The International VELUX Award 2022 announces ten regional winners
The International VELUX Award jury has selected ten regional winners out of 507 projects, submitted from 211 schools of architecture around the world.
The renowned jury comprised of Anupama Kundoo, Anupama Kundoo Architects (IN), John Ronan, John Ronan Architects (US), Rainer Hofmann, Bogevischs Buero (DE), Fuensanta Nieto, Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos (ES), and Lotte Kragelund from VELUX A/S (DK), met for the jury meeting in Copenhagen.
It is great to see such a fantastic response to the competition, from so many schools of architecture around the world. Our aim with this competition is to bring together teachers and students on the topic of daylight. It is rewarding to see so many beautiful, innovative and responsible approaches to the theme ‘Light of tomorrow’,
The jury noted that the submitted projects were innovative and proposed creative and future-oriented lighting solutions. The participants showcased students' engagement in the environmental, social, cultural and political issues of our time and a willingness to actively seek and explore innovative solutions. The jury was particularly struck by the range of issues that the students identified as being relevant to their future. These issues consisted of common global themes, as well as regional and local concerns. The jury was particularly drawn to projects with a potentially positive environmental impact.
Natural light is a resource that will become ever more pertinent given the growing population density in urban locations. Making use of natural light in architecture is thus an increasingly challenging endeavour, which highlights a need for greater knowledge and willingness to work with daylight in architectural practices. Such willingness is demonstrated by the submitted student projects.
The jury made their final evaluation of the projects in accordance with the following criteria from the award brief:
- The work with daylight as a premise for architecture
- How the project is researched and documented
- How the project addresses contemporary and future challenges
- The level of experimentation and innovation, as well as the overall graphic presentation of the project (how the project presents itself)
The jury unanimously selected the following winners.
The winners from the ‘Daylight in Buildings’ category are:
Region - Africa: Aqua Mart
- Student: Elmarie van Staden
- School: Greenside Design Centre, College of Design
- Teacher: Jean Wiid
- Country: South Africa
Region - The Americas: 24-HOUR DAYLIGHT: A pavilion that reconnects the city with light
- Students: Adrian Paocarima Herrera, Melissa Anabelle Ulcuango Merino and Kevin Daniel Arroyo Males
- School: Universidad central del Ecuador
- Teacher: Paul Esteban Paredes Escobar
- Country: Ecuador
Region - Asia & Oceania: Lighting up, Neighbourhood Hop
- Students: Feng Meiyin, Feng Yijun and Zhang Jinru
- School: Beijing Jiaotong University
- Teacher: Wang Xin
- Country: China
Region - Eastern Europe & The Middle East: TIP - Time Indicate Protection
- Student: Zuzanna Sazonow and Aleksandra Pytka
- School: Politechnika Poznańska
- Teachers: Patrycja Kamińska
- Country: Poland
Region - Western Europe: Spotlight Tree: Self-regulating System in Desert Environment
- Students: Zhao Liuxin, Liu Wanchen, Xin Guanbai and Dong Zhenbin
- School: The University of Sheffield
- Teacher: Bobby Nisha
- Country: United Kingdom
The regional winning projects in the Daylight in Buildings category were awarded 1,000 € for the student(s) and 250 € for the teacher(s).
The winners from the ‘Daylight Investigations’ category are:
Region - Africa: Limitless Daylight
- Students: ISHIMWE MUNYANDEKWE Augustin
- School: The University of Rwanda - School of Architecture & Built Environment
- Teacher: Dr. Josephine Malonza
- Country: Rwanda
Region - The Americas: Martian Light
- Students: Gray Burke
- School: University of Miami
- Teacher: Yasmine Zeghar Hammoudi
- Country: United States of America
Region - Asia & Oceania: Under the Three Gorges Project
- Students: Yawen Qiao
- School: Southwest Jiaotong University
- Teacher: Jun Wang and Huang Xuan
- Country: China
Region - Eastern Europe & The Middle East: Flight
- Students: Sajjad Navidi, Mahya Mousavi Sadr and Elham Bahadori
- School: University of Art, Tehran
- Teacher: Rima Fayaz and Maryam Fakhari
- Country: Islamic Republic of Iran
Region - Western Europe: Solar Hymnal
- Students: Jaan Gröndahl
- School: Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
- Teacher: Janne Järvinen
- Country: Finland
The regional winning projects in the Daylight Investigations category were awarded 1,000 € for the student(s) and 250 € for the teacher(s).
The regional winners are invited to a 3-day trip to Lisbon, Portugal, to attend the World Architecture Festival at the end of November 2022. At the festival, which is the largest annual global architecture event, the winners will present their projects to the jury.
In essence, what we were looking for was projects that foreground daylight and directly address the theme ‘Light of Tomorrow.’ There had to be a vision, but also there had to be technical support of that vision and a concise explanation of the idea. The selected regional winners were good in all three of those areas. And I can speak for the whole jury when I say that we're all very excited to see the students present their work in Lisbon, the verbal communication of their idea,
After the regional winners’ project presentation at the World Architecture Festival, the jury will select the two global winners of the International VELUX Award 2022. The overall winners of the Daylight Investigations and Daylight in Buildings categories will receive a prize of €5,000; € 4,000 for the student(s) and €1,000 for the teacher(s).
About the VELUX Group
For more than 80 years, the VELUX Group has created better living environments for people around the world; making the most of daylight and fresh air through the roof. Our product programme includes roof windows and modular skylights, decorative blinds, sun screening products and roller shutters, as well as installation and smart home solutions. These products help to ensure a healthy and sustainable indoor climate, for work and learning, for play and pleasure. We work globally – with sales and manufacturing operations in more than 36 countries and around 11,000 employees worldwide. The VELUX Group is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited company wholly owned by non-profit, charitable foundations (THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS) and family. In 2022, the VELUX Group had total revenue of EUR 2.99 billion, VKR Holding had total revenue of EUR 4.29 billion, and THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS donated EUR 181 million in charitable grants.
For more information about VELUX Group, visit velux.com.