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Eight Daylight Student Projects Shortlisted for International Architecture Award

Wed, 13 May 2026 11:06:11 +0200

Eight winners selected among hundreds of worldwide submissions in the Light of Tomorrow by VELUX competition, focused on shaping the future of architecture through daylight.

Eight student architecture projects from around the world have been selected as regional winners and special prizes of Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026, following an international jury evaluation of hundreds of submissions from architecture schools across multiple continents.

The selected projects represent the strongest entries across the competition’s global regions and reflect a wide range of approaches to exploring the role of daylight in future architecture. Together, the eight regional winners highlight how students worldwide are responding to shared challenges such as sustainability, wellbeing, and the transformation of the built environment by using daylight as a key design driver.

Global competition, global perspectives
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX is a biennial international competition that challenges architecture students to explore daylight as a fundamental architectural resource. The 2026 edition attracted submissions from hundreds of student teams worldwide, underscoring the continued relevance of daylight in architectural education and practice.

The eight winning projects were selected for their innovative use of daylight, depth of research, clarity of architectural thinking, and overall presentation. While rooted in diverse local contexts, the projects collectively demonstrate a strong global commitment to designing buildings that prioritise human wellbeing and environmental responsibility.

The eight regional winners

Western Europe – Woven Light, Lund University, Sweden
Eastern Europe & the Middle East – Filtered Light, National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Ukraine
The Americas – The Light as Memory, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Chile
Asia & Oceania – Sun the Quilt, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, China
Africa – Woven Time, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

(Regions corresponding to the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Regions)

Special prizes
In addition to the regional awards, three special prizes were granted for outstanding work in the following categories:

Daylight in New Buildings – Reclaiming the Tropical Plaza, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Daylight in Building Transformations – Folding Light, Tsinghua University, China
Daylight Investigations – Evaporative Cooling Celosia, Royal Danish Academy, Denmark

Recognition for students and educators
Each winner receives €3,000 for the student team and €500 for the supervising teacher, recognising both student excellence and the vital role of educators in guiding future architects.

What happens next
All eight winners are invited to take part in a workshop in Barcelona, where they will then present their projects live to an international jury during the UIA World Congress of Architects. Following the presentations, one global winner of Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026 will be selected and awarded €4,000 for the student(s) and €1,000 for the teacher.

About the jury
The international jury consisted of James Carpenter (US), Liene Jākobsone (LV), Níall McLaughlin (IE), Oya Atalay Franck (CH), and Elena Arregui Jaeger (VELUX, ES).
The jury highlighted the overall quality, diversity, and ambition of the submitted projects, noting how students interpreted the theme Light of Tomorrow in response to both local conditions and global challenges.

About Light of Tomorrow by VELUX
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX is an international competition for students of architecture, held every second year since 2004. The 2026 edition is organised in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and is acknowledged by EAAE, ACSA and AIAS.

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VELUX Group commissions BayWa r.e. to build two solar parks to power its European operations with green electricity by 2024

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 08:30:00 +0100

First ever solar plant symbiosis in Spain, integrating agriculture, biodiversity, and community with renewable energy generation.
The electricity generated will address 100% of the VELUX Group’s European operations and up to 90% of global consumption.
The new solar parks will secure the 2030 ambition of the VELUX Group aiming for 100% CO2-emissions reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 (production and activities).

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

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

Bringing more renewable energy online

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

Pioneering solar plant symbiosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner of the Best Use of Natural Light Prize announced at World Architecture Festival 2021

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 11:55:00 +0100

The prize was presented at the World Architecture Festival earlier this month by Programme Director Paul Finch from WAF and special advisor Tina Christensen from the VELUX Group. It is aimed at existing buildings and is awarded to architectural projects that showcase a unique use of daylight and take into consideration the impact of light on life quality and well-being.

Since 2019, the Best Use of Natural Light Prize has been presented at the World Architecture Festival in collaboration with the VELUX Group. VELUX has been a partner of the World Architecture Festival since 2015. The World Architecture Festival 2021 was hosted as an online event on December 1-3.

