by Nicolas Roy, VELUX Group

The International VELUX Award 2016 for students of architecture is a competition that wants to encourage and challenge students to explore the theme of daylight – and to create a deeper understanding of this ever-relevant source of energy, light and life.

The award encourages projects that celebrate the privilege of being a student with curiosity and with the willingness to think “out of the box” – as well as consider the social, sociological and environmental dimension of daylight.

International VELUX Award is arranged in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA).

Award brief for International VELUX Award 2016

Theme

“Light of Tomorrow” is the overall theme of the International VELUX Award (IVA). 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.

International VELUX Award 2010, 1st prize

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.

International VELUX Award 2012, 3rd prize

Type of award and categories

The award is an open ideas competition and it is organised globally in two phases: in the first phase, regional prizes will be awarded to projects from the UIA member regions 1) Western Europe, 2) Eastern Europe and the Middle East, 3) the Americas, 4) Asia+ Oceania and 5) Africa. In the second phase, prizes will be awarded to overall winners.

The award is not restricted to the use of VELUX products. Innovative thinking and use of specific VELUX components as daylight providers will however be within the scope of the award and the jury will be allowed to give special prizes to the best projects.

UIA member regions

Prizes

The total prize money is at least 30,000 €. Depending on the results of the international jury, a Grand Prize of 5,000 € per category will be awarded (4,000 € to the student and 1,000 € to the teacher) for the most outstanding projects. Depending on the results for each region, a prize of 1,250 € per category will be awarded for the best projects (1,000 € to the student and 250 € to the teacher). The jury will be allowed to award a number of special prizes, including prizes for innovative use of VELUX products.

Get published!

Photos and films of the winning projects and winners will be released to architectural magazines, newspapers, webpages and other relevant media after the winner’ announcement.

Who can participate?

The award is open to any registered student of architecture – individual or team – all over the world. We encourage multi-disciplinary teams including e.g. engineering, design and landscaping. Every student or student team must be backed and granted submission by a teacher from a school of architecture.

The award welcomes projects from individuals or groups of students, who are students during the study year 2015/16.

There is no limit to the number of entries from each school, but participating schools should ensure the quality of submitted study projects, e.g. by making a prejudgment. VELUX employees cannot participate.

Visit IVA.VELUX.com for more information and registration.

Deadline for registration is 1 April 2016.