto from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria

The winners from the ‘Daylight Investigations’ category are:

• Western Europe: “Cover to Reveal” by Brice Lemaire, Xiaolan Vandendries and Julien Obedia from Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium

• Eastern Europe and the Middle East: “Cloud of the Polar Light” by Anna Borisova and Kamilla Akhmetova from Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering in Russia

• The Americas: “Daylight to Water” by Stephen Baik, Abubakr Bajaman and John Nguyen from University of Toronto in Canada

• Asia and Oceania: “Road to Light” by Yuhan Luo, Di Lan and Yusong Liu from Tianjin University in China

In this year’s entries, the jury noted a clear focus on responsibility and considerations for some of the big issues of our time; like public unrest, crises, refugees and climate challenges, by using daylight as a uniting force and practical solution for communities all around the world.

All prize winners have been informed. Representatives from each team will be given a trip to Amsterdam and tickets to the World Architecture Festival in November where they will present their projects in front of, and get feedback directly from, the renowned architects of the jury. Here, two Global winners, who will win the grand prize of €5000, will be selected.

 Click here to view the winning projects and all other entries.

VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO - an integrated system in one kit - addresses increasing global demand for smarter, healthier homes. With this new product, VELUX enters the fast-growing smart home market with a solution going beyond simple convenience to creating better and healthier indoor living conditions in homes around the world.

Built on the newest smart-sensor technology, developed in collaboration with French tech company and smart-home leader Netamo, the VELUX ACTIVE smart-home system integrates the newest smart sensor technology and thus thinks and acts on the consumer’s behalf. Smart sensors monitor the temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration inside the home which activates the system to automatically control the roof windows.

It is the first smart-home system launched within the global window business that succeeds in combining – in one solution – a smartphone app, an indoor climate sensor, a departure switch and an internet gateway run by advanced algorithms controlling the fully-automated operation of both roof windows, blinds and shutters to improve indoor climate and prevent overheating.

It is a system designed on science-based indoor climate parameters in joint collaboration with VELUX engineers and Netatmo tech experts.

The system comes with its own app allowing people to manage their entire indoor climate control system according to personal needs and external weather data via a few touches on their phone.

For customers with an iPhone and iPad, the smart-home system also connects with Apple’s smart-home app Apple Home, enabling homeowners for the first time ever to operate their roof windows, blinds and shutters using voice-control assistant Siri.

Smart algorithms manage your indoor climate for you
Sensors placed in the room register when it is either too hot or too humid or when the concentration of CO2 is too high and sends this information to the system’s gateway in order to rectify the situation. The indoor data is then processed along with weather data in a gateway, using advanced algorithms to calculate if the indoor climate can be improved by opening the roof window or rolling down blinds or shutters to prevent overheating.

With this new system, VELUX has moved the roof window from being a stationary product to an interactive, intelligent unit with the potential to constantly evolve through developing further algorithms to control the system.

“This is the first version of our smart-home system, which we will continue to develop based on feedback from users. By virtue of its digital nature, we’re able to constantly improve it, which means users as an add-on automatically receive the newest upgrades and added functions, as we advance the software,” continued Bang.

Smart homes are the future
​Worldwide, the smart-home market is currently valued at around $31.4 billion and predicted to grow to around $53.45 billion by 2022 (Statista 2018). By plugging roof windows into the ‘smart’ world and creating a solution that is compatible with various smart-home platforms, as well as connecting with other smart products and apps, VELUX has created a solution which will strengthen its consumer relevance in the years to come.

VELUX hopes to significantly increase sales of its motorised windows following the release of this new system as tech-savvy consumers flock to own the latest technology for their home.

Healthier indoor climate drives consumers 
The rising number of unhealthy homes is another strong driver behind The VELUX Group’s strategic move into the smart home marketplace.

With one out of six Europeans living in unhealthy buildings, characterised by damp, lack of daylight, inadequate heating during the winter or overheating during the summer (Healthy Homes Barometer 2017), there is a huge potential for renovating the existing building stock – VELUX ACTIVE offers a solution to these issues.

Modern-day living has turned us into an indoor generation, spending (according to World Health Organisation) up to 90 percent our time indoors, making the air we breathe just as important as the food we eat or the water we drink. However, few people are aware that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outside, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. In a recent worldwide YouGov survey, 8 out of 10 Americans and Europeans stated they were unaware that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air.

Another survey also highlighted a perception gap between the recommended ventilation requirements for a modern-day home and consumers’ understanding of adequate home ventilation. 82 percent of Europeans believe that they ventilate their homes a lot but, in reality, only 40 percent ventilate for the recommended two to four times a day. VELUX ACTIVE offers a solution to insufficiently ventilated homes with its automatic regulation of indoor climate and airing intervals.

By offering an intuitive solution to improving the indoor comfort of millions of people’s homes, VELUX is future proofing the business for years to come with a truly innovative product, making homes healthier.

• Indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outside but 77% are unaware according to global YouGov survey

• Children’s bedrooms are often among the most polluted rooms in the house

• New report by VELUX examines importance of daylight and fresh air to health

Living in damp and mouldy homes increases our chance of asthma by 40% and unless we act now we risk endangering our health as a result.

A new 24/7 indoor generation is unaware that the air inside our homes and public buildings can be more polluted than outside, with the vast majority of people (77%) believing indoor air is just as polluted or cleaner than that found outside. In fact, it can be up to five times more polluted.

