News and press releases - VELUX Media Centre | VELUX Group

The VELUX Group and Thylander in new partnership on the Living Places concept

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0100

The VELUX Group and Thylander enter a new partner agreement to accelerate the green transition of the Danish construction industry. With this agreement, Thylander is the first investor and developer in Denmark to work with the Living Places principles in future building projects. The plan is to build 500 new rental homes with a low CO₂ footprint.

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

Five key conclusions from the Living Places Living experiment

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 09:36:00 +0100

After testing Living Places Copenhagen for two months earlier this year, new data makes it is clear that there is a strong correlation between a high-quality indoor climate and human well-being.

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

Living Places Copenhagen wins Danish Design Award 2024: A recognition of the future of building design

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 09:00:00 +0100

The VELUX Group proudly announces that Living Places Copenhagen has won the prestigious Danish Design Award 2024.

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.

First Living Places prototype in the Netherlands opens

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0200

The first Living Places prototype outside of Denmark, the Smûk house, opens its doors in Dokkum, Friesland in the Netherlands. Her Majesty Queen Máxima visited the Smûk house as one of the first guests. The prototype is built by the Dutch house builder, Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma (BGDD), who entered a partner agreement on the Living Places concept with the VELUX Group in 2023.

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 CO₂footprint[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 CO₂footprint.

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 VELUX Group and HusCompagniet in new partnership on the Living Places concept

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:30:00 +0200

The VELUX Group and the Danish housebuilder, HusCompagniet, have signed a knowledge-based partner agreement on the Living Places concept to help move the Danish construction industry in a more sustainable direction. The agreement builds on the experiences gained from the VELUX Group’s Living Places project and is the first of its kind in Denmark.

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

Living Places houses are now tested in real life

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0200

This summer people are living in the Living Places Copenhagen houses in the railroad district in Copenhagen as a part of real-life testing of the concept. The purpose is to monitor how the houses perform when people live in them and to gather indoor climate performance data to document the positive impact on people.

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

New Living Places book shares recipe for healthy buildings

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0200

Since opening in 2023, the Living Places project has shown the building industry a more innovative approach to home construction that benefits both people and planet. Now, the recipe for the international award-winning project is available in a new book “Living Places: Principles and Insights for a New Way of Thinking Buildings” published by the Danish Architectural Press.

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 International VELUX Award for students of architecture 2024 announces ten regional winners

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:29:03 +0200

The International VELUX Award jury selected ten regional winners from the 468 submitted projects, from 220 school of architecture around the world.

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).

Living Places Copenhagen wins Sustainable Private House and Architecture+Innovation at Architizer A+Awards 2024

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0200

The Living Places Copenhagen project has been selected by the jury as the 2024 Architizer A+Awards winner in the Sustainable Private House category as well as the Popular Choice winner in the Architecture+Innovation category, voted by the public. Both awards testify to the importance of the Living Places project on the global architecture scene.

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

Living Places Copenhagen wins Best Residential Project at this year’s MIPIM Awards 2024

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:00:00 +0100

Living Places Copenhagen, developed by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects, Artelia engineers, and Enemærke & Petersen contractors, has won the internationally renowned MIPIM Award 2024 in the category "Best Residential Project". This victory positions the Living Places concept prominently on the international property scene.

The project has won this year’s MIPIM Awards for its 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.

Before handing over the prize to representatives from the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, and Artelia, the jury member and partner at BIG, Kai-Uwe Bergmann, said:

The winner was 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
Read more about the MIPIM Awards 2024

Living Places Copenhagen wins international recognition

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0100

The groundbreaking housing project, Living Places Copenhagen, wins two international architecture awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) thereby confirming the importance of the project on the international architecture scene.

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.

VELUX Group and Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma partner on Living Places concept

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0200

The VELUX Group has entered a partner agreement with the Dutch house builder Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma on building more sustainable housing in the Northern part of the Netherlands. With this partner agreement, Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma is the first house builder to use the Living Places concept in their development and construction processes and to build the first prototype in the Netherlands based on the concept.

With the building industry accounting for 37% of the global CO2 emissions there is a urgent need for low carbon solutions to be scaled and implemented in the building industry. Earlier this year, the VELUX Group and its partners, EFFEKT and Artelia, presented the Living Places concept as one example of how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. An important aim and aspect of the Living Places project is to scale the concept to the rest of Europe and to apply Living Places more broadly through knowledge sharing. The new partner agreement between The VELUX Group and Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, is the first partner agreement on the Living Places project and the Dutch company will be the first house builder to use the Living Places concept in its development and construction processes and to build a full scale Living Places prototype in the Northern part of the Netherlands.

Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma has an ambition to build the future homes of the Netherlands in a more sustainable way and has already developed a replaceable timbered frame house insulated with biobased materials like cattail, miscanthus, hemp and flax.

A partner agreement to build more sustainable housing
In the partner agreement with Dijkstra Draisma, the VELUX Group commits to share knowledge, analyses, calculations and simulations on the Living Places concept as well as detailed information on the five key Living Places principles: that homes should be adaptive, healthy, simple, scalable and shared over time, with the Dutch house builder. The VELUX Group will furthermore share concrete learnings and know-how from the Living Places Copenhagen-prototype and work closely together with Dijkstra Draisma to exchange knowledge on low carbon housing.

Read more about the Living Places project here

VELUX Group wins EY Innovation Award 2023 for housing project with Denmark’s lowest CO2-footprint

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0200

Thursday night, the VELUX Group was awarded EY’s Sustainability Award in the Innovation category at an event hosted by EY and the Danish Chamber of Commerce in Copenhagen, Denmark. The group received the prestigious award for Living Places – a housing project that demonstrates that it is possible to build homes with a three times lower CO₂ footprint than the Danish standard.

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.

VELUX Group supports the sustainable transition of the building industry as Impact Partner to the UIA World Congress of Architecture 2023

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 08:00:00 +0200

As part of the VELUX Group’s commitment to accelerate sustainable development, expressed in the Group`s Sustainability strategy 2030, the group has taken the role of Impact Partner to the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 in Copenhagen.

The partnership with the UIA conference is based on a shared goal of driving the sustainable transition of the building industry by fostering dialogue and bringing together global opinion leaders and important stakeholders from all sectors of the industry.

As an Impact Partner, the VELUX Group will contribute with talks and knowledge-sharing around three key topics; sustainability in a global context, housing of the future and the next generation of industry professionals.

Please see the full program of the UIA conference: https://uia2023cph.org/programme/

Living Places Copenhagen – a SDG Pavilion for the UIA conference
The 14^th of April this year, the VELUX Group and its partners, EFFEKT, Artelia and Enemærke & Petersen, opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen. A building exhibition demonstrating how to build homes with a CO₂ footprint of 3.8 kg/CO₂/m²/year – three times lower than the current Danish legislation of 12 kg CO₂/m²/year – with a best in class indoor climate. The vision behind the project is to lead the way within the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate- and health challenges.

Living Places Copenhagen has been chosen as one of the 15 SDG Pavilions for the UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen. Each pavilion is chosen due to its unique suggestion for how to build for the future and relates to one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). Living Places has been chosen as one of the pavilions reflecting the 11^th SDG-goal “Sustainable cities and communities”.

VELUX Group presents more sustainable homes with record low carbon footprint and best in class indoor climate

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 08:00:00 +0200

The VELUX Group and partners open the doors to Living Places Copenhagen – seven prototypes that show how we can develop sustainable buildings with a three times lower CO₂ footprint and a first-class indoor climate. Living Places concept holds the lowest CO₂ emissions in Denmark, demonstrating that we do not have to wait for future technology to build more sustainably.

