International VELUX AWARD 2024
The International VELUX Award is a biennial ideas competition for students of architecture. It invites students from all over the world to create projects investigating the role of daylight in our everyday lives. Endorsed by the UIA since 2004, the theme of each edition is “Light of Tomorrow”. The competition invites students to explore the role of daylight in architecture and inspire new thinking. It aims to encourage and challenge students of architecture as well as create a deeper understanding of this specific and ever-relevant source of energy, light and life.
The students will work on their projects in one of the two categories: ‘Daylight in buildings’ or ‘Daylight investigations’.
Theme and objectives
“Light of Tomorrow” is the overall theme of the International VELUX Award. The award seeks to challenge the future of daylight in the built environment with an open-minded and experimental approach. Therefore, the award seeks to widen the boundaries of daylight in architecture, including aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, and the interaction between buildings and environment.
1. Daylight in buildings
Projects that demonstrate applicable principles for providing daylight and sunlight into buildings – including the effects of building construction and context of the site, shape and dimensions, window openings, screens, shadings, interior divisions, materials and external conditions.
Specific focus on architecture for health and well-being and projects that address challenges faced by cities, communities and modern societies, and where daylight and architecture can help create change through better and healthier living environments.
2. Daylight investigations
Projects that look at the physical properties of light, basics of optics and materials, as well as technological developments, new materials, storage or transportation of daylight.
The use of daylight in public space for functional, recreational, cultural or spiritual use and the effect of daylight on state of mind, health and well-being as well as the dynamics and temporal quality of daylight and its effects on behaviour and spaces over time and seasons.
Key criteria
The jury will make its 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.
Eligibility
The award is open to any registered student of architecture – individual or team – all over the world enrolled during the 2023-2024 academic year. Multi-disciplinary teams are encouraged. Every student or student team must be backed and granted submission by a teacher from a school of architecture.
Registration is free on the VELUX platform.
Jury Members
The international jury includes the following:
- Song Yehao, architect, SUP Atelier of THAD, China – UIA representative.
- Alberto Veiga, architect, Barozzi Veiga, Spain.
- Ewa Kuryłowicz, architect, Kuryłowicz & Associates, Poland.
- Jenni Reuter, architect, Hollmén Reuter Sandman Architects, Finland.
- Kent Holm, Senior Vice President Brand Marketing, VELUX.
Key dates
Prizes
A total of 30,000 € will be awarded to the prize winners.