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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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 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

Living Places Copenhagen, built by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects, Artelia engineers and Enemærke & Petersen contractors, has been awarded with two international awards by the American Institute of Architects. The AIA has just announced that the Danish design studio EFFEKT has been awarded the Sustainable Future Award and the Merit Award for Architecture.

With the Sustainable Future Award and the Merit Award for Architecture, Living Places Copenhagen is recognized for its outstanding design and for demonstrating that it is possible to improve human health and energy efficiency and manage our dwindling resources in a sustainable way through meaningful, sustainable, and integrated design. More about the awards: www.aiainternational.org/design-awards-2023-winners.

The news of the two international awards was also received with great enthusiasm by EFFEKT, the architects on the project.

In September 2023, Living Places Copenhagen won the EY Sustainability award in the innovation category for its groundbreaking and innovative concept for future housing, and in November Living Places Copenhagen received the design award of the Bo Bedre magazine in the Innovative of the Year category.

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. It is the first prototype of the overall Living Places concept, and the vision 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 groundbreaking project demonstrates that it is possible to build homes with a CO2 footprint that is 2/3 lower per m2/year than the Danish standard while ensuring a first-class indoor climate.

Director of Sustainable Buildings in the VELUX Group, Lone Feifer, received the award together with Lars Petersson, CEO in the VELUX Group and Tina Mayn, Executive Vice President for Products in the VELUX Group.

About Living Places
In April 2023, the VELUX Group and its partners opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen – a building project consisting of seven prototypes that show how we can build future homes with a significantly lower CO₂ footprint. Living Places Copenhagen is the first prototype under the overall concept – Living Places – which has been developed by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects and Artelia engineers. The vision is to lead the way within the construction industry and show how rethinking construction and buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The concept is based on five key principles that can be applied to both new and older buildings and communities: housing must be healthy, simple, scalable, affordable and can be shared over time.

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.

Multiple rows of skylight modules connected create a large glass roof

As the product name indicates, the new VELUX Step Solution has a unique step structure where multiple rows of skylight modules can be connected above each other to create a large glass roof. It is characterized by a minimalistic design with a coherent and elegant structure that allows for thin supporting beams.
 

The new VELUX Step Solution is a technologically advanced product, specifically suited to commercial and public buildings, both new build and refurbishment.
 

Detailed evaluation of the products entered

In 2020, designers and companies from 60 countries entered more than 6,500 products in the competition.
 

See more about VELUX Step Solution.

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.

The jury made the following remarks about the award to VELUX:

“Since 1941, the VELUX window has transformed architecture by enabling healthy and comfortable living under the roof. Every day, it brings daylight and fresh air to work, life and play, worldwide.

The essence of the Danish Design Award is to celebrate the difference design makes, in other words services and products that make a true impact. The VELUX window has redefined architecture since it entered the market in 1941. It has stood the test of time by adapting to new technology, while still keeping the design simple and accessible for everyone. VELUX windows change and improve our indoor spaces by increasing light and air. It is ubiquitous and well-known across the world. It is the iPhone of windows.”

The prestigious award was presented to VELUX at a ceremony in Copenhagen on May 13. For more information visit Danish Design Award's webpage.

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/

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 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.

The industry-leading curved glass rooflight can be installed on completely flat (0^o pitch) roofs, without the need for a plastic dome above. The curve of the glass allows water to run off, ensuring high performance while providing an attractive solution, perfect for installation in visible areas of residential and office buildings. Its rimless, curved outer pane and dark aluminium frame is ideal for discerning architects, housebuilders and homeowners.

The iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the world’s most prestigious design prizes, and this year’s edition saw over 6,400 entries from 54 countries.

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

The Natural Light project, in collaboration with social business Little Sun, and NGO Plan International, was created to celebrate the VELUX Group’s 75^th anniversary. Following an international design competition last year, which received 172 submissions from all over the world, the winning design was chosen and 14,500 units of the solar lamp were distributed in Africa – one for each employee of the VELUX Group and its sister companies.

Olafur Eliasson, artist and founder of Little Sun, says: “The Natural Light solar lamp is not only about providing energy to off-grid communities in Africa; it gives people the means to take charge of their own lives. By providing sustainable, reliable and affordable light, we’ve given people more independence and now they are able to work, study and cook safely in the dark.”

Alongside 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.

The additional Natural Light solar lamps are ready for distribution. A number of local sales agents in Malawi will be trained on how to sell the solar lamps in the coming months, through a series of workshops, roleplays, demonstrations, and group work.

If you would like your very own solar lamp, head to our e-shop.

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 energy to the 1.1 billion people in the world living in off-grid areas without electricity. The project’s first product, the Little Sun solar LED lamp, is sold all over the world. The second product, Little Sun Charge, a solar phone charger, was made possible thanks to a Kickstarter campaign and is now available worldwide. 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 450,000 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.

About Plan International’s distribution of Natural Light lamps

For further information, visit Plan International.

Press material at VELUX Media Centre

See and download our news videos, photos and press material at VELUX Media Centre at press.velux.com. Here, you can subscribe to VELUX news. Follow us on twitter.com/velux and facebook.com/velux

This year, the overall winners of the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will be announced at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on 18 November 2016 and all winners will be featured in the November issue of the Architectural Review magazine.