The following projects were shortlisted for the award:

Heatherwick Studio, Maggie's Leeds Centre
Batlle I Roig Arquitectura, Doctors Without Borders Corporate Headquarters - Barcelona
Durbach Block Jaggers & John Wardle Architects, Phoenix Central Park
LINK Arkitektur and 3XN in collaboration with Nickl & Partner and Kristine Jensens Tegnestue, The North Wing - Rigshospitalet
3h architects Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) Development of Campus and Creative Innovation Knowledge Park
FaulknerBrowns Architects, Lower Mountjoy Teaching and Learning Centre
Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, UTS Central
Foster & Partners, Hankook Technoplex

Jury members:

David Basulto, Founder and Editor in Chief at ArchDaily
Eva Jiřičná, Founder of AI-DESIGN
Issa Diabaté, Partner at Koffi & Diabaté Architectes
Nicolas Roy, Senior Daylight Specialist at VELUX

The project Doctors Without Borders Corporate Headquarters in Barcelona, made by Batlle I Roig Arquitectura, was highly commended by the jury.

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.

More Natural Light will shine in Malawi

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 12:01:07 +0200

The lamps went to a number of projects, such as schools in the Dziwe district of Malawi, where 600 Natural Light lamps were donated, meaning that 2,000 children are now able to read and do their homework after dark.

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

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

More Natural Light to shine in Africa

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 10:00:00 +0100

The aim of this project, besides bringing a sustainable light source to off-grid communities, was to create a business model for local sales agents to make a living. This has been a great success. Today more than 50 sales agents in three African nations – Zimbabwe, Zambia and Sierra Leone – have their own businesses selling Natural Light solar lamps.

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

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

Alongside light, the Natural Light solar lamps will also help to improve air quality by reducing the widespread use of toxic, carbon-emitting kerosene lanterns, and instead, harness the sustainable energy of the sun.

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

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

About Little Sun

Little Sun is a social business and global project founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen to bring clean, reliable, affordable energy to the 1.1 billion people in the world living in off-grid areas without electricity. The project’s first product, the Little Sun solar LED lamp, is sold all over the world. The second product, Little Sun Charge, a solar phone charger, was made possible thanks to a Kickstarter campaign and is now available worldwide. Purchasing Little Suns in areas of the world with electricity makes the products available in off-grid areas at reduced, locally affordable prices, where they provide a clean alternative to toxic and expensive fuel-based lighting and a steadfast and clean alternative to relying on the electrical grid.

Little Sun addresses the need for energy in a sustainable way that benefits off-grid communities by working with local entrepreneurs, creating local jobs, and generating local profits. The Little Sun project was officially launched in July 2012 at London’s Tate Modern. Since then, more than 450,000 Little Sun lamps have been distributed worldwide, with almost half going to off-grid areas. In April 2014, Little Sun received a ground-breaking $5 million impact investment loan from Bloomberg Philanthropies, making it possible to scale Little Sun’s operations across the African continent.

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

About Plan International’s distribution of Natural Light lamps

For further information, visit Plan International.

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Ten regional winners of the International VELUX Award have been selected!

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 13:25:00 +0200

The ten regional winners showed a level of investigation and understanding of how daylight is vital for architecture and how daylight can create space. They integrated creative daylight solutions in the city and in dense communities and they showed responsibility towards nature and to social interaction. They worked with many aspects from spirituality to how daylight can be made tangible for blind people in their projects.

The five regional winners of Daylight in Buildings were:

Africa: Shelter Light by Fatai Osundiji, Emmanuel Ayoloto

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

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

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

Western Europe: Ceremonial Room Copenhagen by Eskild Pedersen

The five regional winners of Daylight Investigations were:

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

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

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

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

Western Europe: Hammershøi's Grammar by Nicholas Shurey

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

Jury meeting earlier this week

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

Light of Tomorrow

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

Winners of VKR75 Painting Competition Announced

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:29:00 +0200

The VKR Group, parent company of the VELUX Group, awarded first, second and third place in its painting competition to Eva Navarro from Spain, Shuwen Yang from China and Ruben Monakhov from Russia, at its official 75^th anniversary celebrations.

