International VELUX Award 2020 for Students of Architecture (Up to €30,000 prize money)

The award celebrates and promotes excellence in completed study works. These works can be made as works complying with the prize scope of rethinking the values of conscious day-lighting design. It does this focusing on people’s health in living and working environments. The award encourages projects that celebrate the privilege of being a student. Not just being a student, but a student with curiosity and willingness to think “out of the box” – as well as consider the social, sociological and environmental dimension of light. The award wants to acknowledge not only the students but their teachers as well. Therefore, teachers of the projects are also awarded.

Deadline: April 1, 2020

Theme

“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.

• 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.
• 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.

Prizes for the International Velux Award

• The total prize money is up to €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.

How do I Know I am Eligible for the International Velux Award

• Open to any registered student of architecture – individual or team – all over the world. They 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 2019/20.
• 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.

Evaluation Criteria

The jury will evaluate the projects in accordance with the following criteria:

• The work with daylighting 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
• The overall graphic presentation of the project, how the project presents itself.

Application

Click here to apply