Regional prizes and overall prizes

The International VELUX Award is an ‘open idea’ competition and is organised globally in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects and Architectural Review. The award is organized in two stages: in the first phase, regional prizes will be given to projects from 1) Western Europe, 2) Eastern Europe and the Middle East, 3) the Americas, 4) Asia and Oceania and 5) Africa. In the grand finale, prizes will be presented to two overall global winners at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin.

A diverse and international jury comprised of renowned architects and architectural media has the task of evaluating the dynamic daylight-inspired projects from students from around the world to elect the 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.

Registration for the International VELUX Award 2016 for Students of Architecture, which challenges students to work with daylight in architecture, is open until 1 April 2016. With entries from over 350 schools of architecture in 60 countries, the International VELUX Award has established itself as the most important and biggest global student competition. Students or teams who are active students in 2015-2016 and backed by a teacher from a school of architecture are invited to participate and need to register at iva.velux.com.

This year, the winners of the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will be announced at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on 18 November 2016 and will be featured in the November issue of the Architectural Review. Registered students must submit their final project by 15 June 2016 and all entries will be exhibited on iva.velux.com.

Light of Tomorrow
The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2016 is Light of Tomorrow. The award seeks 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. To participate, students must submit projects that focus on a) Daylight in buildings or b) Daylight investigations that consider the physical properties of light.

Regional prizes and overall prizes
The International VELUX Award is an ‘open idea’ competition and is organised globally in two phases: in the first phase, regional prizes will be given to projects from 1) Western Europe, 2) Eastern Europe and the Middle East, 3) the Americas, 4) Asia and Oceania and 5) Africa. In the grand finale, prizes will be presented to the overall global winners at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin.

The jury has been selected in collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and represents an exciting mix of influential architects and architectural media.

For more information please visit iva.velux.com

Here are the jury members:

Omar Gandhi (CA) started his own design studio in 2010 and is a sessional instructor of Architecture and Planning at Dalhousie University. His practice has become one of Canada’s leading young architecture studios and he was listed in Wallpaper Magazine’s 2014 Architect’s Directory as one of the top 20 young architects in the world.

Christine Murray (UK) is chief editor of one of the world’s leading architectural magazines, Architectural Review (AR). AR looks for architecture that challenges and inspires, and commissions critics and photographers to capture and judge the success of a project based not only on its artistic or technical achievements, but also on its social, political and ecological impact on the place and its people.

Zbigniew Reszka (PL) is co-founder of the Polish architect office ARCHDECO, which was established in 1989. The office is known for creating contemporary architectural solutions with respect to the location and nature of the proposed facility. ARCHDECO was the winner of the Eurobuild Awards 2015 ‘Design of the Year´ for Gdynia Film Centre.

Francesco Veenstra (NL) is a partner of the Mecanoo architecture firm. He has led numerous Mecanoo projects to completion including the Library of Birmingham, Manchester’s HOME Arts and Culture House, the Delft Municipal Offices and Train Station, and Texel Island’s Kaap Skil Maritime and Beachcombers Museum.

Per Arnold Andersen (DK) has been the driver of the VELUX Group’s daylight strategies and initiatives for many years. In 2005, he initiated the VELUX Daylight Symposium and he has been working with the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture since the development of the first edition, launched in 2004.

The jury has the task of evaluating the dynamic and creative daylight-inspired projects from students from around the world to elect the award winners, who will be announced at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin in November.

New partnerships for 2016
For 2016, the International VELUX Award is excited to partner with the World Architecture Festival and the global architecture magazine Architectural Review to showcase projects from the world’s top architectural students. The winners of the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will be announced at the festival in Berlin on 18 November 2016 and regional prize winning projects, as well as the winners of the special VELUX prizes, will be featured in the November 2016 issue of Architectural Review magazine.

Registration is open
Registration for the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture 2016 is open until 31 March 2016. The VELUX Group welcomes students or teams who are active students in 2015-2016 and are backed and granted permission to register by a teacher from a school of architecture.

Registered students must submit their final project by 31 May 2016 and all entries will be exhibited on iva.velux.com. Follow us on facebook.com/internationalveluxaward for the latest news.

The exhibition was created by VKR Holding together with the design company Rosan Bosch Studio and lighting designer Kim Borch.

The new, permanent collection of windows is brought to life in the exhibition as a journey through history, in which epochs, window types and exhibition techniques are linked together to give a humanist view of the window via its importance to architecture, town planning and human quality of life.

The exhibition is built up around the Time Tunnel, a linear journey through various spaces and ages. It gives the visitor a tangible and sensory experience of the importance of the window as a source to mankind of light, air and view. In many places, artificial light gives an exquisite illusion of daylight and sunlight by drawing fields of light in floor, walls and window frames. Light has been meticulously worked and every finesse in the lighting toolbox has been put to effective use for the lighting to give the desired effect. Great originality went into the creation of the illusion of the Versailles daylit mirror hall and the light captured so well by the renowned Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi. The kaleidoscope of effects created with artificial light appear perfectly natural in the context of the exhibition.

Award presentation
The Award will be presented at a festive gathering at Bygningskulturens Hus,Borgergade 111, 1300 Copenhagen on Thursday 21 January 2016.

The Danish Lighting Award goes to the team behind the project and will be received by project manager and exhibition manager Dorthe Bech-Nielsen from VKR Holding, architect and project manager Jeppe Kleinheinz from Rosan Bosch Studio and lighting designer Kim Borch.

