The International VELUX Award, a biannual international student ideas competition endorsed by the UIA since 2004, has announced its Regional Winners for the 2020 Edition.

Organised around the theme, “Light of Tomorrow”, the competition invites students of architecture to explore how we use sunlight and daylight for energy and light as well as how to ensure health and well-being for the people who live and work in buildings. Students may enter projects in one of two categories: Daylight in buildings or Daylight investigations. According to this edition’s jury: “Natural light is a fundamental part of architecture – and architecture is not only about creating `big architecture´- it is also about creating a narrative or creating an architectural statement and daylight has a powerful effect on the spaces that we make.”

The jury, composed of Odile Decq (France), Nóra Demeter (Hungary), Sebastián Adamo (Argentina), Juri Troy (Austria) and Martin Pors from VELUX A/S (Denmark) met virtually on 6, 7 and 8 July 2020. UIA Representative Nora Demeter was elected Jury Chair. Over the course of 3 days, the jury evaluated 579 projects from 250 different schools of architecture in 60 countries.

The jury noted the impressive diversity of the entries, praising the students’ innovative application of daylight to the key environmental, social, cultural and political issues of our time. While students seemed understandably preoccupied by our current “time and situation,” the jury was heartened to also perceive optimism shining through some of the projects, which spanned a “global conversation about daylight, from innovative thinking to more abstract discussions about light and shadow – to debating natural light versus artificial light.”

Daylight in buildings
Africa: “A Million Little Lights” Michali Jameson with Professor Jean Wiid from Greenside Design Centre, College of Design in South Africa

The Americas: “Bright Roots” by Alejandro Satt with Professor Javier Del Rio from Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile

Asia and Oceania: “Ink and Light” by Mingjie Guo, Jingwen Yang, Cong Liu, and Ziyong Mou with Professor Rui Wu from Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology in China

Eastern Europe and the Middle East: “SUNCITY” by Alperen Temur, Nasibe Nur Dündar, Nijat Mahamaliyev, and Ezgi Üzümcü with Professor Mehmet Cem Altun from Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi in Turkey

Western Europe: “Solar Desalination Skylight” by Henry Glogau with Professor David Garcia from Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark

The jury also decided to designate one honourable mention in the category:

“Melody of the light weaving” by Yeonginn Moon, Hagyung Seo, Rayoun Hwang, and Sungjoo Han with Professor Tony Woonghee Cho from Hongik University in South Korea

Daylight investigations
Africa: “Let there be Light” by Emmanuel Ayo-loto and John Ogungefun with Professor Babajide Onabanjo from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria

The Americas: “AQIP – Air Quality Index Pavilion” by Mina Onay and Richard Schutte with Professor Jason Peter King from University of Toronto in Canada

Asia & Oceania: “Light Therapy” by Qianqian Zhou, Gezi Li, Zhu Chen, Fengming Li, and Lurui Lyu with Professor Yinan Zhou from Beijing Jiatong University in China

Eastern Europe and the Middle East: “The Theater of Light” by Julia Giżewska, Dominik Kowalski, and Paweł Białas with Professor Jerzy Wojewódka from Silesian University of Techonology in Poland

Western Europe: “Words to Light – Lucioles [Fireflies]” by Xingyu Chen, Matteo, Giglio, Ghil Meynard, Noëlie Seguet-Pey, Nicolas Salha, Raphaël Pletinckx, Hiba Nasser, and Ghil Meynar with Professor Jean-Luc Capron from Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium

Global Winners and the Award Ceremony
Traditionally, the regional winners of the International VELUX Award present their projects live to the jury during the World Architecture Festival and the Global Winners are recognised and celebrated at the Festival’s Gala Dinner.

This year, the World Architecture Festival and the International VELUX Award live event will be postponed until 23-25 June 2021.

For more information, visit the competition website.

UIA
The International Union of Architects (UIA) is an international non-governmental organisation based in Paris. Established in 1948, it is the only organisation representing architects across the globe working to unify architects, influence public policies on construction and development, and advance architecture in service to the needs of society.

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