The VELUX Group has unveiled the results of The Indoor Generation report – a survey across 14 countries that found an overwhelming misconception about the impact on our health caused by spending too much time indoors, especially on children, whose bedrooms can be the most polluted room in the house.

The Indoor Generation refers to a growing number of people who spend the vast majority of their time indoors – currently 90 per cent of their lives – compared to previous generations.

Dr Hilary Jones GP & Health Broadcaster said: “The rapid change in our lifestyle from spending large amounts of time outdoors for work or relaxation to becoming an Indoor Generation carries with it several risks, not least when it comes to health in dark, poorly ventilated homes.

Everyday home life activities, such as cooking, cleaning, showering, lighting candles, air drying clothes indoors and even sleeping and breathing, all contribute to polluted indoor air, which over time can lead to mould and damp homes, increasing our risk of developing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Pollutants present in everyday household objects are releasing toxins into our homes – detergents and the plastic toys that we give our children to play with, as well as building materials, are just some of the items which can actually worsen our indoor air quality.

It’s believed more children will suffer from asthma or allergies unless homes and public buildings are better ventilated, and the chances of being diagnosed with asthma increase by 40% if you spend too much time in damp, mouldy buildings.

77% are unaware indoor air is more polluted than outside

The survey also found a significant disconnect between how people think we live our lives and the way we actually do, with only 18 per cent of people saying they spend 21 hours or more inside. But the actual figure is far more worrying, with previous research discovering a new ‘indoor generation’ who spend about 90 per cent of their time – and often in dark, poorly ventilated and unhealthy buildings.

VELUX has launched a short film “The Indoor Generation” to raise awareness of the importance of living in healthy homes and the small changes that everyone can make to improve their living environment and indoor air quality. It can be viewed here.

Here are six simple steps to make the air inside your home healthier:

• Open your windows at least three to four times a day to allow fresh air in
• Keep bathroom doors closed and turn on the extractor fan or open a window when showering
• Turn hood fan on when cooking and open your windows
• Don’t burn candles
• Dry clothes outside
• Clean regularly

For more, visit the Indoor Generation website. 

Watch the Indoor Generation video here 

Wasco Products Inc, known as Wasco Skylights, has manufacturing facilities in Wells, Maine and Reno, Nevada and a network of independent sales representatives throughout the United States. VELUX has manufacturing facilities in Greenwood, S.C. and a sales office in Fort Mill, S.C.Wasco’s broad product offering for the commercial market, manufacturing facilities, and strong nationwide sales network will provide synergies and opportunities for VELUX in the U.S, which has a strategy to strengthen its presence in the commercial market.

About Wasco Products Inc.
Founded in 1935, Wasco has a heritage of innovation, bringing new products to market in anticipation of changing energy requirements and design needs. The company’s diverse commercial product line includes fully customisable metal-framed skylight systems, energy efficient Lumira® Aerogel insulated acrylic dome skylights, barrel vault skylights and multi-layer polycarbonate panel skylight solutions.

For more information about VELUX America, visit www.veluxusa.com.

For more information about Wasco Products Inc, visit www.wascoskylights.com.

From today, you will be able to see how daylight can reinvigorate and benefit your home on your iPhone or Android smartphone, as the global roof window leader’s app launches in the App Store and Google Play Store.

Built using new advanced gaming technology, this free tool enables you to experience the effect of daylight in a room and get an immersive experience through 360⁰ and virtual reality simulations.

Daylight is vital to our health and well-being. Yet many create areas in the home without considering the impact daylight can have.

MyDaylight is the first ever app that makes daylight tangible, giving you the ability to experiment with it, and understand how it can transform a living space.

You can design a real room in the home by easily selecting parameters such as floor dimensions, roof height and ceiling pitch and then customise further by adding windows, floor and wall finishes, the room’s location, and much more.

After approximately ten minutes, you will receive a personal digital simulation which can be viewed in 360⁰ or virtual reality, giving a life-like recreation of the room and the changing effects of daylight inside. It’s as easy as that!

To imagine and design with daylight in mind you simply:

1. Download the MyDaylight app from the App Store or Google Play Store

2. Configure your space by plotting in data, such as floor dimensions and roof pitch

3. Create different daylight designs by playing with the positioning and size of windows

4. Within minutes, you will receive a notification that your personal daylight render is ready (expect around 1 minute for loading of your simulation the first time you see it, as it loads a big data file)

5. With the rendering saved on your phone, you will be able to experience the room in both 360° and VR formats. By using VR goggles it will make you feel as if you were standing in the middle of the room you just created!

You can play with endless scenarios and designs and create as many simulations as you like. Time and imagination are the only limits.

The MyDaylight app is totally free of charge for everyone and available in the Apple App and Google Play Stores from today, Monday 29 January 2018 in Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium and Slovenia, and on 30 Jan in Germany.

In February, it will be available in Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Spain and Hungary, and more countries are to follow later in the year.

A version for the US will be available later in the year.

The members of the jury are:

• One representative from the 2017 Pritzker Prize winners, RCR Arquitectes. Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta from Spain
• Rick Joy, founder of Rick Joy Architects, USA,
• Li Hu, founding partner of OPEN Architecture, China,
• Sasa Begovic, founding partner and principal architect of 3LHD architects, Croatia
• Martin Pors Jepsen, vice president of VELUX Innovation Center, Denmark.