Four projects were nominated for the Danish Lighting Award 2015. The other projects were; the Interference Interactive Tunnel in Kolding, Langebro in Copenhagen and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek also in Copenhagen.

Yet neither cocooning nor nesting is directly associated with autumn. The trends refer rather to the idea of staying in and decorating the perfect home, which will render you a peaceful private space in a hectic everyday life and, as such, go hand in hand with the VELUX Roman blinds collection. Essential to the Roman blinds design is the introduction of soft fabrics for roof windows, which add a new sense of emotion and aesthetics to the blinds design and make it homely, yet sophisticated and modern in style.

New design in natural colours selected by Trend Union
The Roman blinds is a new category in the VELUX portfolio of blinds for roof windows, and one to be warmly welcomed by all fans of home decoration for its highly decorative qualities, soft colours and natural look. With the Roman blinds, the VELUX Group presents a blind that is not only functional, but also a decorative home accessory. The extra volume of the soft blinds allows you to sculpt them according to personal taste and interior style, and place them anywhere you like it in the window − top, bottom or middle. For bright autumn days, the Roman blinds are ideal for softening the sun in the living room with draped effect to match the elegant, yet comfortable sofas and cosy cushions, while the bedroom remains balanced and calm with blinds to blackout the light.

The Roman blinds collection is set in twenty colours, handpicked by Europe’s leading trend agency, Trend Union. The colour theme is natural and soft, ranging from beige to brown and black, and supports the idea of the home as a well-balanced retreat furnished with nature’s own materials from marble to stone, wood and ceramics.

Make your own nest with just a click
The arrival of the VELUX Roman blinds collection heralds not only a new product category and colour theme, it also introduces an ultra-dynamic blinds design that is specially made for redecorating and creating an authentic nesting feeling.

Implementing VELUX Roman blinds is easy, as each fabric in the collection is sold separately and can be installed in just a click, thanks to an easy-to-change system. This allows you to switch from one design to another and change the look of the room in no time. From autumn’s earthy and woody look to winter’s sculptural black and white interior.

The two winners Mariana Arando (22) and Luca Fondello (23) both industrial design students at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. They presented their design project at the 6^th VELUX Daylight Symposium in London together with artist Olafur Eliasson, who is also co-founder of Little Sun and was chairman of the jury in the competition.

When asked about what inspired the two students to design the solar lamp the winners said:

The chairman of the jury in the Natural Light - International Design Competition was very impressed by the creativity, innovation and thoughtfulness of the winning design:

Distribution of the Natural Light Solar Lamp
Using an entrepreneurial distribution model, the Natural Light project will donate an initial supply of 14,500 solar lamps, which will be sold at locally affordable prices in off-grid communities without electricity in Senegal, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In this way, the Natural Light project will create employment opportunities, grow communities and thereby improve livelihood in off-grid African regions. The Natural Light solar lamps will also help preserve fresh air by reducing the widespread use of toxic carbon-emitting kerosene lanterns, and instead, harnessing the sustainable energy of the sun.

About the Natural Light - International Design Competition
The competition encouraged young and talented design students to create a special edition solar lamp in honor of the 75th anniversary of the holding group behind VELUX, VKR Holding. The Natural Light project was launched to mark the milestone of the VELUX Group’s work in improving living conditions around the world by bringing daylight into people’s homes. The VELUX Group collaborated with Little Sun, which is a social business and a global project founded by internationally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen, to bring clean, sustainable light to people in areas of the world without electricity.

About Plan International will distribute the Natural Light lamp
Plan International will distribute the lamps. The distribution model employed is very similar in concept to micro loans, in which small local entrepreneurs who cannot obtain loans under normal circumstances due to a lack of steady income or collateral are offered small loans that can help get their businesses started. To help kick-off sales, these entrepreneurs will initially receive a stock of Natural Light lamps for free. Once they have sold their stock, the result is a profit for themselves and also the capital to purchase additional lamps to sell: establishing their own self-sustaining small businesses.

Learn more at the official Natural Light website
 

A new sun tube brings not only light but a feeling of nature to rooms and spaces that have previously been devoid of this. With the next generation of the VELUX Sun Tunnel, the VELUX Group is introducing new features that enhances the possibility to bring light to life in unexplored areas of your home.

Lighting up the hallway

The hallway is especially prone to being engulfed in darkness, cramped and lacking daylight, and often seen as solely a room of transit. However, the hallway functions as so much more than this. It is the last thing we see before we leave the house and the first thing we encounter when we enter our home. The hallway is a room that sends us on our way out to conquer the world - and welcomes us back home with the warm embrace of familiarity and comfort.

By bringing the natural cycle of the day into all the rooms of the house, including the hallway, the VELUX Sun Tunnel helps create an energising atmosphere. With one of its new features such as Edge Glow, which gives a unique and integrated light effect, the sun tube gives a more natural and dynamic light than a lamp.

Decorating with natural light

It is important to decorate hallways so they appear inviting to yourself, and your friends and family when you welcome them into your home. So why not create a space with embracing and great surroundings with plenty of light? Daylight in particular has the ability to open up a room and make it appear more inviting and hospitable.

More light and airiness allows you to create the exact setting that you wish. Whether it be a quiet place of tranquillity and Zen, with Asian-influenced design, or a space of energy and invigoration with colourful walls and vibrant decor. This will not only determine how you feel when you leave home it will also decide the reception you can look forward to when returning.