The building industry accounts for 34% of the global energy consumption and 37% of the global CO₂ emissions^[1], and in the latest report from the UN's climate panel, it is clear that low carbon solutions must be scaled and implemented – also in the building industry. One of those solutions can be experienced in Copenhagen from today. With the groundbreaking project Living Places Copenhagen, the VELUX Group and its partners, demonstrate how to build homes with a CO₂ footprint of 3.8 kg/CO₂/m²/year – three times lower than the current Danish legislation of 12 kg CO₂/m²/year – and to a price that matches the market price for a one-family house or rowhouses at scale. Furthermore, Living Places Copenhagen is designed with a strong focus on creating a healthy indoor climate using daylight and fresh air and it delivers best in class indoor climate.

Living Places Copenhagen is the first prototype showcasing the overall concept - Living Places – which was initiated by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT and Artelia. The vision is to lead the way within 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: homes should be healthy, adaptive, simple, shared over time and scalable. These principles can be applied to new or existing buildings and communities.

The materials, solutions and knowledge are already here
As a part of The Living Places Copenhagen project, the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia and Enemærke & Petersen, have carried out a complete Life Cycle Assessment. This means that each material, design and building technique has been carefully considered and mapped in terms of the emissions they project compared to a typical Danish household. Based on this, the partnership have built prototypes, showing that we do not have to wait for future technology to build homes that benefit both people and the planet.

Living Places Copenhagen showcases a total of seven prototypes – five open pavilions and two completed full-scale homes which open to the public on Earth Day on the 22nd April. As an official partner to the UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen, Living Places Copenhagen will host a programme of debates and activities designed to drive and accelerate change in the building industry.

Read more about Living Places Copenhagen and how to book a tour here: https://buildforlife.velux.com/en/livingplaces/visit-living-places-copenhagen

^[1] UN Global Building Alliance Status Report 2022

VELUX Group reduces the temperature to save energy

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0200

From October 1st, office locations will be heated to 20-21 degrees Celsius and production facilities to 19 degrees Celcius. The specific temperature levels have been adjusted to match the job functions that are carried out in the given location as well as working environment rules in the different countries.

The normal temperature level during the heating season has until now been between 20-24 degrees Celsius in office locations and 19-23 degrees Celsius in production facilities. Reducing the heat in all European VELUX locations through the heating season will impact VELUX overall CO2 footprint by 2000 tonnes.

Why sustainable buildings are critical for a resilient society

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0100

In its recent Energy Efficiency First Principle (EE1) Guidelines, the European Commission recognised human health as one of the most important co-benefits of energy efficiency but at the same time acknowledged a lack of good available data to better quantify and assess these wider benefits.

The latest Healthy Homes Barometer 2022 aims to address this gap by providing new data on the impact of a poor indoor climate on health and life satisfaction and the economic benefits of investing in healthy buildings.

As the pandemic loosens its grip on Europe and with the revision of the Fit for 55 Package and not least the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) currently on the legislative table, the opportunity to make buildings sustainable has never been more timely. The EPBD proposal does acknowledge the importance of a healthy indoor climate, but lacks clear definitions and measures in terms of how to act on it. At the same time, the need for decent, affordable and sustainable housing is greater than ever.

Safeguarding indoor environments

Even before the Corona virus struck, the percentage of households where total housing costs represent more than 40% of disposable income was a shocking 9.4% for the overall EU population¹. And with energy costs skyrocketing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this figure is rising further. After all, Europe’s buildings consume 40% of Europe’s energy.

As a result of this lack of affordability, 15% of all Europeans currently live in deprived housing circumstances² with a subsequent negative impact on health and well-being. In total, one in three Europeans live in a home that is affected by an indoor climate hazard, such as damp, lack of daylight, excess noise or cold³. For those affected, the impact of their poor housing has been felt even more acutely during the various lockdowns of the pandemic, which forced them to spend more time at home.

At the same time, the pandemic and its many lockdowns have shown the importance of making indoor spaces safer and reducing the spread of airborne viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. Buildings have a clear role to play in achieving this. To safeguard our indoor environment, the World Health Organization and health authorities in many countries recommend regularly airing out rooms and spaces – either through natural ventilation, such as opening a window or through mechanical ventilation systems.

The impact of poor indoor climate on mental well-being

The health impact of indoor climate hazards, such as damp and lack of daylight, are already well known and include asthma, respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease. However, new studies have now started to document the impact of poor indoor climate on well-being and life satisfaction. For example, living with poor or no heating has been shown to have the same perceived impact on well-being and life satisfaction as being separated from a partner⁴. With 34 million Europeans unable to keep their homes warm⁵, the potential impact on their well-being is significant.

This type of assessment into well-being and life satisfaction gives governments and policymakers a way to measure the value of building renovation in a more holistic way. Alongside the tangible benefits, such as energy savings, they can now also measure the positive impact on mental health.

Buildings are political

With Europe on the cusp of a renovation wave that could tackle the climate crisis by decarbonising our building stock, the roll-out of national recovery plans as well as the need to step up efforts on energy efficiency, policymakers now have a unique opportunity to set the right legislative framework and push for investments in sustainable and healthy buildings. Investing in housing is more than just improving living conditions and reducing climate impact. Healthy buildings can play an important role in reducing inequities and illness. Reducing exposure to damp and mould and rectifying the lack of daylight in residential buildings could result in mental well-being benefits estimated at almost 100 billion euros per year⁶, in addition to energy efficiency improvements. Data from the World Health Organization also shows that investing in improving housing has a greater impact on health inequities – over a two to four year period – than investing directly in health⁷. The cumulative benefits of investing in renovation in terms of direct healthcare savings, improved health and improved productivity are conservatively estimated at 600 billion euros per year by 2050.

Research for the Healthy Homes Barometer 2022 was carried out in partnership with RAND Europe, a not-for-profit policy research organisation.

Find out more about the impact of indoor climate on health and life satisfaction as well as the benefits of investing in healthy buildings in the Healthy Homes Barometer 2022.

Key 2022 Healthy Homes Barometer findings

1 in 3 Europeans are exposed to an indoor climate hazard⁸
50 million European households are living in energy poverty⁹, many of them unable to heat their homes in winter
Ventilation is a simple and cost-effective way to safeguard indoor spaces against airborne viruses
Indoor climate hazards affect our mental well-being and can increase the risk of depression¹⁰
Reducing exposure to damp and mould and rectifying the lack of daylight in residential buildings has been shown to result in well-being benefits that are felt to be the equivalent of around 100 billion euros per year¹¹, in addition to energy efficiency improvements
Improving housing has a greater impact on health inequities than investing directly in health¹²

About the Healthy Homes Barometer 2022

The Healthy Homes Barometer is a series of pan-European reports designed to investigate the link between homes and health. The first edition of the Healthy Homes Barometer was published in 2015 and the 2022 edition is the seventh Barometer published by the VELUX Group. This year’s Barometer is a fresh compilation of facts, research and insights. Research has primarily been conducted by RAND Europe, a not-for-profit policy research organisation, with additional insights. The analyses were conducted by RAND Europe unless otherwise stated.

Download the Healthy Homes Barometer 2022.

Download the RAND Europe report.

Notes

¹Etzebizitzako Behatokia, Observatorio Vasco de La Vivienda, 2021, “Housing policy in Europe during the pandemic”
²WHO Europe 2019, ”Healthy prosperous lives for all: The European Health Equity Status Report”
³EU SILC data 2019
⁴RAND report
⁵EU SILC data 2019
⁶RAND report
⁷WHO Europe 2019, ”Healthy, prosperous lives for all: the European Health Equity Status Report”
⁸EU SILC data 2019
⁹FEANTSA press release, 16 July 2021
¹⁰EU SILC data
¹¹RAND report
¹²WHO Europe 2019, ”Healthy, prosperous lives for all: the European Health Equity Status Report”

The VELUX Group launches commitment to sustainable buildings and communities

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:17:27 +0100

The sustainable buildings and communities concept Build for Life addresses multiple challenges in the building industry, based on a new way of thinking about new and existing living spaces.