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

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

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

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

Bringing natural light to Zambia

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:00:00 +0100

Globally, 1.2 billion people have no access to electricity. On the occasion of VELUX 75th anniversary the company decided to address this issue. Together with the social business Little Sun and the NGO, Plan International, they are collaborating to bring clean, reliable and affordable light to off-grid regions in Zambia, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.

14,500 Natural Light lamps from the VELUX Group have now arrived in Africa and the first recipients can already look forward to a better quality of life.

Among them are young girls between 10 and 18 years of age who live in a safe house in the slum area Mntendere in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

One of the girls, 17-year-old Sandy, has lived in the house for five months.

Lamps generate business
Apart from generating light in the hours of darkness, the Natural Light lamp can also help generate business for many people in Zambia. The NGO Plan International has already engaged and trained a group of 70 young people in this income generating project. The young entrepreneurs sell the lamp, earning them a small commission for every lamp they sell so that they can buy more new lamps - thus kick-starting their own businesses. One of these new sales people is Adrian Mwaanga, who sees great potential for Natural Light in Zambia.

Childbirth by the light of a mobile phone
Nurse Bertha Musonda works at a local health clinic, four hours’ drive north of Lusaka, regards the solar powered lamps as an important step forward in the work towards eradicating paraffin lamps, which are both a health risk and a fire risk.

Bertha Musonda’s work as a nurse and midwife has also become much easier with the Natural Light lamp.

Distribution of solar powered lamps facilitated by Plan International
The NGO Plan International, having played a crucial role in the distribution of the lamps, sees great benefits for local communities coming from the project.

About Little Sun
Little Sun is a social business and global project founded by world-renowned artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen to get clean, reliable, affordable light to the 1.2 billion people in the world living in off-grid areas without electricity. The project’s first product, the Little Sun solar LED lamp, is sold all over the world. Purchasing Little Suns in areas of the world with electricity makes the lamps available in off-grid areas at reduced, locally affordable prices, where they provide a clean alternative to toxic and expensive fuel-based lighting such as kerosene lanterns. Little Sun addresses the need for light in a sustainable way that benefits off-grid communities by working with local entrepreneurs, creating local jobs, and generating local profits. The Little Sun project was officially launched in July 2012 at London’s Tate Modern. Since then, more than 200,000 Little Sun lamps have been distributed worldwide, with almost half going to off-grid areas.

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

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

For further information, visit Plan International.

About the Natural Light project
The VELUX Group has always been strongly committed to providing the world with new opportunities for accessing daylight and fresh air, and giving back to society. The company is founded on its knowledge of light, and it uses its expertise where it believes it will have the greatest impact. As part of its 75th anniversary, the Group aims to create a sharper focus on bringing sustainable, reliable and affordable lighting to off-grid African regions. The Velux Group has donated 14,500 lamps to communities in Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Natural Light winners present solar lamp

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 21:48:54 +0200

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn more at the official Natural Light website

Natural Light - Winner announcement

Tue, 26 May 2015 09:00:00 +0200

Last year, the VELUX Group and Little Sun joined forces to launch the Natural Light – International Design Competition, which challenged design students around the world to create a design for a solar lamp which would help to bring clean, reliable, affordable light to some of the 1.2 billion people worldwide living without electricity. Now the jury has voted and decided on the winning solar lamp design by two Industrial Design students from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

The jury members were very impressed by the creativity, innovation and thoughtfulness of the winning design.

To celebrate the VELUX Group’s 75^th anniversary, 14,500 Natural Light lamps will be produced, based on the competition’s winning design. The lamps will be distributed by the NGO Plan International in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Senegal in late 2015 and early 2016. The aim is to deliver sustainable, solar-powered light to people living in areas without electricity, through a program that involves and empowers local communities.

The winning designers

The winners of the Natural Light - International Design Competition, Ms. Mariana Arando, (22 years old), and Mr. Luca Fondello, (23 years old), both live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and are studying Industrial Design together at the University of Buenos Aires (FADU, Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning). Both students are very committed to their education, while also remaining open to wider learning from exciting projects and gaining new experiences from competitions such as this.