The jury has the task of evaluating all the daylight projects from around the world to elect firstly the regional winners from Americas, Africa, Asia/Oceania, Eastern Europe/Middle East and Western Europe in June 2018 – and finally to elect the overall and global winners at a live critique session in October 2018.

To participate in the International VELUX Award 2018, students of architecture needs to register on iva.velux.com before 1 April 2018 and submit their daylight project by 15 June 2018. There are two project categories; 1) daylight in buildings and 2) daylight investigations. Every student project has to be backed by a teacher and both the winning students and their teachers are recognised with money prizes.

More about the jury

RCR Arquitectes. Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta from Spain, who were named the laureates of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, becoming the first trio of architects to be bestowed the profession’s highest accolade. RCR have won various national and international competitions ranging from a Lighthouse in Punta Aldea in 1988, through the Meditel new head-quarters in Casablanca, The Edge Business Bay in Dubai or the Condal linear park and Province Courts in Barcelona to one of the most recent projects, the Miró country house and studio Museum in Mont-Roig del Camp. RCR Arquitectes have participated in several international exhibitions such as the III Salon International de l’Architecture in Paris, the Venice Biennale, MOMA, New York and the Toto Gallery. Ma in Tokyo. A main characteristic of their works is reaction to the landscape by revealing new dimensions in the topography and with the choice of materials they are concerned with the experience of light, shadow, earth, water and air.

Rick Joy Architects, founded in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Beginning with the firm’s first full building commission, virtually every project has received a multitude of architectural design accolades. With a body of completed work consisting of both private and public commissions, Rick Joy Architects has gained substantial international recognition. Rick Joy has participated in multiple exhibitions while being featured in over 150 publications worldwide as well as he has lectured extensively throughout the United States and around the globe; a.o in Finland, Spain, Australia, India, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Chile. Joy's primary interest is in the quality of the spaces he makes He is known for his use of locally available materials and of the region’s abundant sun and sky, with plays of light and shadow.

Li Hu, founding partner of OPEN, China, and former partner of Steven Holl Architects, and director of Columbia University GSAPP’s Studio-X Beijing. During his partnership with Steven Holl, Li Hu was responsible for some of the firm’s influential urban projects in Asia, including Linked Hybrid in Beijing, Vanke Center in Shenzhen, Raffles City in Chengdu and Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing. With OPEN and his partner Huang Wenjing projects include; Gehua Youth and Cultural Center, Garden School/Beijing No.4 High School Fangshan Campus, Stepped Courtyards, HEX-SYS, Tsinghua Ocean Center, Pingshan Performing Arts Center, Tank Shanghai and Dialogue by the Sea. In this, his latest project, diffused light endows the place with a bright and uplifting spirit to produce a multi-functional gallery space. As a giant time glass, time and natural light flow softly into the space.

Sasa Begovic, founding partner and principal architect of 3LHD architects, Croatia. He has been a visiting critic, workshop leader and lecturer in Europe and US. Since fall 2017 he has been visiting associate professor at Cornell University, AAP, Department of Architecture, Ithaca, USA. Projects, such as Memorial Bridge in Rijeka, Sports Hall Bale, Croatian Pavilions on EXPO 2005 in Aichi Japan and 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain, Riva waterfront in Split, Zagreb Dance Centre, Centre Zamet and Hotel Lone are some of the important highlights of the practice. Currently 3LHD works on project in Zurich, Rovinj, Guangzhou, Dubrovnik and Zagreb. In works like the Zamet centre, they work with concave, and flat hexagonal ceramic tiles as important elements that refract daylight - even on a cloudy day.

Martin Pors Jepsen, vice president of VELUX Innovation Center in Denmark. He holds a M.Sc. in International Business and Modern Languages and has held several commercial positions in the VELUX Group; a.o as general manager for VELUX China and global product manager for VELUX Solar energy. From 2010 to 2016, Martin Pors Jepsen was general manager for VELUX Modular Skylights. He also serves as assistant Professor and study program manager at the Copenhagen Business School.

The International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture has been running every second year since 2003, with prize giving events in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. 4,500 student teams have participated over the years representing more than 80 countries worldwide.

The International VELUX Award is arranged in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and acknowledged by: The European Association for Architectural Education, The American Institute of Architecture Students, the Architectural Research Centers Consortium, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.

Read more in iva.velux.com or follow us on facebook.com/internationalveluxaward

VELUX ACTIVE is a smart home solution that ensures an optimum indoor climate in your home at all times. It comprises a WiFi gateway, indoor climate sensors and a departure switch for VELUX Integra roof windows and sunscreening products, along with a control app for iOS and Android.

Based on a range of indoor climate parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels, users will be able to automate roof window and sunscreen operation. This means that you will no longer have to think about when to open your windows to air out the house, let moisture out after a shower, or close shutters to keep out the summer heat, with the system actively controlling windows and blinds.

VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO is due to launch globally in Q1 2018. The VELUX ACTIVE package is easy to install and set up. It is compatible with new and existing VELUX INTEGRA^® motorised windows and shades, as well as manual windows retrofitted with a motor.

Batimat is one of the world’s leading building industry exhibitions, and brings together leading international buildings materials companies and professionals (developers, specifiers, contractors and distributors). The Batimat Innovation Awards are an excellent indicator of sector trends, highlighting innovative solutions in the buildings industry.

