The International VELUX Award 2024 announces ten regional winners

The International VELUX Award jury selected ten regional winners from the 468 submitted projects, from 220 school of architecture around the world. 

The renowned jury comprised of Song Yehao (CN), Jenni Reuter (FI), Ewa Kurylowicz (PL) and Kent Holm from VELUX A/S (DK) who met for the jury meeting in Copenhagen. 

“The competition is a wonderful opportunity for us to nurture the next generation of talent and inspire them to consider the power and potential of daylight from the earliest stages of their professional development. It’s inspiring to see the inventive and beautiful proposals from the students all over the world that address contemporary challenges in architecture” – stated Tina Christensen, the director of the International VELUX Award.     

The jury were impressed by the overall range of the projects that touched on so many different aspects of daylight and the creative ways in which the students interpreted the theme ‘Light of Tomorrow.’ It was clear to the jury that students are engaged in the environmental, social, cultural and political key issues of our time and that they are really seeking and exploring solutions.  In particular, the jury were struck by the existential nature of the issues highlighted in the submitted projects on both a global and local level. The jury were particularly drawn to projects that demonstrated a research-backed approach to tackling their proposed problem, with a strong concept and clear connection to daylight.  

Natural light is a universal necessity – there is no life without light. The students’ projects clearly demonstrate that what is important for people is important for architects and thus highlights the necessity of working with daylight in architectural practice to ensure a brighter future for all.  

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The jury made their 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.     

Listen to the jury’s reasoning in the announcement video:

The following regional winning projects in the Daylight in Buildings category were awarded with 1,000 € for the student(s) and 250 € for the teacher(s):  

Region Western Europe, Project: Silo of the ambient light 

Students: Anniina Rautakoski
School: Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Teacher: Janne Järvinen
Country: Finland

Region Eastern Europe & the Middle East, Project: Lightroof 

Student: Aleksandra Cassino
School: Politechnika Warszawska
Teachers: Anna Lorens
Country: Poland 

Region The Americas, Project: Lighting up the Rocinha favela 

Student: Paulo André Pereira & Mariana Costa do Carmo
School: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Teacher:  Eliane Silva Barbosa
Country: Brazil

Region Asia & Oceania, Project: The light filter 

Students: Wan Zilin, Poon Gin Yong & Zang Jiayou
School: Tsinghua University
Teacher: Li Xiaodong
Country: China

Region Africa, Project:  Radiant echoes 

Student: Kenza Kettani & Bouchra Rah
School: International university of Rabat
Teacher:  Yassir Aziz
Country: Morocco

The following regional winning projects in the Daylight Investigations category were awarded with 1,000 € for the student(s) and 250 € for the teacher(s): 

Region Western Europe, Project: Solar Sinter 

Students: Anders Eugen Lund
School: Royal Danish Academy
Teacher: Runa Johannesen
Country: Denmark

Region Eastern Europe & the Middle East, Project: (No) daylight 

Students: Iwona Kin, Alicja Smoczyk, Agata Czugała, Paweł Mordeja
School: Politechnika Wrocławska
Teachers: Tomasz Broma, Bartosz Adamiczka
Country: Poland

Region The Americas, Project: FeatherGuard 

Student: Yining Ma
School: University of California, Berkeley
Teacher:  Myrna Ayoub
Country: United States 

Region Asia & Oceania, Project: Gaplight Collective 

Students: Zehong Zhang, Ruotong Luo, Jiaxun Song, Dasen Li & Xinyue Dong
School: South China University of Technology
Teacher: Zheng Hao
Country: China

Region Africa, Project:  Sparkling souls 

Students: Bidzan Pout Fabrice Emmanuel, Abega Ebanga Rosalie Valentine, Tambe Mcwilfried Masoda, Ndibatchou Alexis Junior & Fopa Jerry Karmel
School: École Nationale Supérieure des Travaux
Teacher: Aba Nkasse Alain
Country: Cameroon