Distribution of the Natural Light lamp

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

About the Natural Light - International Design Competition

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

VELUX and Plan brings solar light to Africa

Mon, 11 May 2015 07:00:00 +0200

Last year the VELUX Group and Little Sun joined forces to launch the Natural Light – International Design Competition, which challenged design students around the world to produce a design for the Natural Light solar lamp, in order to bring clean, reliable, affordable light to some of the 1.2 billion people worldwide living without electricity. 14,500 Natural Light lamps will be produced based on the competition’s winning design and will be distributed by Plan in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Senegal in late 2015 and early 2016.

The Natural Light – International Design Competition received 172 design proposals submitted from 65 different countries. The jury was impressed by the creative, innovative and complex ideas it saw from the participating students.

Distribution of natural light

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

About the Natural Light International Design Competition

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

Rethinking daylight in our environment

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:34:00 +0200

Gathering an international community of researchers, practitioners and legislators to debate the vital role of daylight in buildings and people’s lives, the 6th VELUX Daylight Symposium takes on the challenges faced by today’s 24/7 society. The topics of the 2015 Symposium range from ‘daylight and life in the cities’ to ‘daylighting design and practice’ and ‘how daylight affects human health, well-being and learning capabilities’.

The Symposium speakers include world famous artist Olafur Eliasson, renowned for his works of art engaging the broader public sphere and chairman of Natural Light student competition for design of a solar lamp; Professor Koen Steemers from Cambridge University, who will present his most recent research on the interaction between sustainable architecture and human well-being; from the University of California, Professor Henrik Wann Jensen will present his leading edge daylight simulation in computer graphics and modelling; and American writer and thinker Paul Bogard will challenge dogmas of day and night, light and darkness.

Besides presentations with daylight as a driver of change as the common denominator, the networking and knowledge sharing between the expected 350 participants is an important part of the Symposium, which will take place at the Tobacco Dock in London.

The number of participants is limited to 350, and registration for the Symposium is open until 31 July on a first come, first served basis.

One-day VELUX Daylight Academic Forum precedes Symposium

The Daylight Symposium is preceded by a one-day Academic Forum for PhD students in the field of daylight.

10 PhD students have so far signed up for the Daylight Academic Forum.

Natural Light prize winner presents winning project

As a special event at the 2015 Symposium, the prize winner of the Natural Light competition will present the prize winning concept for design of a solar lamp. Little Sun (founded by Olafur Eliasson) and the VELUX Group launched the Natural Light design competition in order to encourage design students to produce creative solutions for sustainable energy and light supplies in off-grid regions.

For more information about the Natural Light design competition go to: www.naturallight.org

Natural Light Design Competition jury settled

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0100

In November 2014 the social business Little Sun and the VELUX Group joined forces to launch a design competition inviting young design students to create a special edition solar lamp in honor of VELUX’s 75^th anniversary. Utilising Little Sun’s micro-entrepreneurial distribution model, the Natural Light project will donate an initial supply of solar lamps to kick-start distribution in off-grid African communities at affordable prices.

The VELUX Group and Little Sun are happy to announce the jury for the Natural Light Design Competition. The jury consists of exciting leaders within their respective fields:

Olafur Eliasson, Patricia Urquiola, Ije Nwokorie, Melody Sarudzayi Joachim, Koyo Kouoh, along with VELUX A/S Chief Marketing Director Michael Rasmussen and Little Sun Founder and Engineer Frederik Ottesen.

Olafur Eliasson, who chairs the jury, founded Little Sun, a social business and global project that is bringing sustainable, clean solar light to areas of the world without electricity. In addition to Little Sun, Eliasson is best known for his inspiring art installations around the world such as The weather project at London’s Tate Modern (2003), Your black horizon at the Venice Biennale (2005), and the New York City Waterfalls (2008).

In addition to Olafur Eliasson, the jury’s four other members each bring their own areas of expertise to the table.