Smart homes and home automation are predicted to be one of the next big consumer trends, with smart home revenue set to quadruple to almost 65 billion USD by 2020 [Statista, 2016] as more and more products in the home are online and inter-connected.

Reviewed by a high-profile juryIn June 2018, an international jury with high-profile architectural professionals and UIA (International Union of Architects) representatives will convene to review all the submitted projects online, and will appoint 5 regional winners in each of the two categories. The ten regional winners then personally present their project to the jury, who elect one global winner in each of the two categories.

All winning projects will be awarded within a total prize sum of up to €30,000, and the winners will be celebrated at an award event in October 2018

What is required to participate?
To participate, you need to be enrolled at a school of architecture and register your participation at iva.velux.com and eventually submit your daylight project by 15 June, 2018.

There are two project categories: 1) daylight in buildings; and 2) daylight investigations.

Every student project needs to be backed by a tutor and both the winning students and their tutors are recognised and win prizes.

The No. 1 global award for students of architecture
The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2018 for Students of Architecture is “Light of Tomorrow.”

Running every second year, the award has grown into the biggest global student award within architecture, since it was held for the first time in 2003. So far, 4,500 student teams have participated over the years, representing more than 60 countries worldwide, and the juries have included 30 high-profile architects from practice and teaching.

See all winning projects as well as the award brief and detailed information about registration and participation on the IVA website.

One out of six Europeans were revealed to live in unhealthy buildings (characterized by leaking roofs, damp floors, walls or foundations). People living in unhealth buildings are more likely to suffer from asthma and other pulmonary diseases, in fact the risk can rise by 40%. The study is the third of the linkage between health and indoor living environments.

Besides the healthy homes studies, we will be presenting:

• A new vision for healthy and human centric buildings, The Circadian House
• An affordable, sustainable and replicable renovation concept for social housing residentials
• School renovation learnings and best-practices leading to pupils’ improved learning and performance
• An ActiveHouse label supporting building designs balancing the need for comfortable indoor living environments, energy efficiency and wise use of natural resources
• Key findings from ActiveHouse demonstration buildings.

For more about the studies, http://www.velux.com/article/2017/sharing-knowledge-at-two-main-building-science-conferences

At Healthy Buildings Europe, we will be hosting a workshop under the theme “How to renovate residential buildings efficiently and affordably?”.

Learn more about our: latest research and knowledge, our social housing renovation concept, and our latest Healthy Homes Barometer.

Be part of our conversation about daylight and architecture, building the bridge from evidence to practice on Twitter @TheDaylightSite

The lamps are particularly crucial in Malawi as only ten per cent of the population has access to electricity. When darkness falls, the remaining 90 per cent rely on paraffin and kerosene lamps, candles or bonfires for light. 

Natural Light is more than just light
Besides providing light, the Natural Light lamps also help to improve air quality by reducing the widespread use of toxic, carbon-emitting kerosene lanterns, and instead harness the sustainable energy of the sun.

The key conclusion from the two days is that research and architectural practice are truly approaching each other. The use of tools, simulations and virtual reality technology can really establish a common understanding of the importance of daylight for us as humans – who are living a vast majority of our time indoors. And also; that tools alone cannot do the job. A good deal of common sense, the use of our senses and our awareness of beauty and ‘feeling well’ must not be forgotten.

Architecture starts where daylight hits the wall
Stefan Behnisch from Behnisch Architekten (DE) had the first keynote lecture “Daylight as a qualitative aspect and driving element in developing architecture” and shared how he as an architect specifically appreciated the sensation of light in space.

He quoted Louis Kahn “architecture appears for the first time when the sunlight hits a wall” and continued “even if a building is fulfilling all technical specifications, you will have no guarantee for the quality of the light when it hits the wall”.

He illustrated his speech with examples of his work where reflective and translucent surfaces were crucial for the daylight sensation.

One big architectural narrative
For Omar Gandhi, recognized as one of the world’s top 20 young architects by Wallpaper* magazine, the role of daylight in the creative process was also unquestionable too.

“Daylight can be used as one big architectural narrative. Just like a movie plot, with low and high points,” he said and showed how he had used it as design concept in a string of buildings, from Shantih to Harbour Heights to Rabbit Snare Gorge. Spatial experiences can be configured by using daylight to create particular moments and highlight special spaces through light contrasts.

A responsibility to give light back
Jacob Strømann-Andersen from Henning Larsen Architects demonstrated the legacy from Henning Larsen’s daylight thinking by showcasing a school project where daylight and variability increased the joy of learning. Students learn 20% faster when surrounded by good daylight conditions.

Peter Andreas Sattrup representing the Association of Danish Architectural Firms called for an increase in collaboration and data sharing between existing built-environments and the research community to further create value in the design phase of future buildings. “We need to better understand how buildings perform – dialogue is the essence here”, said Sattrup.

James Carpenter from James Carpenter Design Associates JCA shared his office’s approach to architecture by stating "when you build or privatize space there is a responsibility to give light back".

Double space and possibilities of use
Anne Lacaton demonstrated in her presentation how buildings can be renovated with daylight-solutions; including how to modify and renovate a 70’s high rise building in Paris without relocating the residents by adding extra square meters of living space to improve the quality of indoor life.

These renovations were carried out for one third of the costs of demolishing and rebuilding.

“Never demolish, always add, extend and give more”, Lacaton said and elaborated how buildings should provide “generosity of space and economy to serve life, uses and appropriation”.

