The 4th edition of the International VELUX Award 2010 competition is starting

Prague, November 5, 2009 - VELUX has announced the fourth edition of the International VELUX Award 2010, aimed at architecture students from around the world. The main theme of the competition is "Light for the Future". Participants are to focus on the important role of daylight in architecture. Light is an integral part of architecture. It is not merely an aesthetic or design element, but also represents a significant source of energy, with notable effects on the human organism, both physically and psychologically.

“Our vision is to promote daylight and strengthen its positive influence on the quality of that part of our lives that we spend inside buildings. We organize the International VELUX Award every two years to encourage students from around the world to experiment with the theme of sunlight and daylight in the broadest sense. We want to inspire future architects to work in non-traditional ways with light, and we appreciate any new idea and innovative approach that may become a new trend in working with natural light in interiors,” says Jana Mašatová, product manager at VELUX Czech Republic, s.r.o.

The competition does not have any specific categories or requirements for using specific materials or VELUX products. Its goal is to expand the boundaries of daylight utilization in architecture, exploring light from the perspectives of its aesthetic, social, psychological, and ecological influences. A free-spirited and experimental approach to the issue of light as a global phenomenon is particularly valued.

The jury composition for the International VELUX Award 2010, which will consist of renowned architects from around the world, will be announced by the end of 2009. Among the members of the jury who collaborated on previous editions of the competition were Glenn Murcutt (Austria), Kengo Kuma (Japan), Per Olaf Fjeld (Norway), and Hani Rashid (USA). “I was very surprised by the number of students from around the world who have confronted the issue of light, the amount of work submitted, and the quality of that work. The way students present their ideas on the theme 'Light for the Future' is inspiring,” commented Hani Rashid, chair of the jury in 2008, on the quality of this year’s submitted projects.

The International VELUX Award is a manifestation of VELUX's ongoing effort to build close relationships between professionals in the construction industry and future generations of architects.

“The competition also focuses on seeking new solutions for a sustainable way of life. That is why we encourage students to focus on the importance of sunlight and daylight in architecture within their projects,” added Jana Mašatová, product manager at VELUX Czech Republic, s.r.o.

The International VELUX Award is organized in collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE). Students can submit their entries to the competition by February 1, 2010, at the latest. Winners will be announced during a competition evening planned for October 2010.