Jury member Patricia Urquiola is one of the most distinctive names of interior design today. Patricia has worked with top design brands such as Moroso, Boffi, Foscarini and Missoni. Her Fjord armchair is part of the permanent collection at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Patricia was born in Spain and studied architecture in Madrid prior to moving to Milan and graduating from Milan Politecnico. In 2011 Patricia Urquiola was awarded the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes and was presented with the Order of Isabella the Catholic by King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Jury member Ije Nwokorie is the CEO of Wolff Olins, which is widely recognized as one of the world’s most influential brand businesses with clients such as Virgin Media, Skype and GE. Ije Nwokorie was born in the United States but spent most of his youth in Nigeria, where he began his architectural studies before going on to complete his Master’s degree at Columbia University in New York City. Ije also functions as advisor to numerous start-ups and actively supports the rise of creative industries in Africa.

Jury member Melody Sarudzayi Joachim is a Plan International Alumnus and played an integral role in the founding of Alight Zimbabwe Trust, Little Sun’s distribution partners in Zimbabwe, where she serves as Vice Chairperson of the board.

Jury member Koyo Kouoh is an internationally renowned curator and cultural producer. Cameroonian by birth and Senegalese by heart, Koyo has a deep affinity for the African continent. She is the founder and artistic director of Raw Material Company, a centre for art, knowledge and society in Dakar, Senegal.

The jury will review the submitted designs in March 2015, and the winning design will be announced in May 2015.

The Natural Light Design Competition

For nearly 75 years, the VELUX Group has worked to improve living conditions around the world by bringing daylight into people's homes. To mark this milestone, the VELUX Group has partnered with Little Sun, a social business and global project founded by internationally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen, to improve living conditions for people in areas of the world without electricity.

The global competition invites design students from around the world to bring sustainable light to off-grid areas in Africa by designing a Little Sun special edition solar lamp. 29,000 units of the winning design will be produced and a substantial amount of lamps will be sold in off-grid regions of Africa at locally affordable prices.

How to enter Natural Light

Registration for the Natural Light competition opened on November 3, 2014.
Deadline for submitting a design is March 15, 2015.
All designs must be submitted as a JPG or bitmap image in a quality that is viewable on a 12.5 inch monitor with a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels. Images must be accompanied with a project description of maximum 500 words, written in English. In addition, participants have to submit a 30 sec. video demonstrating the project. Find all specifications on submission at www.naturallight.org

Design Competition brings sustainable light to Africa

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

As an experienced producer of sustainable and engaging lighting solutions for off-grid African communities, Little Sun is the perfect partner for the VELUX Group; a company which has devoted almost 75 years to bringing daylight into the lives of people by manufacturing a wide range of solutions for homes, such as the well-known roof windows and modular skylights.

Together, the two companies are proud to present the international design competition Nat-ural Light. Design students from all over the world are invited to create a special edition solar lamp for the VELUX Group and Little Sun in honor of the 75th anniversary. 29,000 units of the winning design will be produced, and a substantial amount of lamps will be sold in off-grid regions of Africa at locally affordable prices, like the original Little Sun lamp.

The VELUX Group celebrates 75th anniversary by sharing a Little Sun

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

Today, 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity. To address this issue, the VELUX Group has partnered with Little Sun, a social business founded by world-renowned artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen, to address the need for light in a sustainable way that benefits communities without electricity. Together, the two companies will develop an affordable special edition solar lamp in honor of VKR's 75th anniversary.

December 21: The Shortest Day of The Year

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Christmas is not the only happy event that will soon be upon us. From 21 December, we gain more daylight with every passing day, and, according to daylight expert, Per Arnold Andersen of the VELUX Group's Knowledge centre for daylight, energy and indoor climate, this is valuable for our well-being and health.

"From today and until the next solstice, we will be spending more and more time in daylight – both inside our homes and outdoors. Daylight is beneficial for humans in a number of ways; one thing daylight does is brighten our minds, making us less prone to depression. But increased exposure to daylight also helps to manage our "internal clock", which is important for our circadian rhythm," Per Arnold Andersen explains, adding:

"Last, but not least, daylight boosts our immune system and our general energy level, benefitting our health directly in all kinds of ways."