Light affects our immune system and alertness
Award winning researcher, Marilyne Andersen from École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, shared groundbreaking research with occupant-centric daylight simulations based on the evaluation of health effects attributed to daylight in building design and stated “light affects our immune system, our alertness and sleep quality”.

Dean Hawkes, emeritus fellow of Darwin College, University of Cambridge shared insights and images from 25 years of experience of living in his private house a “circadian house” that is in balance with nature and seasonal cycles.

Evidence-based architecture, a strong bridge from knowledge to practice
Implementing modern research results focused on human wellbeing, people and society could enhance the design of schools, universities and hospitals, noted Lone Wiggers architect and partner in Scandinavia’s oldest and largest architectural practices C.F. Møller.

”If we can shorten recovery rates, bring down human error and foster happiness, we can by far outweigh the construction costs,” she pointed out.

Can outdoor work spaces make us more efficient?
Christoph Reinhart from Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated how environmental simulations can lead to better conditions in outdoor spaces with his presentation “Daylighting the millennials”.

Reinhart introduced an outdoor WIFI monitoring tool and work spot, the “Soofa”, as a concept to address the daylight deficit in modern living and raised basic but essential questions: Should we reconsider the way we plan workspaces in the future? Could we do more efficient work outdoor?

Watch keynote presentations by Stefan Behnisch, Omar Gandhi, Anne Lacaton, Lone Wiggers.

Watch the symposium video “The essence of daylight” 

The theme of the 7th Daylight Symposium is “Healthy & Climate-Friendly Architecture – from knowledge to practice.” It will focus specifically on the use of daylight – to create buildings that promote human health and wellbeing, and minimize the negative impact of man-made structures and activities on climate change.

It is crucial that we rethink the way we design our homes, workplaces, schools and cities to address the challenges faced by our lifestyles in modern societies. 

Watch live the keynote speakers here: 

The four keynote presentations are:

3 May, 9:20 AM CEST“Daylight as a qualitative aspect and driving element in developing architecture” by Stefan Behnisch

Watch the entire presentation here

Stefan Behnisch (Germany), Behnisch Architekten, is an award-winning architect and advocate of sustainable design. He studied philosophy, economics and architecture. Prior to establishing his own practice in 1989, he worked as an architect at Behnisch & Partner, the practice run by his father, Prof. Günter Behnisch. Since 2005, Stefan Behnisch’s firm, Behnisch Architekten, opened offices in Los Angeles (1999-2011), Boston and Munich. In 2007, he received a Global Award for Sustainable Architecture and in 2013 the “Energy Performance + Architecture Award.” He is a member of the BDA, the RIBA, the NCARB and the AIA. See more on The Daylight Site.

3 May, 2 PM CEST“Using natural light as a tool for creating a strong architectural narrative” by Omar Gandhi 

Watch the entire presentation here

Omar Gandhi (Canada), Omar Gandhi Architect, is recognized as one of the world’s top 20 young architects by Wallpaper* Magazine, one of Canada’s 20 most influential people by Monocle Magazine, and as one of 2016’s ‘Emerging Voices’ by The Architectural League of New York, the sessional instructor at his Alma Mater, Dalhousie University, is most definitely leaving his mark on the architecture community. See more on The Daylight Site.

4 May, 9:10 AM CEST“Freedom of use” by Anne Lacaton

Watch the entire presentation here

Anne Lacaton (France) is an award-winning architect and part of the duo Lacaton & Vassal, having made reuse of existing materials and integration of daylighting in standard construction their signature architecture and adding a social dimension to architectural design. See more on The Daylight Site.

4 May, 2:20 PM CEST“Happy people in healthy architecture” by Lone Wiggers

Watch the entire presentation here 

Lone Wiggers (Denmark) architect maa and partner in C.F. Møller (since 1997), at present with a staff of approx. 325 employees divided between six departments in Aarhus, Aalborg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and London. She has taken part in a large number of projects with a broadness ranging from housing, domiciles, schools, senior institutions, hospitals, museums to planning and design. The projects have been conducted as sketching, project supervisor and design responsible partner. Recent projects include, the brand new Technical Faculty Building in Odense (Southern University of Denmark), designed by C.F. Møller. See more on The Daylight Site. 

“We have a goal of selling 10,000 lamps a year and expand to more districts. One idea we have is to buy some bikes to be able to cover a bigger area. At the moment most sales people are moving around on foot and are therefore only able to cover a limited area”, says local coordinator Mosses Mkamsamuele.

The 88 sales people in Zambia have built a company together, where they can share transportation costs and support each other with good advice in the sales process.

The Natural Light project was developed by VELUX and social business Little Sun in collaboration with NGO Plan International to celebrate the VELUX Group’s 75th anniversary.

Little Sun founder, artist Olafur Eliasson, says: “The Natural Light solar lamp is not only about providing energy to off-grid communities in Sub-Saharan Africa; the project gives people a new opportunity to take charge of their own lives. By providing sustainable, reliable and affordable light, we’ve helped to give people more independence and now they are able to work, study and cook safely in the dark.” Besides providing light, the Natural Light solar lamps will also help to improve air quality by reducing the widespread use of toxic, carbon-emitting kerosene lanterns, and instead, harness the sustainable energy of the sun.