What if we could live in a more sustainable, connected and healthy manner? This is one of several fundamental questions addressed in the Build for Life concept, developed by VELUX, and discussed during the Build for Life conference. The Build for Life concept is rooted in a strong commitment to show how it is possible to build sustainably and enable happier and healthier living places.

Build for Life is founded on the understanding that the way we build today has an enormous impact on people, as well as the ecosystems that sustain us. The concept provides a compass for designers, city planners and building professionals along with suggestions for ways to address some of the most pressing dilemmas we face:

Environment: Buildings alone are responsible for around 39% of global CO₂ emissions and 40% of the world population need new homes (UNEP, 2015). The world furthermore needs to reach net-zero emissions before 2050 to curb the climate crisis. By using low impact materials and focusing on the LCA of a building, we could meet the demand for increased housing without depleting the Earth’s resources.

Health: We spend up to 90% of our time indoors, but fail to create a healthy indoor climate in buildings, due to the application of a one-size-fits-all approach in our building designs and compromising on the quality of construction materials. By designing buildings using healthy indoor principles and materials, we can create buildings that don’t just make you less sick but also improves your health.

Affordability: An additional 2.5 billion people are expected to live in cities by 2050. At the same time, most cities across the globe have seen a substantial and steady increase in housing prices, making our built environment unaffordable for the people who would benefit from them the most. By designing a built environment that focuses on affordability through design, shared living, and new business cases we could unlock housing for the people that will benefit from it the most.

Community: Despite living closer together and being more connected than ever, people feel more lonely, anxious and stressed than ever before. One in five people in Denmark, for instance, long for community and a sense of belonging. By designing a built environment that enables community through sharing, participation, identity and safety, we could increase wellbeing and improve overall health whilst reducing anxiety, loneliness and stress.

Build for Life is a regenerative approach for our future built environment

VELUX launches Build for Life as part of its wider sustainability strategy and as a contribution to the UN’s SDG11 (Sustainable Cities And Communities), taking its +18 years of best practices in sustainable buildings to a new level.

Illustration for Build for Life – Connecting people & planet through building design:

The Build for Life concept is expanded in a Compass Model, outlining seven strategic drivers – flexibility, quality, environment, health, community, local, affordability – to guide the building and development process. These drivers enable collaborators across sectors to follow an easy, open-source framework for developing and transforming buildings for the future.

Build for Life goes above and beyond the design level by shaping a new common language and way of thinking aimed at the entire industry, fuelled by the strong belief that only by working together across the industry will we be able to achieve healthier and more sustainable living places for all.

The Compass Model had been created in partnership with EFFEKT architects, MOE engineers, LeaderLab and the VELUX Group. The Compass is intended as a partnership platform and invites more partners with like-minded visions to lead the change within the built environment.

Leading by example: Five principles for living spaces

To show how to build sustainably the VELUX Group has, together with partners EFFEKT architects and MOE engineers, developed five principles for living spaces. The principles take a point of departure in the typical market benchmark and propose different improvements and reductions that can be made to improve the market standard. The principles address health, sharing, simplicity, adaptability and scalability.

The Build for Life conference, 15-17 November

The Build for Life design was launched at the global conference, under the same headline, bringing together architects, builders, engineers, designers, planners and other industry professionals.

Free and open to all, the hybrid of in-person presentations and interactive digital dialogues took place from 15 – 17 November 2021 and hosted speakers on two stages, the Compass Stage and the Daylight Symposium Stage. More than 90 expert speakers from around the world presented from the two main stages in Copenhagen, Denmark, and from stages in North America and China.

For more information about the Build For Life Conference, please visit Build For Life.

Copenhagen Living Places

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:17:00 +0100

As a partner project for 2023, the first prototype of Living Places will be built in a partnership between EFFEKT architects, MOE Engineers, Enemaerke & Petersen contractors and the VELUX Group.

The prototype is planned in central Copenhagen at ‘Jernbanebyen’, a former railroad workshop area. Living Places Copenhagen will be the first practical example and showcase of the Build for Life concept, illustrating how the concept can be brought to life and provide inspiration and momentum for the development and construction of future living space solutions.

By designing a built environment focused on meeting our emotional needs and enabling a strong sense of place, we could pioneer a new concept of "home", one that does not simply refer to a physical location, but also considers local context and the life that it empowers people to live. Living Places Copenhagen is ideated, designed and developed in a partnership between EFFEKT architects, MOE Engineers, Enemaerke & Petersen contractors and the VELUX Group.

The Living Places prototype demonstrates the advantages of a sloped roof, both internally and externally. A sloped roof provides more sunlight and better light reflection externally while providing interior daylight from above. Such a design uses the stack effect and attractive volumes and connections throughout the building and is scalable to different typologies of buildings as wooden prefabricated modular building systems.

Launched at the Build for Life conference, 15-17 November

The prototype design was launched at the global Build for Life conference, bringing together architects, builders, engineers, designers, planners, and other industry professionals. More than 90 experts from around the world presented from the two main stages in Copenhagen, Denmark, and from stages in North America and China during the conference.

For more information about the Build For Life Conference, please visit Build For Life.

Urbantech: 10 more start-ups to accelerate the development of sustainable cities

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 11:14:53 +0200

Like their 2019 and 2020 predecessors in the programme, this new cohort of start-ups is set to accelerate the development of the sustainable cities of tomorrow.

According to the UN, up to 70 percent of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050. This creates major challenges and calls for new innovative and digital solutions that can push construction and urban development in a more efficient and sustainable direction.

Selected on June 9, the 10 start-ups will help to turbo-charge the development of tech-based solutions for future sustainable cities in the Nordics and around the world.

This is made possible through Urbantech - an innovation programme for the world's most promising and innovative technology start-ups. Three Danish corporations - COWI, VKR Holding/VELUX and EWII - are behind the initiative, with support from philanthropic organisations Realdania and the Danish Industry Foundation.

In the Urbantech programme, start-ups get the opportunity to scale and grow their solutions through an intense and tailored acceleration process.

Green urban mobility and new approaches to sound

Through Urbantech, the start-ups team up with the three Danish companies COWI, VKR Holding/ VELUX and EWII. They will help the selected entrepreneurs to further develop their technologies and businesses. The innovative approaches coming into play range from advanced materials and innovative uses of sensors, to new ways of managing projects and assets in the urban space and gaining strategic insights from data flows plus technology with a potential to be applied at scale, yielding significant sustainability gains for cities around the world.

Urbantech creates business results for all in involved

This is the third time Urbantech runs as a programme to produce dozens of successful pilots - and many onward collaborations. These include transparent solar cells applied in new ways, sensors for improving indoor climate, and new ways to map information at the scale of cities. Furthermore, for many start-ups, the collaboration provides a boost to their commercial development. It also helps many of them raise additional funds essential to scaling their solutions.

The supporting business partners also experience benefits from the collaborations:

Healthy Homes Design Competition 2022

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0200

REHVA together with VELUX Group, the primary partner and sponsor, are pleased to announce the launch of the Healthy Homes Design Competition 2022. This brand new initiative aims to stimulate the minds of young and future engineers to identify solutions for how to realise healthy homes.

With urban populations in our major cities rapidly rising and the subsequent need for dwellings also increasing fast, there is an urgent need to reduce the impact buildings have, both on their occupants and on our planet.

Based on this issue, which is well-recognised by both building practitioners and researchers, the Healthy Homes Design Competition aims to encourage and challenge participants to explore the theme of healthy living and to create a deeper understanding of indoor environment qualities as well as investigate the impact of future climate changes on these.