Natural light sets an atmosphere that is not equally possible with standard electric lighting. This is also one of the key factors behind the VELUX Sun Tunnel’s continued success and growth.

Lisa Grønsund believes it will generate excitement in many households - and especially among urban and design-savvy consumers.

The VELUX Sun Tunnel 2.0

The next generation VELUX Sun Tunnel creates a more natural indoor environment with dynamic lighting than a standard electric lamp due to a new feature, Edge Glow, which is a new ring of clear glass around the edge of the ceiling diffuser that simultaneously spreads the light better in the room and creates a unique light.

A new flexible locking system reduces tunnel assembly significantly. The sun tube can be installed in any part of the house with a maximum distance of 6 metres to the roof. As something entirely new, it is possible to install the light tube from the outside if it is hard for you to access your attic or loft.

More information is available here.

The VELUX Group opened the order book for the new VELUX classic roof window GVR for use in historical buildings. The objective of the new products is to build a bridge between the building culture of the past and present-day demands for energy and comfort.

Architect Merete Lind Mikkelsen is an expert in modernising historical buildings and contributed her vast knowledge and experience during the development of the new window. She is delighted with the VELUX Group’s new move to preserve the heritage of Danish building traditions.

Classic details bring history alive

At the heart of the development of the new roof window GVR was the objective to create an impression that is firmly rooted in historical architecture.

A historical asset that can be further refined

Although the new roof window GVR was designed to put history at centre stage, it also contains several features that can help property developers and home owners make the most of the full potential of the building. Many projects concerning listed and non-listed buildings involve large roof spaces that can easily be taken into use as living and office space and that can make the project more financially attractive to their developers. And this is where the roof window can be an important component in making a project a bottom-line success.

An important step that must be taken now

Of Denmark’s total building mass of some four million buildings, 9,000 are listed and 335,000 deemed worthy of preservation. Within the next few decades, experts estimate that many of these will require thorough restoration if they are not to fall into complete decay and their cultural and historical value be lost for ever.

The VELUX classic roof window GVR has already made its debut with the restoration of a listed building from 1828 on the island of Falster, south of Copenhagen. The project was financed by private funds and the support of Guldborgsund Municipality and the Danish Agency for Culture.

The classic roof window GVR

Since it was founded in 1941, the VELUX Group has been creating solutions that combine comfort in buildings with user-friendliness and aesthetic appeal. In the development of the new classic roof window GVR, the Group deployed it vast experience to create a product that builds a bridge between building traditions of the past and the future.

The VELUX Group asked it best engineers to develop a roof window that makes it possible to unite modern thinking with historical building tradition. They allied themselves with one of the country’s leading experts in the development of historical buildings, the award-winning architect Merete Lind Mikkelsen. They made her thoughts on building tradition and classical aesthetics their guiding principles. The result is a product that raises the standard of preservation of our shared building heritage and reinforces the VELUX Group’s position as the leading innovator in the business.

In 2011, world-famous designer Karim Rashid created a collection of colourful blinds for the VELUX Group. The partnership marked a new approach by the Group, adding design factor to the blinds category. In 2015, yet another significant collaboration will see the light of day.

The Colour Collection by Scholten & Baijings is rooted in the launch of the Roman Blinds collection. It is a design that takes blinds to a new, decorative level while playing with light, shapes and colours. As such, it is the perfect creative match for Amsterdam- based designers Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings.

As a design duo, Scholten & Baijings celebrate their fifteen-years anniversary in 2015, working for companies such as Pastoe, Thomas Eyck, HAY and Georg Jensen, and have gained international recognition for their graphic designs combining light effects, distinctive fluorescent colours and richly crafted details. This is a design DNA that is at the core of their VELUX Colour Collection, making each blind a functional piece of art and an exquisite, yet easy way to decorate with the style of tomorrow.

Decorative and dynamic design
In fact, introducing the VELUX Colour Collection by Scholten & Baijings means introducing not only a design collaboration but also an entirely new VELUX blinds category − Roman Blinds. Unlike other blinds for roof windows, Roman Blinds offer rich, soft textiles with the possibility and flexibility of positioning them in any way you please – at the top, bottom or middle of the window. The choice is yours − and the effect is amazing. Roman Blinds not only allow you to dim the light, but also let you tailor the blind to the rest of the interior – whether you have gone for sculptural, minimalistic or graphic.

Inspired by nature and individually cut
When the VELUX Group approached Scholten & Baijings with the idea of designing a colour collection for the new Roman Blinds range, they took instantly to the idea of integrating light into the design. Obviously, we use blinds to dim or block out light, but light is also vital to us and has great aesthetic and metamorphic qualities. Light is never the same throughout the day. So Scholten & Baijings took inspiration from the changing light we meet in the morning, at midday and at night and created six individual patterns for their Colour Collection. Three colour styles with light-blocking fabric and three with light-regulating translucent fabric, each of them taking on the natural colours from the blues of morning to greys and evening red.

Each pattern is gradient in true Scholten & Baijings style, with a signature hint of neon, and all fabrics are individually cut. This means that no two blinds are alike, and that the patterns reveal themselves differently depending on how they are sculpted. As an extra decorative detail to the translucent fabrics, the patterns project onto the wall once hit by the sunlight, turning the design into a piece of nature’s own art.