About Little Sun

Little Sun is a social business and global project founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen to bring clean, reliable, affordable solar energy to the 1.1 billion people in the world living in off-grid areas without electricity. Purchasing Little Suns in areas of the world with electricity makes the products available in off-grid areas at reduced, locally affordable prices, where they provide a clean alternative to toxic and expensive fuel-based lighting and a steadfast and clean alternative to relying on the electrical grid.

Little Sun addresses the need for energy in a sustainable way that benefits off-grid communities by working with local entrepreneurs, creating local jobs, and generating local profits. The Little Sun project was officially launched in July 2012 at London’s Tate Modern. Since then, more than 500,000 Little Sun lamps have been distributed worldwide, with almost half going to off-grid areas. In April 2014, Little Sun received a ground-breaking $5 million impact investment loan from Bloomberg Philanthropies, making it possible to scale Little Sun’s operations across the African continent.

For more information, visit www.littlesun.com, facebook.com/ilovelittlesun, twitter.com/littlesun.

So what role is left for architects and planners when we are trailing out of sync with natural lighting cycles? How can we rethink buildings so they address challenges posed by modern societies?

These are some of the topics leading architects, researchers and experts from around the world will discuss at the Daylight Symposium, to be held for the 7^th time in Berlin.

Keynote speakers
For two days they will collaborate to launch and exchange knowledge, experience and viewpoints on how to bring architecture forward and ensure it nurtures all aspects of human living.

The keynote speakers are:

• Stefan Behnisch (Germany), Behnisch Architekten, an award-winning architect and advocate of sustainable design - has led the company over the last more than 25 years as a successful international practice with offices in Stuttgart, Munich and Boston.
• Omar Gandhi (Canada), Omar Gandhi Architects (Canada) is one of Canada’s leading young architecture studios with offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Toronto and most recently named one of The Architectural League of New York’s ’Emerging Voices’ of 2016.
• Anne Lacaton or Jean-Philippe Vassal (France), principals of an award-winning architect firm, Lacaton & Vassal, having made reuse of existing materials and integration of daylighting in standard construction their signature architecture and adding a social dimension to architectural design.
• Lone Wiggers (Denmark), architect maa and partner in C.F. Møller with offices in Aarhus, Aalborg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and London. Wiggers has taken part in a large number of projects with a broadness ranging from housing, domiciles, schools, hospitals, museums to planning and design.

View the programme in its entirety at http://thedaylightsite.com/symposium/2017-2/programme/

Daylighting in the Millennials by Christoph Reinhart from MIT
Building scientist and leader of MIT's Sustainable Design Lab (the US), Christoph Reinhart, will elaborate on the topic "Daylighting the Millennials" and how building and lighting concepts in today's societies need to be flexible as we now work anywhere anytime.

For more about the Daylight Symposium see: http://www.velux.com/article/2016/daylight-symposium-in-berlin

The big questions that we all ask
Professor Jens Hjorth is the director of the Dark Cosmology Centre (DARK) at the University of Copenhagen’s Niels Bohr Institute. He established the research centre in a quest for answers.

Dark matter - hunting for the great forces behind structure in the universe
Jens Hjorth explains that the majority of things in this world are dark, not because of any dark color, but because they are invisible. The immense dark universe does not interact with light. Nor does it emit or absorb light. As such, most of the universe is cut off from light.

For further readings about the award and Professor Jens Hjorth's science please see the website of the VELUX FOUNDATIONS.

The non-profit foundation, the VELUX FOUNDATIONS is the main shareholder of VKR Holding A/S, the owner of the VELUX Group.

The VELUX Group is proud to announce the two global winners of the International VELUX Award 2016 for Students of Architecture:

Redistribution of Light by Kwang Hoon Lee, Hyuk Sung Kwon and Yu Min Park, Republic of Korea. This project was the winner in the Daylight in Buildings category and looked at the semi-underground spaces in Seoul city which emerged in the 1970s as air-raid shelters. As the population grew, the spaces transformed into illegal housing. They are characterised by small, eye-level windows that admit very little light. The project suggests how daylight to the interior spaces by day, and artificial light to the narrow roads by night, can both be amplified.

The jury found this project highly viable. It presents a simple solution to a real challenge, making use of a very simple intervention of the cubic, sliding window prism. The project is beautifully illustrated and the presentation of the idea and the use of the sliding prism is convincing.

Light for the Blind by Jiafeng Li, Chenlu Wang, Guiding Yao, Jiebei Yang, Lushan Ao, Xiaoqi Chen and Jiawen Li, China. This project was the winner in the Daylight Investigations category and looked at Synaesthesia – a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second. The idea of the project is to change the way people usually experience light – with their eyes – to ‘feeling’ it with their hands. It considers how blind people would be able to feel a world with light and enjoy the beauty of light and shadow, legible in surfaces as braille.

The jury found this to be a very intelligent project in the way it develops its idea; from understanding that loss of sight increases the acuity of other senses, to the search for a material that responds to light by expanding and retracting. The proposal offers a clear idea that is beautifully presented.

The International VELUX Award aims to inspire students of architecture to consider daylight as a principle source for the health, well-being and joy.

The global winners were presented together with the overall winners in the professional architects’ categories at the World Architecture Festival’s (WAF) closing gala in Berlin on 18^th November.

About the Award

The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2016 for Students of Architecture is “Light of Tomorrow.” Launched in 2004, this year’s award seeks to challenge the future of daylight in the built environment by inspiring creative explorations on the themes of daylight in buildings and daylight investigations from the world’s leading future architects.