Targeted at students and young professionals working within the fields of building and buildings’ service systems, operation and construction, the competition calls for projects with a focus on people’s health and indoor climate solutions in their living environments.

All the projects will be reviewed by an international jury, composed of experts in the sector and according to the competition timeline. A shortlist of nominees will present their projects at the CLIMA 2022 conference in Rotterdam, in mid May 2022.

Read more about the competition on the Healthy Homes Design Competition website and on velux.com.

VELUX Group exceeds expectations and reduces company carbon emissions by more than half within a decade

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 08:00:00 +0200

The greater-than-expected CO₂ emission reduction is a result of the Group’s long-term carbon reduction strategy, which focuses on energy efficiency improvements, increased on-site renewables, and the purchase of renewable electricity.

During 2020, the Group improved energy efficiency across all its production sites, warehouses, and headquarters in Europe through certified ISO 50001 Energy Management. It also further transitioned from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, by utilising more on-site waste wood biomass (from FSC/PEFC certified wood used in production) for heat generation. Furthermore, the Group increased the purchase of green electricity with Guarantees of Origin certificates. Looking ahead, the Group committed to purchase 100% renewable electricity by 2023 through Renewable Power Purchase Agreements covering the Group’s European consumption.

Although 2020 was a year notably defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, the VELUX Group nevertheless made progress on its objectives in its Energy and Climate Strategy, with the main achievements being:

a 59% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to the 2007-baseline, exceeding the 2020 reduction target by 9 percentage points.
a 97.8% waste reutilisation rate through ISO14001:2015 certification at all VELUX production sites, with waste reutilised either as new materials or as an energy source for heat generation.
the creation of a safe working culture with safety integrated throughout all production sites and headquarters, with the result being that the Group’s accident frequency is now almost four times lower than the comparable industry benchmark².

The VELUX Management Group and a COVID-19 task force took decisive action during the pandemic to safeguard the health and well-being of employees, secure deliveries to customers, and mitigate the spread of the virus.

“It’s our nature” — towards 2030 and beyond

In 2020, the VELUX Group launched its 2030 sustainability strategy called ‘It’s our nature’, which contains more ambitions for the coming decade than the previous strategy. This new 10-year strategy represents the beginning of an extensive sustainable transformation and its 15 targets will enable the VELUX Group to ‘Pioneer climate and nature action’, ‘Innovate sustainable products’ and ‘Secure a responsible business’. The pioneering commitment in the new strategy is to become Lifetime Carbon Neutral by the Group’s 100-year anniversary in 2041. It means the Group has committed to capture its historical carbon footprint, reduce its future carbon emissions in line with science and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C scenario, and thereby become Lifetime Carbon Neutral by partnering with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on forest conservation projects around the world.

Sources

¹ Read the VELUX Sustainability 2020 Report here

² Ulykkesstatistik 2019

“Hey Google, open my window”: VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO launches compatibility with Google Assistant

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:27:32 +0100

VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO is a smart window system that helps you create better and healthier living indoors. Cross-checking local weather forecasts, smart indoor sensors monitor the temperature, humidity and CO₂concentration inside the home and activate a gateway to operate VELUX roof windows, shutters and blinds to improve the indoor climate.

Now it’s even easier to maintain a healthy indoor climate with new compatibility with Google Assistant. This means you can control your electric or solar-powered VELUX window, shutters and blinds, using Google Assistant and the product will be visible in the Google Home app.

VELUX ACTIVE brings together a smartphone app, an indoor climate sensor, a departure switch and an internet gateway run by advanced algorithms that can control the fully-automated operation of roof windows, blinds, awnings and shutters. The algorithm can also be set to run on pre-defined timings, for example if you do not want your system to operate during specific timings, such as when you are asleep or on vacation.

Knowing that most of us spend 90% of our time indoors, maximising our comfort in our homes should be a priority. We also know that it’s very important for our health to let fresh air into the home and keep it ventilated. For the winter months specifically, being able to customise your indoor climate through voice control is useful for many different reasons:

When you’re settled on the sofa, under a blanket and about to put a film on the TV, what could be better than being able to put the blinds on your roof window down without having to get up?
When you’ve cooked a meal and want to air the kitchen to get rid of CO₂and any food odours
If you’ve had the fire or a scented candle lit and want to ventilate the room
Airing your bedroom in the morning or before going to bed

Study shows how unhealthy homes and schools negatively impact children’s health and learning

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 09:30:00 +0200

An alarming 26 million – or 1 out of 3 - children in Europe live in unhealthy homes, with deficiencies like dampness or mould, darkness, excess noise and cold. If exposed to all four factors, children are four times more likely to suffer from poor health and their learning is negatively impacted.

These are some of the findings in the 2019 edition of the Healthy Homes Barometer, the fifth annual study launched by the VELUX Group, which this year focuses on some of the most vulnerable members of society - children. It finds that children living with unhealthy indoor climates are significantly more likely to report eczema, coughing, wheezing, asthma, allergies and poor respiratory health.

This can impact students’ education, with the effect being increased absence from school. Furthermore, there are negative consequences for society that go beyond children’s health and learning and impact the economy. Productivity is reduced through work loss as adults care for their sick children.

Key findings

1 out of 3 European children, or 26 million, live in unhealthy buildings
Children living with four risk factors (dampness or mould, darkness, noise and cold) are 4.2 times more likely to report poor health
European children could miss nearly two million days of school each year because of health problems related to buildings with deficiencies
Improved air quality can boost student performance (task solving) by up to 15%.

Educational impact

Children are not only experiencing health issues due to poor indoor climates; they are also losing out on their education. The conditions that are linked to living in unhealthy homes are responsible for nearly two million missed school days. On average, this means about 2.5 missed school days per sick child per year because of illnesses associated with an unhealthy indoor climate.

Healthier homes and schools for healthier economies

Improving ventilation in schools and reducing exposure to dampness or mould in Europe’s homes will not only benefit children’s health, it could also boost the European economy cumulatively by more than EUR 300 billion by 2060. On top of that, there can be additional economic advantages to reducing noise exposure, increasing daylight access and improving indoor temperature.

Suburban and low-income disadvantages

It is not only children living in urban homes who are at most risk. Suburban areas are also affected, with single family homes especially vulnerable to health effects associated with having a poor indoor climate. This is particularly concerning as suburban growth in Europe has significantly outpaced urban growth, with urbanisation up 30% and suburban growth up 47% from 1961-2011. Furthermore, children from low-income families are more likely to suffer health risks, with those in the lower 20% on the household income scale being nearly 25% more likely to live in homes with deficiencies.

Global survey finds we’re lacking fresh air and natural light, as we spend less time in nature

Tue, 21 May 2019 08:00:00 +0200

The survey of 16,853 adults across 15 countries, across Europe and North America, found that despite 90% of respondents stating that they would enjoy spending more time in nature, over half (52%) said that in the last month they had on average only spent one hour or less a day in it. The global survey revealed that 85% believed that they typically spent more time in nature as a child than children do today, indicating that this is a mounting global problem.

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.

A VELUX sponsored guide focusing on making homes healthier

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0100

Today, the World Green Building Council launched a new guide to creating healthier homes that in turn, are healthier for the planet. The guide takes a combination of the latest research into air quality, thermal and acoustic comfort and lighting and translates it into simple, low-cost and practical strategies to make the home environment healthier for both people and planet. The world’s buildings have a direct impact both on the environment and on personal health and wellbeing, as well as having huge financial implications to owners and occupiers.

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.

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

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.
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.
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.
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/.
Velux. 2017. Healthy Homes Barometer. https://www.velux.com/health/healthy-homes-barometer-2017.
International Energy Agency. Buildings. https://www.iea.org/buildings/.