For those finding it difficult to choose from the Colour Collection, the Roman Blinds’ design offers a brilliant solution. The blinds are born with an easy-to-change fabric system that allows you to switch from one design to another with a single click. This makes the designs in the Colour Collection highly dynamic and ever-changing, just like the light from dawn to dusk.

Innovation-driven market leader
Offering a new and unique designer blind to the market in collaboration with one of today’s most successful design studios is in line with the overall ambition of the VELUX Group.

For further information about the Colour Collection by Scholten & Baijings  please see:
New VELUX Roman blinds

Scholten & Baijings in brief

• Founded in 2000 by Stefan Scholten (1972) and Carole Baijings (1973), Dutch born and based in Amsterdam
• Hold a unique niche in the world of Dutch product design
• Known for their fine balance between design and functionality
• Work for companies and institutions around the world from Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum to HAY
• Received several nominations and design awards from Dutch Design Awards to Wallpaper Design Awards

The inspiration for Ferro Fluid Scales came from the liquid Ferrofluid, which resembles black water in its natural state but becomes condensed when placed between magnetic fields. Ferro Fluid Scales integrate this scientific knowledge into an original design by containing the opaque liquid as well as a clear suspension liquid in each transparent glass blade, and allowing the user to easily increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field – thereby controlling the amount of light that can enter through the blind.

Kim elaborates on her development process: "After researching many materials to realise my idea, I finally discovered Ferrofluid. The most important aspect of the Ferro Fluid Scales design is that the blind functions not through physical movement, but rather through the organic changes of the Ferrofluid within the thin glass panels, or scales. I added an electromagnetic unit that makes it easy to control the power to increase or decrease the amount of incoming sunlight."

Seven significant projects

The second, 2,500 Euro prize went to Iris van den Brink and Anneloes de Koff from the University of Technology in Delft in the Netherlands. Describing their gradual shading system project, The Swipe, Iris van den Brink and Anneloes de Koff explain: "Besides having a beautiful, aesthetic effect, our design is feasible because of its simplicity. All the different parts of The Swipe are standardised elements, which is why production costs can be kept low. We feel that this is in line with the VELUX vision of making great design accessible to everyone."

The jury found the project to be "a very simple but strong and innovative solution," adding that "the inside/outside solution shows an interesting way of manipulating the light."

Five teams also received honourable mentions for their projects. At the awards ceremony, all seven finalists – from design schools in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Hungary – presented prototypes of their designs.

Jury member Peter Zec, who founded the prestigious red dot design award, said, "Among the five projects that were nominated for an honourable mention, there were many interesting solutions. We have seen the use of new and exciting technology – for instance, using natural daylight as a night-time energy source, as well as both sustainable and technical solutions with a lot of inspiration from nature."

Selecting the winner

Settling on a favourite was a difficult task for the jury, which consisted of German Peter Zec, the Danish-Italian design duo GamFratesi and the Dutch designer and architect Petra Blaisse. With so many talented teams and exceptional projects, the jurors often found themselves at odds about the winning choice.

Jury member Petra Blaisse, known for continuously challenging the status quo with her designs, calls every finalist a winner, as they all managed to cast new light on the vast possibilities in the area of blind design – and to make the selection process challenging for the jury.

"In the winning project we saw a combination of technological intelligence, inventiveness and effectiveness. Effectiveness understood in terms of functionality – the solution doesn't force decorative design onto the user" says, Petra Blaisse when explaining the winning solution.

A new design award drives innovation

The VELUX International Design Award was established to offer aspiring design students from around Europe the opportunity to push the boundaries of what is possible to achieve at the intersection of design and technology, for blinds for roof windows. VELUX invited students to submit their ideas on the future design and composition of roof window blinds for a chance to win the VELUX International Design Award. Contestants from more than 20 European countries submitted their work, which was rated based on the criteria: 'innovation', 'improved quality of life', 'sustainability' and 'market potential'.

Kent Holm, Global Director of Decoration and Sun Screening Products at VELUX Group, was impressed with the number of inventive projects the participating teams produced – particularly the designs highlighted at the ceremony.

"When we decided to establish this competition, we had no idea we would be standing here today with such a large number of exciting projects," Holm said at the ceremony. "It is truly admirable how many of these design teams have opted for highly complex solutions, and we are thrilled by the sheer level of dedication and workmanship that have been displayed throughout the competition."

Holm hopes that the students benefited from the process – from inspiration to conceptualisation and from design to prototype. "As a source of daylight, fresh air and an attractive view, the roof window enriches our lives with light and creates better living environments for life, work and play. I am sure that all the participants have gained valuable insight into roof windows and we definitely feel inspired by all the creative concepts and solution that the students have come up with."

For more information, please contact:

Learn more about the award winning prototypes

Check out this great summary: http://bit.ly/TqQUgC

Press material at VELUX Media Centre

See and download our news, videos, photos and press material from VELUX Media Centre at press.velux.com.

Be part of the discussion at #VIDAward

Follow us on twitter.com/velux and facebook.com/velux as well as the VELUX International Design Award on designaward.velux.com and communityprize.velux.com.

• Owner: Danish Property Agency (under Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building)
• User: University of Copenhagen
• Strategic partners: the VELUX Group and VELFAC
• Contractors: Hellerup Byg
• Architect: Christensen og Co. Arkitekter A/S
• Engineer: COWI
• Floor area: 950 m2
• Built: 2008-2009.