"Let in the daylight and the fresh air"
But although the longest nights and shortest days are on the wane, it will be a while yet before the long, bright summer days are with us again. Meanwhile, there are things we can do to maximise the beneficial effects of limited daylight, even though most of the winter is spent indoors.

"We spend around 90% of our time indoors in buildings that in many cases provide a insufficient and unhealthy indoor climate, where daylight and fresh air are in short supply. But we can do something about that by remembering to air our homes regularly, drawing back the curtains and letting the sun in as often as possible," says Per Arnold Andersen.

The winter solstice occurs on Friday 21 December.

About the shortest day of the year
The shortest day of the year, more formally known as the winter solstice, is the day of the year on which the Sun appears at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon.

Since time immemorial, Northern Hemisphere cultures have celebrated the return of daylight with rituals, festivals and holidays around the time of the winter solstice.

Need for Daylight at the End of Daylight Saving Time

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Length of the day has already decreased by 7 1/2 hours, it is time to let our clocks jump one hour backward to end Daylight Saving Time on October 30. Daylight is a vital source of energy for human beings. When we are exposed to plenty of daylight we have a general sense of well-being – because daylight has an effect on our so-called circadian rhythm regulation, our sleep quality and alertness. Reality is however that we spend 90% of our time indoors. But by raising levels of daylight in buildings, the people using them and living in them will feel less of the stress factors caused by lack of daylight. The most efficient way to get daylight into a building is through the roof. Research shows that daylight has a better light quality than electric lighting and with roof windows it is possible to avoid using artificial light even on a grey day. Available video includes general views of day light and VELUX products bringing light into houses.

A tribute to the light of La Rochelle

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200

23 students, all winners and honourable mentions in the International VELUX Award 2010, met in La Rochelle to explore the light of the city.

For the first time, the light of La Rochelle has been experienced, sensed and captured by 23 students with different nationalities and from different cultural backgrounds.

With their senses sharpened and with individual experiences stored away, the students were equipped with a video camera and sent into La Rochelle to capture the space, changeability and materiality of the light at different locations in the city, in the ancient arcades, and by the sea. The task was to create a film together, supervised by the winner of the International VELUX Award 2006, Louise Grønlund.

"When we were planning the workshop, we believed it was very important that the students had a real and authentic experience of daylight. We knew that they had used sophisticated computer technology to complete their excellent projects on daylight and architecture for the Award, but in La Rochelle we wanted them to experience with their senses - see, feel, touch, smell, hear - and try to capture their impressions on camera. We planned the workshop as an experiment with no fixed solution and no final result, but with the process of exploring the light together as the central element," says Louise, who teaches at the Copenhagen School of Architecture and in summer 2009 started work on her PhD entitled "Light Space – the spatial potentials of the facade".

"It has been very interesting to observe the difference in perceptions of light from East to West. As one of the Chinese students noted, westerners tend to see light as a very concrete phenomenon, whereas the eastern perception is more abstract. For instance, focusing more on the reflections in water rather than on the water, the ocean, itself," says Louise.

Seeing light in a new way
During the workshop, the students have been working intensively in pairs, filming in the streets of La Rochelle blessed by hazy, autumn sunshine and meeting to discuss the film clips with each other and the instructors.

"The workshop is very refreshing and it is fun to explore daylight together with students from other countries. We have become aware of the light in the city and by the sea in a new way. It is great to meet and to be able to take home this film as a kind of souvenir of what we have done together," say Claire from Canada and Pompay from China, who filmed together during the two days.

"This new focus on light has been very interesting. We have noticed the differences in light and shadow, the movement of light, and details of architecture highlighted by light. We will definitely take this new awareness of light back with us," say Ieva from Lithuania and Won from South Korea, another duo who worked closely together during the workshop.

The value of working together
During the workshop the room was buzzing with discussions and enthusiasm.

"It is really nice to experience the students' mutual politeness and recognition of each other's opinions," says Louise. "They give each other room, listen to each other and engage in creative discussions. At the same time, we have seen a gradual improvement in the shots from the various takes, showing a better perception and understanding of daylight emerging."