New study shows better schools, hospitals and offices are key to improving European’s lives

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 09:29:52 +0100

Investing in the renovation of offices, schools and hospitals would greatly improve the health, well-being and productivity of European citizens, according to a new study launched today by Buildings 2030 and conducted by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), both non-profit organisations.

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.

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

New Study: Europe’s suburbs key to tackling ill-health caused by aging, deficient buildings

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0200

The Healthy Homes Barometer 2018 is the 4^th edition of this pan-European study, which takes the pulse of Europe’s buildings and examines the effects of housing on inhabitants’ health. This year’s report sheds light on some stark realities, especially in Europe’s rapidly-growing suburban areas:

Europe’s suburbs have grown 54% more than urban areas over recent decades, and are made up of 62% single-family homes
Single-family homes are up to 33% more likely to result in residents reporting ill-health than multi-family homes
Investing in healthy office buildings should be a no-brainer for companies.

Suburbanisation and the (un)healthy home
Urbanisation is a familiar topic to many, but in Europe as a whole, it is actually suburban areas which are growing fastest, outpacing urban growth by 54% between 1961 and 2011 (when the last 10-year dataset is available). A house in the suburbs is still the dream for many Europeans, who move out of cities looking for more space, lower costs and better quality of life. Single-family homes dominate the suburban landscape, comprising 62% of dwellings in these areas. Yet many of them are old and deficient, and they are significantly more likely to cause poor health. For example, occupants of single-family homes with overheating issues are 33% more likely to report poor health than those in multi-family homes with the same problem.

Renovation: a sound investment for society
The report shows that money exists in the system to catalyse the required levels of renovation, but goes on to detail the major – and often unnecessary – barriers that can deter homeowners from making this type of investment. The long-term benefits of renovation are also demonstrated. While the one-time cost of bringing housing up to standard across Europe is thought to be around €295 billion, inadequate housing is estimated to cost EU economies €194 billion every single year.

Healthy offices: a win-win
When not at home, many Europeans spend the majority of their time in an office. For the first time, this year’s edition of the Healthy Homes Barometer also looks at European office environments. With 90% of a business’ operating costs going on its employees, and better indoor environments leading to significant improvements in productivity and well-being, the report demonstrates why investing in office buildings should be a no-brainer for companies.

These are just a few of the findings in this year’s Healthy Homes Barometer, which also offers suggestions as to how policy makers, industry and private individuals can work together to improve the state of Europe’s homes and offices – something that will be absolutely vital in working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals and achieving the commitments laid out in the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement.

The Healthy Homes Barometer 2018 comprises new analysis of the EU’s Eurostat database carried out by Ecofys, a Navigant Company, along with new research from Fraunhofer IBP, supplemented by existing published data.

Read the full the Healthy Homes Barometer 2018 here.

VELUX partners with Netatmo on Smart Home innovation

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 14:31:20 +0100

LAS VEGAS, 3^rd January 2017

VELUX today announces a partnership with revolutionary smart home company Netatmo. VELUX is working with Netatmo to develop innovative indoor climate solutions called VELUX Active. Both the partnership and the product concept are being announced today, in the context of CES Unveiled – the preview to the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, USA.

The first VELUX ACTIVE products are expected to launch July 2018. They will include WiFi gateway and smart controls 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, sunlight levels, humidity, and CO₂ levels users will be able to automate roof window and sunscreen operation - thereby ensuring the optimum indoor climate in a home at all times.

VELUX ACTIVE has also been awarded two prestigious CES 2017 awards in the Smart Home and Eco-design & Sustainable Technologies categories.

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.

As part of its strategy on smart homes and the Internet of Things, in August 2016 VELUX also announced a collaboration with Apple, to develop products compatible with Apple’s HomeKit smart home platform.

How 'healthy' are European policies?

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:30:00 +0200

The event brought together the most relevant stakeholders and policy makers to discuss the positive potential for aspects relating to human health, and to explore options for increasing the relevance of health in EU policy making overall. By gathering a wide range of different stakeholders and policy makers (MEPs, NGOs, academia, the Estonian Council Presidency and industry), momentum is being built to demonstrate the importance of health to all European policy makers, and to raise it as a priority.

On the occasion of today’s event, the ENVI Committee's rapporteur on the EPBD highlighted the importance of prioritising health in EU policies:

The European Union has a good track record protecting people’s health from environmental and climate issues. However, despite the EU’s leadership in this field, many people in Europe still suffer from chronic illnesses, such as asthma or heart disease, while premature deaths are still being caused by air pollution, chemical exposure or even energy choices. According to research by the German research institute Fraunhofer Institut für Bauphysik (IBP) 84 million Europeans live in homes that are too damp, causing respiratory illnesses such as asthma and COPD.

Mrs. Anne Stauffer, Director for Strategy and Campaigns at Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) who was part of the panel debate agreed:

Ingrid Reumert, VP in the VELUX Group, elaborated on best-practices and research findings from their extensive buildings program, aimed at demonstrating how tomorrow’s sustainable and people-centric buildings can be built today by using existing solutions:

Healthy buildings a step towards a brighter future

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 11:47:19 +0200

A team of building engineers, researchers and architects are due to present 11 research papers at Healthy Buildings Europe 2017 in Lublin, Poland, and Passive Low Energy Architecture 2017 in Edinburgh, including its 2017 Healthy Homes Barometer, which last month highlighted a clear correlation between poor housing stock and ill-health in all countries across Europe.

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

Foyer Anderlechtois Social Housing Association to renovate 86 properties using VELUX’s RenovActive concept

Wed, 31 May 2017 12:00:00 +0200

The VELUX Group today announces that its RenovActive concept will be used by Belgian Social Housing Association, “Le Foyer Anderlechtois” to renovate 86 of their properties in the Anderlecht area of Brussels.

VELUX’s RenovActive project took a property which was in extremely poor condition and carried out a deep renovation that brought it up to high standards, following the Active House principles which balance energy efficiency, indoor comfort and environmental considerations. Vitally, the renovation was carried out within the budgetary framework of Brussels Social Housing, and offers a response to challenges of energy poverty by providing inhabitants with a well-lit home with plenty of fresh air, which is also warm in the winter, for a utilities budget of approximately 1090 EUR per year (gas + electricity).

The house has been open for one year – receiving a total of 1075 people in visits from delegations of politicians, legislators, local council representatives, town planners, social housing associations, academics and media. It has just been handed over to its new housing association residents.

Now, after assessing the results of the project, Le Foyer Anderlechtois has decided to apply the same renovation concept to a further 86 of its properties.

“As a social housing company, one of our obligations is to achieve social objectives. Furthermore, we are committed to seeking solutions that overcome issues of damp and poor indoor air quality, while lowering the CO₂ emissions from our communities,” says Bruno Lahousse, General Manager at Le Foyer Anderlechtois. “The RenovActive concept goes a long way towards addressing these goals, and that’s why we’ve chosen it as the basis for the renovations announced today.”

The RenovActive concept is based around seven replicable elements which can be used together or independently to upgrade a building’s energy performance and indoor comfort, while reducing its environmental footprint.

New study: startling correlation between poor housing and ill-health

Wed, 31 May 2017 08:30:00 +0200

The VELUX Group today launches the 2017 edition of the Healthy Homes Barometer in the context of an event dedicated to Healthy Buildings at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. This year’s study, developed in collaboration with Ecofys, a Navigant company, Fraunhofer IBP, and Copenhagen Economics, examines the effects of housing on the health of people in countries across Europe, along with the associated costs to society and ways to tackle the problem.

Europeans living in an “unhealthy” (meaning damp or mouldy) building are more than 1½ times (66%) more likely to report poor health, and 40% more likely to suffer from asthma, as those who do not. Meanwhile, Europeans who suffer energy poverty (here meaning they are unable to keep their homes comfortably warm in winter) are twice as likely to report poor health and nearly three times more likely to report damp in the home.