Read more about Green Lighthouse at: greenlighthouse.ku.dk.
LEED is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

In general terms, indoor climate is weighted with 15%, energy with 35%, site and location with 26%, materials and resources with 14% and water efficiency with 10%.

Green Lighthouse was awarded 68 point in the LEED certification, under which 60 points gives Gold and 80 gives Platinum certification.

DGNB Denmark is a new certification system that analyses a building from three dimensions that give an overall picture of a building’s sustainability: Environmental, Social, Financial.

In essence, this means that it is not just energy consumption and materials that are analysed but also indoor climate, art and spatial flexibility.

The various sustainable factors in DGNB Denmark certification are weighted as follows:

• Environmental quality (22.5%)
• Economic quality (22.5%)
• Social quality (22.5%)
• Technical quality (22.5%)
• Process quality (10%)
• Site and location quality (secondary quality but must be specified).

EUPD: The Green Lighthouse partners have also joined forces for the Energy-Technology Development and Demo Project (EUPD), which will monitor the building's energy consumption and make its report in September 2012. So the building is under close scrutiny, with energy consumption being monitored continuously and precise follow-up being made on the errors and irregularities noted at the running-in stage. The participation of the building's partners in the EUDP project will ensure optimal monitoring and a continuous dialogue between them.

Contact
If you would like to know more, please contact one of the partners:

The Danish Property Agency financed and owns Green Lighthouse. It managed the building process and took part in the specification of the building's energy concept and architecture:

Sajet Mahmudovski, Property Agency, sajet@bygst.dk, +45 41 701 204.

The University of Copenhagen is the user. It was one of the initiators of the project and has been involved at every stage of the building process, including specification of requirements:

Jacob Sølling, University of Copenhagen, Dean's Secretariat, jacs@adm.ku.dk,
+45 35 32 26 30/ +45 28 75 26 30, www.klima.ku.dk/groen_campus.
Municipality of Copenhagen has been an active partner in the project. The close and accurate dialogue between the City and the owner at an early stage streamlined the planning permission process.

Rikke Houkjær, Municipality of Copenhagen, Financial Department, rih@okf.kk.dk, +45 33 66 22 95.

The VELUX Group and VELFAC are the visionary partners of Green Lighthouse and contributed expertise, technology and products that play a crucial role in the building’s energy balance and indoor climate. The VELUX Group also acted as project manager for the steering committee.

Ghita Borring, VELUX Media Relations, press@velux.com, +45 45 16 48 08 / +45 51 14 08 87, www.velux.com/modelhome2020.


Christina Hauberg Rasmussen, VELFAC marketing, cr@velfac.dk, +45 76 28 85 35/+45 29 62 40 91.

COWI provided engineering consultancy for Green Lighthouse and was responsible for energy calculations and sustainability certification.

Michael Nielsen, COWI, msn@cowi.dk. +45 45 97 25 31/+45 51 32 37 15.

Lovegrove is renowned for his work with new materials and for employing the very latest technology. He is a also proponent of Green Design, otherwise termed environmentally conscious design. Previous products he developed for companies such as Louis Poulsen, Vitra, Peugeot, Apple Computers and Tag Heuer are known for their aesthetic appeal.

This is also the case with his newest product, VELUX sun tunnel by Lovegrove. In essence, it is a daylight lamp that uses the sun as a bulb. The new diffuser is an add-on product to VELUX sun tunnels, giving a beautiful light reflectance to the room while allowing the user to adjust the direction of the light.

“We chose to step out of our ordinary way of developing new products when we entered into a partnership with Ross Lovegrove as external designer on this assignment. We believe we have a strong fit and that Lovegrove complements our competencies. He has a high standing in the field of sustainable design and with our vision for creating sustainable living by using the sun and daylight, we have together created a new innovative way to bring daylight into people’s homes,” says director Klaus Lorentzen, the VELUX Group.

The VELUX Group first introduced sun tunnels in 2005 and has since then attained the position as European market leader in this field as well. VELUX sun tunnels are especially suitable for spaces where installation of roof windows is inappropriate or impossible and where electrical light would normally be the only other option. Sun tunnels funnel natural light indoors, to the benefit and well-being of the residents.

Since 2005, VELUX has sold thousands of sun tunnels in 40 countries. With the new VELUX sun tunnel by Lovegrove, the VELUX Group expects to strengthen its market position even further.

“Maximum daylight and ventilation are preconditions for ensuring optimal indoor comfort and minimal energy consumption consistent with the standards of the future. In the EU today, we spend 90% of our time indoors, which is contributing to rising health problems. A sun tunnel offers a solution to this challenge by bringing the outdoor daylight environment indoors,” says director Klaus Lorentzen, the VELUX Group.

Inspired by the concept of harnessing natural light and bringing its purity and uplifting qualities into the home, Ross Lovegrove has developed a design that he believes creates “a moment of enlightenment in the home” - a contemporary interface between the tunnel of light and the interior design of living spaces.

“When I was contacted by VELUX, I felt an immediate affinity with its products and way of thinking that I find human, technologically innovative and democratic,” says Ross Lovegrove.

“I believe the design to be very pure and sincere in its accessibility by a broad spectrum of society. The VELUX sun tunnel itself is a wonderful product with perpetual lifetime values and so my design simply seeks to enhance these properties in an elegant and universal way.”