The VELUX Group invited the students to the workshop to give them the opportunity to meet before the actual Award event, to delve deeper into the topic of daylight and to get to know each other by producing together a permanent record of their stay in La Rochelle.

"In previous award events, we have seen how much the students enjoy meeting and sharing their ideas about light. This idea gave the students a chance to meet and work together, and at the same time interpret the light of La Rochelle by creating a film together. It has been really interesting to see how the cooperation among the students has developed. By the end of day two they feel like a team, and I am sure that they will be happy whoever wins the prize tomorrow at the Award event," says Per Arnold Andersen from the VELUX Group.

The film will be premiered at the Award event on Saturday. The editing team will be working through the night to make sure that the five-minute film is finished, telling the story about the light of La Rochelle seen through the talented eyes of 23 students of architecture.

The VELUX Group Launches Award-winning Daylight Lamp

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0200

The internationally acknowledged proponent of Green Design, Ross Lovegrove, and the VELUX Group present a remarkable new product that spreads natural light through the roof to otherwise electrically lit rooms. The name of the award-winning daylight diffuser is "VELUX sun tunnel by Lovegrove" and it is now launched in a number of markets in Europe. The elegant daylight lamp offers what Lovegrove calls "a moment of enlightenment in the home". As a company focusing on creating better living environments with daylight and fresh air, it is a straightforward decision for the VELUX Group to team up with Ross Lovegrove. Nicknamed Captain Organic Lovegrove is renowned for his work with new materials and for employing the very latest technology.

The VELUX Group in partnership with world-famous designer

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0200

The name of the award-winning daylight diffuser is "VELUX sun tunnel by Lovegrove". It represents yet another innovative way to bring daylight into buildings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old cultural centre gets daylight, fresh air and new energy

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Daylight, solar heat and natural ventilation from the VELUX Group ensure good indoor climate and better energy balance in the City of Copenhagen's energy renovation project of a cultural centre in a northern quarter of the city. Today, the renovated building is inaugurated and on 1 January the public will start using the facilities.

When the UN Climate Conference begins in Copenhagen in December, the Municipality will present a series of energy renovation projects of some of the city's old buildings. The Osram Cultural Centre at Nørrebro is the flagship project of the programme, which apart from the climate and energy issues, concentrates on creating a better indoor climate and well-being for the people who live and work in the buildings. With its long experience in daylight and fresh air, the VELUX Group as project partner has had an influence on how the old building in Valhalsgade should be given a new lease of life.We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors
The renovated cultural centre will cut its energy consumption by 60 per cent, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. Savings come from more than better insulation – the passive solar heat admitted by the new roof windows, the electricity cuts coming from more daylight and natural ventilation and the solar collectors that supply hot water and heating of the basement all contribute to the reduction of energy consumption. But the VELUX Group has another goal equally important as reducing energy consumption – it is improving the health and well-being of the occupants.

"Daylight and fresh air are vital to our welfare, our health and our ability to learn and work. We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors, so it is important that we get as much daylight and natural ventilation as possible into our buildings," says VELUX Group Department Head Karsten Duer.

The building in the street Valhalsgade was completed in 1952 as an industrial building for the electric light bulb producer Osram. As the first prefabricated concrete building in Denmark, it is remarkable for its profiled surfaces and oblique glazing bars. These will be preserved during the renovation – but the dilapidated appearance, the high energy consumption and the dark rooms will be done away with, to the delight of the participants in courses, folk dancers and musicians using the building.

Important to all Copenhageners
The Culture and Leisure Mayor of Copenhagen, Pia Allerslev (who is the political head of Copenhagen Property, the agency behind the renovation), has nothing but praise for the project.

"It is one of my personal ambitions to to spark off more of such projects," says the Culture and Leisure Mayor of the city

The project proposal for the cultural centre was drawn up by architects from the VELUX Group after examination of the building and discussions with a group of consultants from the drawing office Tegnestuen T-plus and the engineering firm Wissenberg.