The costs of unhealthy buildings are not just felt by individuals either. The overall (direct and indirect) costs to European governments and societies of just two of the many diseases associated with damp living environments – asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – reach a staggering EUR 82 billion per year.

One solution is to modernize Europe’s existing buildings through energy efficient and healthy renovations. This would not only lead to improved health outcomes, lower societal costs, and reduced CO₂ emissions, but would also provide a much-needed catalyst to European economies. The Healthy Homes Barometer 2017 goes on to examine the level of private capital available for renovation in EU member states – EUR 30 trillion – and what would be required to help unlock some of that total to invest in renovation.

These are just a few of the striking findings of this year’s report. For the first time, using data from the European Commission’s vast Eurostat Database, the analysis provides new evidence on the relationship between housing and health.

“Buildings are beautiful when people feel good in them”

Thu, 11 May 2017 12:11:00 +0200

In the fully daylit conference room at the iconic Café Moskau, 360 participants from around the world witnessed presentations on groundbreaking daylight research and generous lectures related to daylight in architecture by leading architect offices from Europe, Canada and the USA.

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”

Watch leading architectural keynotes LIVE from Daylight Symposium

Mon, 01 May 2017 12:04:40 +0200

Speakers from around the world will address new paradigms for architecture and the way we live by using insights derived from lighting, medical and architectural research.

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.

VELUX supports broad industry coalition – EPBD Review

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0100

For the first time, the building glass façade and window industry represented by European Aluminium, EuroWindoor, ES-SO and Glass for Europe come together to call for a modernised EPBD to unleash the energy savings potential of high performing windows.

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:

Increasing the renovation rate of European buildings to obtain larger energy use reductions
Using the energy balance approach to assess the energy performance of windows
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

The VELUX Group syncs up with Apple HomeKit

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:27:00 +0200

Apple HomeKit, which now has its very own app, offers a simple and secure way to set up and control home automation from the palm of your hand.

Bringing the internet of things into your home, the VELUX Group believes that home automation is crucial to the future development of the building industry and other industries selling products for our homes.

Furthermore, as healthier homes are more important than ever to consumers, proven by the VELUX Group’s Healthy Homes Barometer 2016, the group believes that smart homes will enable more people to take steps to improve the state of their home.

The VELUX Group expects to have its first product solutions integrated to the Apple HomeKit platform in the course of 2018.

For more information about the updates to Apple HomeKit, see the WWDC keynote presentations on 13^th, 14^th and 15^th June from San Francisco, California.

New research reveals poor indoor climate in European schools

Mon, 09 May 2016 13:23:44 +0200

The new research, which is a systematic review of over 200 scientific studies, reports that a large number of the 95 million school children in Europe are working in classrooms with excessive levels of CO2 and an inadequate supply of daylight.

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.

Unhealthy homes cause illness, flu-like symptoms and fatigue among Europeans, new study finds

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0200

Large numbers of Europeans suffer from health problems and lack of well-being every single day. This is bad for quality of life and is also a likely cause of significant loss of productivity in the economy. A new study conducted by the VELUX Group in collaboration with Humboldt University, Germany, points to five indications that unhealthy homes are part of the problem. The potential costs to society are billions of Euros - in sick days and lower quality of life.

The Healthy Homes Barometer study surveyed 14,000 people across 14 European countries in order to achieve a better understanding of how Europeans’ homes affect their health.

How to diagnose an unhealthy home

The study points to five characteristics of European homes that determine whether our homes are healthy or unhealthy. They are: good sleeping conditions; comfortable indoor temperatures; sufficient amounts of daylight; fresh air; and healthy levels of humidity.

The evidence is clear. Europeans who live in cold houses or have mould in their home are approximately 50% more likely to suffer from illnesses like nose or throat infections. Meanwhile, if the home allows for a good night’s sleep, Europeans are 50% more likely to feel they have good health and feel energized. Having enough daylight in the home almost halves the risk of being low on energy, while people who never air out their homes are twice as likely to suffer from low energy levels compared to Europeans who do so two-to-four times daily.

These characteristics are related to both home construction and habits of everyday use.

Health and home satisfaction go hand in hand

Healthy homes are good not only for our bodies, but they also lift our sense of home satisfaction. For example, good sleep quality, lots of fresh air, plenty of daylight and appropriate levels of humidity are all amongst the top contributors to home satisfaction. Good indoor climate even trumps the expense of energy costs when looking at what creates most home satisfaction.

Raising quality of life – saving society billions

The potential for lifting European health and quality of life are huge. In the study, one in four feel their health is below par, one in four never feel energized and half of all Europeans suffer from sore throats and runny noses.

Data from the UK Office of National Statistics show that 27 million working days were lost in 2013 in the UK alone due to minor illnesses like coughs, colds or flu. Preventing these could save society billions and increase productivity.

The results of the study will be presented at the 2^nd Healthy Buildings Day conference on April 20^th in Brussels, Belgium.

The consequences of unhealthy homes in Europe

Europeans who live in cold houses are approximately 50% more likely to suffer from nose and throat infections
78% of Europeans live in houses that were too cold at some point during the last winter. 15% report this to be the case all or most of the time.

Europeans whose home allows for a good night’s sleep are 50% more likely to feel they have good health and are energized
71% of Europeans do not have optimal sleeping conditions in their home. One in three report their sleep quality within the last four weeks as either very bad or fairly bad.

Europeans who never air out their homes are twice as likely to suffer from low energy levels compared to Europeans who air out 2-4 times daily
59% of Europeans do not air out at least twice a day.

Having enough daylight in the home almost halves the risk of being low on energy
40% of Europeans who lack daylight in their living room never or very seldom feel energized. If daylight levels are appropriate, the share drops to 23%.

Europeans who have mould in their home are 50% more likely to suffer dryness or irritation of the throat
Among Europeans with mould in their home, up to 60% experience dryness or irritation of the throat. For Europeans who do not have this problem the share is 40%.

Download the Healthy Homes Barometer 2016 at http://emagcreator.com/VELUX/HHB_2016/

VELUX Group donates roof windows to sports clubs

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0100

The VELUX Group brings daylight and fresh air into people’s lives. Now everybody that uses and enjoys one of many sports clubs across Europe has the opportunity to make their club house brighter, more comfortable and healthier – completely free of charge. Every sport requires energy. Daylight and fresh air, along with a healthy diet, help provide that energy to everyone who spends most of their lives indoors.

One sports club in each of the 30 countries in Europe where the VELUX Group has a presence will benefit from the donation of the complete installation of up to six roof windows. But any sports club making an application for roof windows must be a non-profit organisation.

If your local sports club would like to apply for roof windows, ask a club representative to contact a local installer and upload photos and drawings of the clubhouse to him by 15 August 2016 at the latest. In September, the VELUX Group will select the sports clubs who will receive the donation.

Why the donation?

Throughout 2016, the VELUX Group will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the original idea that became the roof window. In all that time, VELUX products have brought a new quality of life to people’s homes, workplaces and schools. As part of the celebrations, the VELUX Group will be launching a number of activities around the world – all centred around the beneficial effects of daylight and fresh air on our lives and learning capacity.

VELUX on COP21: A step in the right direction

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:13:00 +0100

For the first time, the Paris conference saw buildings on the agenda of COP negotiations. As they account for some 40 per cent of European energy consumption and CO2 emissions, it makes eminently good sense to incorporate buildings in the efforts to reduce both.

90 per cent of the existing building stock in Europe will still be in use in 2050. And 75 per cent of those buildings are energy inefficient. The VELUX Group has constructed a series of experimental buildings throughout Europe to show that the tools needed for environment-friendly construction are already available. Next April, the Group will complete an example of energy renovation in a social housing estate in Belgium.