VELUX sun tunnel by Lovegrove is already an award-winning product. Just recently, the product was awarded the special recognition of the “red dot design award – best of the best 2010” distinction for the highest design quality. With more than 4.250 entries this year from about 60 countries, the international “red dot design award” is the largest and most renowned design competition in the world. Furthermore, VELUX sun tunnel by Lovegrove was presented at the biggest international building exhibition, Batimat, in Paris in November 2009, where it won a design award. The award aims at providing recognition to companies who have launched products created in cooperation with designers.

The VELUX Group is very delighted with the recognition, especially since this is one of the few times VELUX has entered into a partnership with an external designer. But as a com-pany focusing on creating better living environments with daylight and fresh air through the roof, it was a straightforward decision to team up with Ross Lovegrove. The VELUX Vision is to create sustainable living based on high energy efficiency, use of the sun as a renewable energy source and improving the indoor climate.

"In VELUX we, as daylight engineers, bring daylight into people's life. Our sun tunnel prod-uct line is a natural extension of this and with the new award winning sun tunnel by Love-grove, we give our customers a whole new way of experiencing and controlling daylight. The accessory, which has been developed in a fruitful cooperation with Ross Lovegrove and his team, acts as a daylight lamp where the sun is the bulb. With this kind of wattage our customers can bring daylight into their homes in new ways allowing them to bring a little bit of the outside inside and to enjoy the world-class design of Ross Lovegrove at the same time," says corporate manager Jens Rasmussen, VELUX New Products.

Lovegrove is renowned for his work with new materials and for employing the very latest technology. He is also a proponent of Green Design, otherwise termed environmentally con-scious design. This is also the case with his newest product, sun tunnel by Lovegrove. The new diffuser is an add-on product to VELUX sun tunnels, giving a beautiful light reflectance to the room while allowing the user to adjust the direction of the light.
Ross Lovegrove says:

"I believe the design to be very pure and sincere in its accessibility by a broad spectrum of society. The sun tunnel itself is a wonderful product with perpetual lifetime values and so my design simply seeks to enhance these properties in an elegant and universal way."

The VELUX Group first introduced sun tunnels in 2005 and has since then attained the posi-tion as European market leader in this field as well. VELUX sun tunnels are especially suit-able for spaces where installation of roof windows is inappropriate or impossible and where electrical light would normally be the only other option. Sun tunnels funnel natural light in-doors, to the benefit and well-being of the residents.
Sun tunnel by Lovegrove is already an award-winning product. In Paris in November 2009 the product was presented at the biggest international building exhibition, Batimat, where it won a medal in the design competition. The award aims at providing recognition to compa-nies who have launched products created in cooperation with designers. The VELUX Group will launch sun tunnel by Lovegrove in June this year.
 

About the VELUX Group
The VELUX Group creates better living environments with daylight and fresh air through the roof. The VELUX product programme contains a wide range of roof windows and skylights, along with solutions for flat roofs. The Group also supplies many types of decoration and sun screening, roller shutters, installation products, products for remote control and thermal solar panels for installation in roofs. The VELUX Group, which has manufacturing companies in 11 countries and sales companies in just under 40 countries, represents one of the strongest brands in the global building materials sector and its products are sold in most parts of the world. The VELUX Group has about 10,000 employees and is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited company wholly owned by foundations and family. For more details, visit www.velux.com.

io-homecontrol®: a growing intelligent home initiative
Following the entrance of HÖRMANN, the European leading supplier for residential and industrial doors and operators in April, ASSA ABLOY is the second international group to join the founding members, HONEYWELL, VELUX and SOMFY since the launch of io-homecontrol® in Paris in May 2005. Jean-Luc Guillaume, Managing Director of io-homecontrol® is delighted with the entrance of ASSA ABLOY joining the ever-growing initiative: "Bringing its own expertise on the home building market, ASSA ABLOY will greatly extend the offer from io-homecontrol® with its knowledge and products on the lock systems market. The group's entry into the initiative highlights the growing interest in integrated and intelligent home control."
Through io-homecontrol® ASSA ABLOY will be part of an association that offers consumers a complete integrated home automation solution. Åsa Christiander from ASSA ABLOY: "It is with great pleasure that we are announcing our entrance into the io-homecontrol alliance. We are joining a team of some of the world's most reputable companies in residential control which is extensively developing. It is a privilege to join an association which offers consumers cutting-edge technology to simplify their lives. This initiative is sure to grow even further with future members, extending the scope and added-value of the solution to end-users. The simplicity of io-homecontrol® is that while the functions are highly sophisticated, the technology is very easy to use and no special infrastructure or system integrator is needed for installation."

io-homecontrol®: an association open to all manufacturers
io-homecontrol® is the result of an industry ambition that is in touch with real market expectations. The alliance offers building product manufacturers the opportunity to participate in a joint project with the aim of ultimate home control. io-homecontrol® technology answers a real industry demand and brings veritable added-value to customers. Jean-Luc Guillaume adds: "We are open to all industry groups within the building components sector. We have strong contacts with other leading manufacturers and hope to announce the integration of other new members in 2007".
io-homecontrol® products are suited to all types of buildings, from new to existing constructions, from single products (for example, a roof window) to complete systems. io-homecontrol® solutions are marketed via the usual manufacturing sales channels and their installation is simple, not requiring any new skills for installers. VELUX was the first company to introduce io-homecontrol® technology products, which were launched in July 2005. SOMFY and HONEYWELL, and now also HÖRMANN will have io-homecontrol® branded products on the market in 2007. The first interactive solutions will thus be available from next year onwards. io-homecontrol® is a registered trademark in over 40 countries.