The distinguished award jury – featuring Omar Gandhi, Christine Murray, Zbigniew Reszka, Francesco Veenstra and Per Arnold Andersen – selected the two global winners after reviewing nearly 600 project submissions from 57 countries earlier this year and ten regional winning projects that were presented at the World Architecture Festival on 18 November.

Images and Film from the International VELUX Award 2016

Download images and films from the global winners’ award ceremony here:press.velux.com

Windows and glazed areas in buildings are essential to the overall energy performance of buildings but also to the general comfort and well-being of people living and working in these buildings. To reap these distinctive benefits of modern windows, the four associations call for a revision for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, in particular to ensure the energy performance of glazed areas is fairly assessed and to put in place the right mechanisms and incentives for market actors to deliver massive energy savings.

In the joint position paper issued today, the signatories call on the European Commission to consider three priorities ahead of its review of the EPBD:

1. Increasing the renovation rate of European buildings to obtain larger energy use reductions
2. Using the energy balance approach to assess the energy performance of windows
3. Recognising the benefits of daylight, natural ventilation and solar management

For instance, the co-signatories would like to see the revised directive integrating the ‘energy balance approach’ for the evaluation of windows’ performance and in particular when it comes to setting minimum performance requirements for window replacement.

To read the position paper in full: http://www.eurowindoor.eu/activities/energy-efficiency/

For more information from VELUX on energy balance, benefits of daylight, natural ventilation and solar management:

http://www.velux.com/energy

http://www.velux.com/health

Getting people outside and more daylight inside was the call to action from Christoph Reinhart from the MIT Sustainable Design Lab. He broadened the perspective of daylight in individual buildings to daylight as a driver of change, health and happiness in ever-denser urban environments.

To design proactively with daylight for happiness and health ran as a red thread through the 35 lectures at the Symposium attended by more than 350 participants from all parts of the world.

David Nelson, Head of Design at Foster+Partners, demonstrated the versatile opportunities in designing with daylight through the impressive global design portfolio of his company. Other examples from China to the US and Europe showed that daylight as a key to sustainable buildings – is a global movement.

Exposure to light is like a drug, changing something in your body
A recurrent theme at the Symposium was how daylighting design can support the natural daily and seasonal rhythms of human beings who spend more than 90 percent of the time inside buildings.

In her thought-provoking lecture “First – do no harm”, Deborah Burnett from Benya Burnett, USA, advocated for a closer cooperation between designers and medical doctors to make sure that proposed lighting solutions are truly beneficial to human health.

More specifically, the Symposium looked at how daylight can benefit rapid recovery at hospitals and enhance learning capabilities of children at school.

Speaker highlights from 6th Daylight Symposium

Need for new regulation

Goodwill of individual building owners and designers are important steps towards healthier buildings, but to actually accelerating new practices, legislation and legislators play an important role. Daylight metrics and regulation was therefore a main topic at the second day of the Symposium.

Marc Fontoynont introduced the draft for the new European Daylight Standard, which will be sent out in public enquiry shortly. Marc is the covenor of the CEN TC169 work group. The standard comprises recommendations for minimum daylight provision and view out, exposure to sunlight and protection from glare.

Internationally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson concluded the Symposium by presenting highlights of his work and also introducing the winners of the Natural Light International Design Competition, Mariana Arando and Luca Fondello from Argentina. “Link it up” is the name of their prize winning solar lamp concept, unifying and connecting people by providing light to off-grid areas of the world.

The VELUX Daylight Symposium celebrated its 10th anniversary with this sixth event held in the `International Year 2015´of Light - proclaimed by the United Nations and Unesco. John Dudley, the originator and chairman of the Year of Light emphasized in his opening speech on the first day of the Symposium, the importance of promoting public and political understanding of the central role of light in the modern world.

Get more impressions from the thedaylightsite.com

The five regional winners of Daylight in Buildings were:

Africa: Shelter Light by Fatai Osundiji, Emmanuel Ayoloto

The Americas: No parking... Let there be light by Enzo Piero Vergara Vaccia 

Asia & Oceania: Redistribution of Light by Kwang Hoon Lee, Hyuk Sung Kwon, Yu Min Park

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: Light Scattering Window by Kamil Głowacki, Marta Sowińska, Łukasz Gąska

Western Europe: Ceremonial Room Copenhagen by Eskild Pedersen

The five regional winners of Daylight Investigations were:

Africa: Light and Shadow by Ahmed Zorgui, Ala Eddin Noumi

The Americas: Automated Blind Study by Amir Nezamdoost, Alen Mahic, Malak Modaresnezhad

Asia & Oceania: Light for the Blind by Jiawen Li, Chenlu Wang, Jiebei Yang, Guiqiang Yao, Lushan Yao

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: A Quenchless Light by Anna Andronova

Western Europe: Hammershøi's Grammar by Nicholas Shurey

With close to 600 submitted projects from 57 countries, the competition displayed creative explorations on the theme of daylight from the world’s leading future architects. The regional winners of the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will now present their projects in competition for two overall prizes at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on November 18, 2016. The ceremony will be livestreamed to iva.velux.com​​.

Jury meeting earlier this week

The award jury: Omar Gandhi, Christine Murray, Zbigniew Reszka, Francesco Veenstra and Per Arnold Andersen met from 27 – 28 June in Copenhagen to review close to 600 submitted projects from 57 countries and by the end of the second day, they agreed on ten regional winners.