The VELUX Group’s core business areas are Western Europe and the USA. But is sees significant potential in former Eastern Europe, where the need for home renovation is much greater than in Denmark and other countries in Western Europe. Less than 5 per cent of the company’s sales are made in Denmark.

6th VELUX Daylight Symposium opened

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0200

The Symposium takes place in London on 2-3 September and pays tribute to the 2015 International Year of Light proclaimed by the United Nations and Unesco.

Designing with daylight was the central topic of the morning’s keynote lecture by David Nelson, Head of Design at Foster+Partners. Taking the audience through examples from the global design portfolio of his company, Nelson demonstrated the immense opportunities in daylighting to create the right atmosphere and conditions that match the local environment and purpose of buildings.

With more than 350 participants from all continents, the Daylight Symposium has grown into one of the most important events that the global community for daylight specialists sharing important research, tools and knowledge for daylighting design.

Healthy buildings – healthy people
The morning session of the Symposium was dedicated to a discussion on the importance of daylight for human well-being and health. The lectures ranged from highly scientific studies on human biology and circadian rhythms to actual design programmes and solutions for hospitals, schools, office buildings and private homes. Among the interesting approaches was Professor Koen Steemers’ focus on architecture for wellbeing - what he called ‘nudge-architecture’ - which means buildings that actively encourage people to connect with each other, be active and keep learning for better health and happiness in life.

Christoph Reinhart from the MIT Sustainable Design Lab introduced his ideas to get people more outside and more daylight inside buildings in dense urban areas. And Marilyne Andersen, Professor of Sustainable Construction Technologies at EPFL in Switzerland, proposed approaches and tools to human-centred design.

Special focus on hospitals and schools
The afternoon session looked more specifically at how daylight can benefit rapid recovery at hospitals and enhance the learning capabilities of children at school.

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

Therefore, it is not enough to presume that what we practice is good for people’s health, we need to work on safer ground in close cooperation with medical specialists, she said.

Poul Bogard, author of the book “the end of night”, emphasized, that light pollution does not only harm us – it also damages the ecology around us. He regretted the absence of complete darkness or starry nights in many parts of the world.

Second day of Daylight Symposium
On the second day of the Symposium, the speakers will explore tools and methods for designing with daylight and raise the question whether current daylighting regulations are sufficient for design of buildings, that support people’s health and well-being. In the afternoon, the winners of the Natural Light competition will be presented and celebrated.

The Symposium takes place at Tobacco Docks in London’s East End, a historical warehouse complex first constructed in 1811 to store and dispatch tobacco from overseas to British customers and now converted into a spectacular daylit conference venue.

Daylight Symposium ready to kick off

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:29:18 +0200

This year’s Daylight Symposium will focus on the challenges faced by today’s 24/7 society where more than 90% of our daily routines are taking place indoors.

Leading researchers and practitioners will address pertinent questions such as: How can we ensure that our modern lifestyle is in balance with nature’s daily and seasonal cycles? How can spaces and occupants adapt to changing daily and seasonal conditions? How can architecture and daylight interact to stimulate our senses? How can we rethink our homes, workplaces and public spaces into healthier and more sustainable living environments?

Buildings should provide health and happiness
One of the key themes that will be discussed at the symposium is how architecture can stimulate health, comfort and happiness, adapting to changing daily and seasonal conditions and interacting with our senses and biological rhythms.

Key speakers - such as artist Olafur Eliasson, David Nelson from Foster + Partners and Paul Bogard from James Madison University - will address these issues from a wide range of different perspectives, from schools and hospitals to offices, homes and entire urban environments.

Putting research into practice
The symposium aims to bring forward a number of research perspectives and tools on human-responsive design that can inspire the rethinking of homes, workplaces and public buildings. Regulation and building codes, however, play an essential role when it comes to putting daylighting research into large-scale practice.

The Daylight Symposium questions whether the current regulation and codes are sufficient to secure adequate daylighting and how new metrics and design criteria may help the building community move forward.

Facts about the Daylight Symposium 2015
The 6th VELUX Daylight Symposium takes place at Tobacco Dock in London, on 2-3 September 2015.

More than 30 researchers and scientists will present leading-edge knowhow at the Symposium. To see a full list of speakers, please go to the Symposium programme: www.thedaylightsite.com/symposium/2015-2/programme/

The 6th VELUX Daylight Symposium is part of the International Year of Light (IYL) programme. IYL was initiated by the UN General Assembly and shares the agenda to raise global awareness about how light promotes sustainable development and solutions to global challenges in energy, education and health. The VELUX Group is IYL sponsor.

Multiple benefits of renovating buildings

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:32:27 +0200

The EU Energy Union Strategy aims to bring the EU into a new era of more integrated, secure, sustainable and affordable energy system and it has become a cornerstone of the Juncker Commissions’ new approach for the EU. It contains five dimensions, including energy efficiency that must be addressed in order to achieve the vision of an EU Energy Union.

Items that the event addresses are:

The cost of non-renovation to the EU
The financing of building renovations
The reasons to renovate and the benefits that result

Ingrid Reumert points to recent findings in the Healthy Homes Barometer – a study conducted by Wilke for the VELUX Group – that shows homeowners are motivated to undertake renovations by their wish to have greater comfort and better indoor climate, going beyond lower energy bills.

As the Commission and Member States brainstorm around effective ways to implement the ambitions set out in the Energy Union Framework, it is certain that the contribution of the building sector should not be ignored as it has a proven energy savings potential of 61% and 38% in residential and tertiary buildings, respectively, by 2030 (Analysis of a European Reference Target System for 2030 (Fraunhofer ISI, October 2013)).

Learn more about the event: www.euroace.org

Fresh air at home more important than exercise

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0100

Avoid tobacco. Exercise. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Years of public debate have made Europeans keenly aware of these important guidelines for a healthy lifestyle. Even though the topic is much newer in the public debate, Europeans have nevertheless understood the importance of living in a healthy home.

This is the surprising conclusion from a new study among 12,000 Europeans in 12 countries. The study is the biggest yet to highlight Europeans’ views and behaviour in relation to the healthy home.

A healthy home, or more accurately a home that supports a healthy human life, has been surveyed as part of a list of nine aspects of our everyday life that can make us more or less healthy. Of these nine, ventilating the home for fresh air comes out second, and having plenty of daylight in the home comes out fourth. And what we actually do the most in our home, sleeping well at night, comes out as the number one thing you need to make sure to look out for if you wish to stay healthy. Avoiding tobacco comes out sixth, whereas regular exercise comes out seventh among the nine.

The study was performed by the research institute, Wilke, in order to achieve a better understanding of how Europeans think about the healthy home, and Michael K. Rasmussen, Chief Marketing Officer of the VELUX Group, is surprised by the result:

Despite his optimism, Michael K. Rasmussen also sees warning signs. Given what we know about Europe’s current building stock and Europeans’ behaviour as documented by the Healthy Homes Barometer 2015, Europeans are perhaps in general too optimistic when it comes to the indoor environment in their homes. A new study from the Frauenhofer-Institut für Bauphysik from 2014 revealed that 80 million Europeans live in homes that are damp. Damp homes have an unhealthy indoor climate, which almost doubles the risk of developing asthma. In other words, if Europeans were more aware of how unhealthy their homes were, they would probably be less satisfied.

The new study also shows that Europeans neglect to air out sufficiently in the cold winter months. Almost one quarter of all Europeans neglect the daily change of the indoor air in the wintertime.

Also, drying clothes indoors is a bad habit that Europeans apparently have a hard time shaking off. 65% of all Europeans dry clothes indoors a least once a week, thus increasing the risk of mould and dampness. A significant number of Europeans also sleep in less than complete darkness, thereby reducing the quality of their sleep.

About the Healthy Homes Barometer

The Healthy Homes Barometer is a study by the VELUX Group.