Daylight must be given higher priority

Wed, 09 May 2007 00:00:00 +0200

On 6-7 May 2007, participants from 24 nations (about 300 architects, lighting specialists, teachers and others with an interest in the subject) gathered at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to take part in the second international VELUX Daylight Symposium. The theme of the symposium was the effect of daylight on people's lives and work performance – and a number of international daylight experts presented their latest findings in the field. Among them were Lisa Heschong and James R. Benya, both of whom have worked with daylight in buildings in the sunshine state of California.
"Studies in the United States have shown an association between the presence of daylight and outdoor views and better student learning outcomes, as well as better cognitive performance in offices and sales in retail spaces. Light is a "drug" that stimulates the production of serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acids in the human body enhancing impulse control, motivation, muscle coordination, calmness and focus", says Lisa Heschong.

Lisa Heschong is the principal of Heschong Mahone Group and a licensed architect who has divided her professional practice between energy research, writing and building design. As a researcher, she led the project teams which analysed the impacts of daylighting on human performance for the Daylighting and Productivity Studies funded through Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the California Energy Commission.
"It is time for architects, engineers and designers worldwide to always consider these impacts in design for the built environment. Beyond good design practice, it is perhaps time to demand daylighted environments through codes and standards that make well-daylighted buildings the rule, rather than the exception. In schools, where mankind's future spends much of its waking hours, it is a no-brainer", says by James R. Benya, an independent lighting and daylighting consultant with a broad international practice.
"Most architects are passionate about the use of daylight in architecture. All architects have an opinion about light, but they rarely analyse daylight conditions in their buildings in advance. We want to help provide the necessary knowledge and tools to promote thorough research and analysis", says Per Arnold Andersen, department head of Daylight, Energy and Indoor Climate from VELUX.

At the first symposium in Budapest, linking daylight as a science with daylight as a vital architectural element in practical building design was discussed. This debate continued in Bilbao, and Dr. John Mardaljevic from the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development at De Montfort University in England criticised the traditional daylight factor method, established a half-century ago. Because it is founded on illuminance ratios under a standard overcast sky, the daylight factor is insensitive to both the orientation of the building and any notion of climate.

"Recently developed computer simulation techniques can accurately predict luminous quantities using realistic sun and sky conditions that are derived from standard meteorological datasets. These climate-based modelling approaches reveal the true daylighting potential of buildings and can be used to predict a variety of illumination metrics at all stages of the design evaluation process", says John Mardaljevic.
Throughout its history, VELUX has keenly focused on the optimal use of daylight in all kinds of buildings. This keen interest is naturally linked to the skylight window, a product which the company has developed and refined for more than 60 years. Through the design and production of its windows and accessories, which regulate the inflow of light and control sunlight, as well as initiatives relating to legislation and research in the areas of daylight and indoor environment, the company has continued to express its interest in the use of daylight.

Stimulating an interest in daylight in modern architecture is an important mission for VELUX - not only the daylight that enters through the products VELUX manufactures – but also daylight in general. From large-scale town planning to the individual building and its space. The VELUX Daylight Symposium and the international award assignment for students of architecture - "the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture" with the com-mon theme of "Light of Tomorrow" are some of the most important initiatives in this area.
Read about the VELUX Daylight Symposium 2007 and all its findings by logging onto: www.thedaylightsite.com

For more information please contact:
Lone Ellersgaard
Communications Manager
VELUX A/S
Ådalsvej 99
2970 Hørsholm
Phone: +45 45 16 48 18
E-mail: press@velux.com

About VELUX
VELUX creates better living environments with daylight and fresh air through the roof. Our product programme contains a wide range of roof windows and skylights, along with solutions for flat roofs. In addition, VELUX offers many types of decoration and sun screening, roller shutters, installation prod-ucts, products for remote control and thermal solar panels for installation in roofs. VELUX, which has manufacturing companies in 10 countries and sales companies in just under 40 countries, is one of the strongest brands in the global building materials sector and its products are sold in most parts of the world. The VELUX Group has around 9,500 employees and is owned by VKR Holding A/S. VKR Holding A/S is a limited company wholly owned by foundations and family. For more details, visit www.velux.com.