Light of Tomorrow

The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2016 is Light of Tomorrow. The award wants to inspire students of architecture to consider how to use sunlight and daylight as main sources of energy and light, and how to ensure the health and well-being of people who live and work in buildings.

Furthermore, the researchers found that pupils in classrooms with a higher percentage of windows facing south and adequate window shading scored higher in the test results, suggesting that it is important to invest in systems to control daylight and glare, when needed.

The study included 2,837 children (9-12 years old) in 148 classrooms from 54 schools across Europe. All of the children took the same mathematical and logic tests at the beginning of the school day.

In practice – Endrup School
In addition to these results, the VELUX Group has also released updated research on its renovation project at the Endrup School, in Fredensborg, eastern Denmark. By installing roof windows in each of the preschool classrooms, the rooms now achieve 3.7% - 5.7% average Daylight Factor, the most commonly used performance indicator to evaluate daylight availability in buildings, compared to the average results before renovation of 0.8% – 1.1%. Furthermore, from January to June 2015, the two renovated preschool classrooms reduced their probability to switch on the electrical lighting by 55%, becoming more energy efficient as a result.

To read more, the UPMC/INSERM (EPAR IPLESP) study, ‘Impact of Lighting on School Performance in European Classrooms’ is now available.

About the European survey
The importance of daylight in schools for academic performance results are from an ancillary project of the SINPHONIE project, the Schools Indoor Pollution and Health: Observatory Network in Europe, a complex research project covering the areas of health, environment, transport and climate change and is aimed at improving air quality in schools and kindergartens. The project is implemented under a European Commission service contract of the DG Sanco. 36 environment and health institutions from 25 countries are participating in the SINPHONIE research project in order to implement Regional Priority Goal III (RPG3) of the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE), which is to prevent and reduce respiratory disease due to outdoor and indoor air pollution.

Although some schools have CO2 levels between the recommended rates of 1,000 to 2,000 ppm, this study shows that many schools have levels which are in excess of 2,000 ppm, and in some tests, scientists have recorded readings of up to 6,000 ppm. Furthermore, a number of schools did not achieve a daylight factor of 3-5%, the recommended the level of daylight in classrooms.

Improved indoor climate = improved performance

The study also reports the impact of an optimum indoor environment on the learning capabilities of school children. The researchers found that improving ventilation rates, reducing the CO2 concentration and increasing access to daylight in classrooms improves pupils’ performance in the sense of speed, higher levels of attention and concentration and lower rates of absenteeism. For example, the researchers came to the conclusion that the speed at which pupils work can be increased by up to 15% by simply increasing the amount of fresh air into the room.

However, the benefits of higher levels of achievement in education are not confined to the individuals. When comparing the educational levels between European countries, using a conditional test score based on PISA tests, the study shows that a correlation to the conditional growth within those countries exists. The researchers report that an increase of school childrens’ performance by 2.8% would lead to a 6.7% - 9.5% increase in the conditional economic growth of the country (based on GDP per capita).

How to improve the indoor environment in schools

The report concludes with a number of ways to improve the indoor climate in schools. Firstly, as most schools in Europe have been designed for natural ventilation, more time should be set aside for airing during lessons. However, mechanical ventilation systems, such as motorized windows, can also ensure an optimum level of air quality without changing the behaviour of teachers in lessons. By monitoring relative humidity, CO2 concentrations and temperature, the system simply switches itself on when fresh air is needed. Lastly, hybrid ventilation systems, such as fan assisted natural ventilation, have now been developed which combine the advantages of both natural and mechanical ventilation. The report also notes that when it comes to daylight, skylights can increase the incidence of natural light by up to 50%.

The VELUX Group’s renovation projects at Langebjerg School and Endrup School are perfect examples of how more access to daylight and fresh air can transform the learning environment. For example, at Langebjerg School, the teachers greatly appreciated the installation of VELUX INTEGRA® Roof Windows, as ventilation to the upper part of the classrooms now prevents the uncomfortable drafts that occur when façade windows are opened to air out the rooms. 

The Fraunhofer IBP white paper, ‘Impact of the indoor environment on learning in schools in Europe,’ is now available for download. 

The three winners, who were tasked with expressing the importance of windows to buildings, were chosen by a jury consisting of gallery owners, art historians and senior VKR Holding and VELUX Group representatives. The winning painting will be produced as a poster and will be given as a gift to all VELUX locations and employees.

In addition to the three winners, representatives from the Kann Rasmussen family, VKR Holding, the VELUX Group and the VELUX Foundations, chose nine further paintings for the VKR Group’s Anniversary Year memorial calendar, which will be made available to employees, customers and business partners in May.

Long process of elimination
The international competition, which is part of the Group’s 75^th anniversary celebrations, collated works of art from more than 20 countries across Europe, Asia and North and South America. Firstly, VELUX sales and production companies were asked to nominate three potential competitors from their countries. In early September 2015, the jury chose a final selection of artists and tasked them to complete a painting in five months for the competition. On 9^th March, the jurors chose their favourite paintings.

On display and on tour
All paintings submitted to the VKR75 painting competition are on display in the VILLUM Window collection at Maskinvej 4 in Søborg. After the exhibition, the paintings will be sent on tour to a number of the Danish companies in the VKR Group. There is also a virtual exhibition on the VILLUM Window Collection’s homepage here – www.villumwindowcollection.com