It is based on an analysis presenting key findings from a pan-European study investigating European citizens’ attitudes and behaviour regarding home comfort, energy consumption and environmental impact. Once a year, changes in these indicators will be measured and reported in a Healthy Homes Barometer publication.

Methodology

During October 2014, a questionnaire was answered by 12,000 Europeans in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and the UK.

The twelve countries surveyed represent more than 375 million Europeans, accounting for more than 70% of the total European population. Furthermore, the selected countries represent a variety of sizes and geographic locations.

The questionnaire and analysis were carried out by independent consultancies, Operate A/S and Wilke. Academic consultancy for the Healthy Homes Barometer is provided by Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Bernd Wegener, Humboldt University, Berlin.

Join the discussion anytime at #HealthyBuildings

Roof window for historical buildings launched

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 12:00:00 +0100

It can be difficult to please everyone when historical buildings are to be preserved. There are many solutions to the problem, but few manage to bridge the gulf of history and harmonise the needs of today with the constructions of yesterday.

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.

The VELUX Group shares its knowledge and experience with green-energy building at Danish export promotion in Germany

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0100

The objective is to exchange knowledge between countries on sustainable building, and will include a presentation of German developments and support schemes for sustainable buildings, as well as on activities with healthy buildings. Danish experience with the development of ways of meeting the requirement for future Nearly Zero Energy buildings will be presented by a team that includes members from Aalborg University and the Danish Energy Agency.

Sharing knowledge and experience with sustainability

The VELUX Group will be represented by VELUX Germany's General Manager Dr Sebastian Dresse, who will share the VELUX Group's lengthy experience and knowledge in the fields of sustainable and green living.

Buildings that optimise health and well-being

With its 21 demonstration buildings to date, the VELUX Group has made a continuous contribution and shared its own experience and knowledge of healthier, greener and more sustainable living environments. The Group has repeatedly proved that the buildings of tomorrow can actually be built today − buildings that optimise human health and well-being through improved indoor climate and yet minimise environmental impact and energy demand.

Setting the green agenda

The VELUX Group's demonstration buildings are based on the Active House principles, an attractive solution that responds to the Nearly Zero Energy Building requirement that the Group has helped define with its input and knowledge of sustainable living in buildings.

EU countries missing out on dual gains, energy savings and better health

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0100

The report "Renovation Strategies of Selected EU Countries", analyzing national renovation strategies in 10 EU countries, reveals that 6 of those 10 countries have not succeeded in setting a clear, strategic path, and most lack bold and determined action plans. Furthermore, 6 months after the European Commission's deadline, 6 out of 28 member states have still not published their strategies.

The disclosed results surprise the VELUX Group, a global leader in the building industry and manufacturer of roof windows and modular skylights, as it sees a great, untapped potential in sharpening the focus on renovation of buildings.

There are many good reasons for turning buildings into safe, efficient and healthy places. A study by the Technical University of Denmark shows that pupils' learning abilities can be improved by up to 15% when the indoor climate is improved, and those students with the most daylight in their classrooms progressed 20% faster in maths tests and 26% in reading tests.

Furthermore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 10-50% of the indoor environments where people live, work and play in Europe are damped, and that humid buildings are known to cause health problems such as allergies and asthma. On the other hand, new or retrofitted buildings that are too airtight can overheat which also has implications on health and well-being.

Natural ventilation, sunlight and cleanliness can reduce infection

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0200

Before the development of antibiotics; ventilation, natural light, and cleanliness were the means to keep infection under control. However, the findings of Dr. Richard Hobday's research suggest that the design of buildings today is more focused on human comfort rather than health, which in worst case can cause increased sickness, diseases and mortality.

These findings from Dr. Richard Hobday's research will be presented at the annual IARU Sustainability Science Congress in Copenhagen from the 22nd to the 24th of october, where Dr. Hobday will address sustainability from a health perspective.

Sustainability is, according to Dr. Hobday, also about creating a built environment that stimulates both body and mind. Buildings such as hospitals, schools and child care centres are places that particularly need a good and healthy indoor climate as it reduces the risk of diseases and strengthens the health, learning ability, and self-development.

The Danish child care centre the Sunhouse (Solhuset) in Hørsholm is a tangible proof that this is within reach to meet future requirements for sustainable buildings and at the same time - to provide a healthy and stimulating indoor climate. Based on the "Active House principles" – defining buildings with healthy indoor climate that minimise its energy use and environmental impact – it has become one of the most climate friendly day care centres in Denmark.

At completion in 2011 the Sunhouse managed to set new standards for sustainable child care centres. It is carbon neutral and renewable energy driven and it has tripled the amount of daylight defined by the Danish building codes. On top of all this, children have gained a nest where they can learn, live and play in harmony with nature.

The Sunhouse, is one of the VELUX Group's 21 demonstration buildings and is open for visits by the press on Friday, 24 October, where it will be possible to meet the dedicated team and see children unfolding themselves in spacious and brightened indoor environments.

Through its 21 demonstration buildings, using existing products, processes and technologies, the VELUX Group has proved that the buildings of tomorrow can actually be build today. Buildings that comply with the predicted EU building energy standards for 2020 without compromising on indoor comfort, health and well-being. That is the VELUX Group's contribution to the quest for a more healthy and sustainable future.

EuroACE and the VELUX Group boosts awareness of efficient and healthy buildings

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0200

As part of the EU Sustainable Energy Week High-Level Policy Conference, EuroACE organises on Wednesday 25th June 2014 a joint event with its member company the VELUX Group, entitled "Quizzing the Stakeholders: Making Energy Efficient Buildings More Visible and Attractive". Emphasis is placed at this year's Quiz event, now a firm fixture in EUSEW, on the potential of Energy Performance Certificates to raise awareness about the multiple benefits and importance of increased energy efficiency in buildings.

According to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD – to be reviewed before 2017), Energy Performance Certificates must be issued for all buildings that are rented, leased or sold, and must be displayed in public buildings of over 500m².

"Buildings are a huge drain on energy consumption in the EU, making EU Energy Dependence Day earlier and earlier every year" explains Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of EuroACE. "Citizens can see this energy consumption through the Energy Performance Certificates in their homes, in their offices, in their children's schools. We need to raise awareness about this wasteful energy consumption, as this is the first step for taking action to renovate our buildings and release the multiple benefits locked up in our building stock!"

The Energy Performance Certificate of one building is particularly in the spotlight during EuroACE/VELUX Group's Quiz event: the Commission's Charlemagne building. A giant-size poster this week on its façade presents its energy rating and the related actions to reduce the energy consumption of Commission buildings (see www.renovate-europe.eu)

In addition to improving energy security, reducing energy bills and creating local jobs, increasing the energy efficiency of the building stock in the EU also has the potential to release significant health benefits for EU citizens.

"Energy efficiency and healthy buildings shall go hand in hand" says Ingrid Reumert, Vice-President, Public Affairs & Sustainability, the VELUX Group, speaking at the EUSEW Quiz event. "We spend 90% of our time indoors and we know from research that a good indoor climate, daylight and fresh air are essential to our general wellbeing, health, learning abilities and productivity."

Reumert went on to report on recent findings that shows homeowners are motivated to undertake energy renovations by their wish to have greater comfort and healthier indoor climates. "Putting homeowners needs centre stage will trigger energy efficient and high quality renovations. There is a need to create incentives by making attractive legislative framework that integrate energy efficiency and a healthy indoor climate."

As the Commission and Member States brainstorm around effective ways to drastically reduce the energy dependence of the EU, buildings feature increasingly centre stage, as the building sector represents the largest energy consuming sector in the EU at 43%, with an energy savings potential of 61% and 38% in residential and tertiary buildings, respectively, by 2030.

Learn more about the event: www.euroace.org