About io-homecontrol®
The io-homecontrol® association has been launched by some of the world's leading firms in home comfort technology including HONEYWELL, the global leader for solutions of residential and commercial building controls ; SOMFY, the international specialist in automatic control of openings and closures in homes and buildings and VELUX, the world leader in roof windows. io-homecontrol members today include HONEYWELL, HÖRMANN, SOMFY , VELUX and ASSA ABLOY.
io-homecontrol® is a wireless communication protocol enabling interaction among products from different manufacturers. It brings new solutions for improved home comfort, energy savings, security and indoor climate control. It allows new benefits for professionals and end-users with no additional infrastructure or installation costs. io-homecontrol® is a registered trademark in over 40 countries. The first products integrating io-homecontrol® technology were launched mid-2005, and the first multi-brand io-homecontrol® solutions will be available in 2007.

About ASSA ABLOY
ASSA ABLOY is the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of locking solutions, meeting tough end-user demands for safety, security and user friendliness. The Group has some 30,000 employees and annual sales of about EUR 3 billion.
Additional information can be attained from the following websites:
io-homecontrol: www.io-homecontrol.com
HONEYWELL: www.honeywell.com
HÖRMANN : www.hoermann.com
SOMFY: www.somfy.com
VELUX: www.VELUX.com
ASSA-ABLOY : www.assaabloy.com

• Mr. Kengo Kuma, Japan
• Mr. Reinier de Graaf, the Netherlands
• Ms. Róisín Heneghan, Ireland
• Mr. Omar Rabie, Egypt
• Mr. Douglas Steidl, USA (UIA representative)
• Mr. Per Olaf Fjeld, Norway (EAAE representative)
• Mr. Massimo Buccilli, Italy (VELUX representative)

A broad geographical coverage has been a key criterion for the composition of the jury to underline the global scope of the 2006 Award. Thus, four continents are represented on the jury: the well-known Japanese architect Kengo Kuma from Kengo Kuma & Associates represents Asia; Europe is represented by the new and upcoming architect Róisín Heneghan from heneghan.peng architects in Ireland and by Reinier de Graaf from AMO, the leading-edge think tank of OMA (Office of Metropolitan Architecture) in Rotterdam.

From North America comes Douglas Steidl, President of AIA (the American Institute of Architects), representing UIA (International Union of Architects). And finally, Africa is represented by MIT-student of architecture Omar Rabie from Egypt.

EAAE (European Association for Architectural Education) is represented by Vice President Per Olaf Fjeld from the Oslo School of Architecture, and Massimo Buccilli, General Manager of VELUX Italia, is the VELUX representative on the jury.

The jury will meet in June 2006 to review all entries, and in particular they will look for projects that push the frontier and raise questions, projects that demonstrate basic architectural knowledge and methods, and projects that relate considerations on daylight to human beings and their living conditions. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony in Europe in October 2006, and all projects will be exhibited online at the project website: www.VELUX.com/A.

Facts about the jury members:

Mr. Kengo Kuma, Japan
Kengo Kuma, Japanese architect, founding partner of Kengo Kuma & Associates. From 2001 associated professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University. Kengo Kuma has designed a large number of award winning projects in Japan and internationally. Furthermore, he is the author of several books and monographs on Japanese architecture.

Mr. Reinier de Graaf, the Netherlands
Reinier de Graaf is director of AMO, the experimental think tank of OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) in the Netherlands. AMO goes beyond the traditional architectural practice and has contributed to numerous projects in Europe and in the US.

Ms. Róisín Heneghan, Ireland
Róisín Heneghan is one of the founding partners of heneghan.peng architects in Dublin, Ireland. In 2003 Róisín Heneghan and partner Shih-Fu Peng won the open international competition for the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, one of the largest architectural competitions in recent times.

Mr. Omar Rabie, Egypt
Omar Rabie is currently studying post-graduate Master of Science in Architectural Studies at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Omar Rabie has contributed to a number of design projects in Cairo, Egypt, and served as a jury member on several international awards.

Mr. Douglas Steidl, USA
In 2004 Douglas Steidl took up the position as President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), where he represents the more than 74,000 members of the AIA. Besides, Douglas Steidl is one of the founding partners of Braun & Steidl, a well-known American architect firm operating around the US since 1983.

Mr. Per Olaf Fjeld, Norway
Per Olaf Fjeld is professor at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. He has written a number of books and articles on architecture, and he has taught and served on juries throughout Europe. In 2004 he was elected Vice President of the European Association of Architectural Education (EAAE).

Mr. Massimo Buccilli, Italy
Massimo Buccilli serves on the jury on behalf of VELUX. Since graduation he has been employed in international companies and organisations dealing with cross-border cooperation and export matters. He has been with VELUX since 1991, and since 1997 he has held the position as Managing Director of VELUX in Italy.

The International VELUX Award is organised in cooperation with UIA, International Union of Architects and EAAE, European Association for Architectural Education.
© 2001 VELUX Group ® VELUX and VELUX logo are registered trademarks.