Join the worldwide conference of the year: Build For Life Conference

Professors from American Harvard, British Oxford or architects from the prestigious Austrian studio will be among more than 90 speakers at the three-day online conference Build For Life organized by VELUX on November 15 to 17, 2021. The Build for Life 2021 Conference is also an invitation for you to participate in a global discussion on how buildings can contribute to a healthy environment and improve the quality of life for people around the planet. The digital conference, to which world experts will join from two main stages in Copenhagen, Denmark, can be attended for free, just register here.

At VELUX, we believe that we must actively address the climate challenges of the 21st century. This must be done in collaboration with the construction industry and contribute to building healthy and sustainable buildings that enhance the quality of life for people and the planet. As part of our sustainability strategy, we are committed to taking steps towards positive change and focusing on how buildings can help address global challenges through sustainable solutions. One way is the Build for Life conference, a pioneering multidisciplinary initiative launched in 2021, aiming to connect people and the planet through quality building design.

You can participate in this global exchange of ideas from November 15 to 17, when architects, builders, researchers, and other significant public figures will meet. They will discuss key challenges and opportunities facing the construction industry.

Part of the conference will be the VELUX Daylight Symposium

The Build for Life 2021 conference will feature the 9th VELUX Daylight Symposium, which is aimed at scientists, architects, and others with a professional interest in daylight in modern construction.

"How can we contribute to sustainable development through building design?" Check out the three-day VELUX program, reserve your spot and join the conversation about the future of buildings and how we can collectively support sustainability in construction.

What can you expect from the Build for Life Conference 2021?

• A free digital event with over 90 speakers from around the world
• An extraordinary experience from a virtual conference full of technological innovations
• Two virtual stages featuring talks from inspirational industry experts
• The Compass Stage focusing on the challenges and opportunities of today’s architecture
• The Daylight Symposium Stage focusing on the importance of daylight in design
• New insights and perspectives related to sustainable building
• An introduction to innovative global building innovations

One vision – two stages

Compass Stage

Explore the seven biggest challenges of contemporary construction, including the need for flexibility in design, the growing role of buildings in our communities, and new demands for healthier and more sustainable living spaces.

• Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Joseph Allen will offer a fresh perspective on fresh air in buildings using the latest scientific research to show how healthy indoor spaces support performance and well-being.

• Juri Troy, Professor at HFT Stuttgart, Owner of JT Architects, Austria

Juri Troy will explain the value and necessity of designing buildings with long lifespans. He will present sustainable design through his project The Sunlight House.

The Daylight Symposium Stage

Since 2005, the Daylight Symposium has been exploring the significance of daylight in building healthy structures. This year, more than 40 leaders from research and practice have gathered to answer the fundamental question: How can we bridge the gap between research and practice regarding daylight?

Among the keynote speakers on the morning Daylight Symposium Stage (10:30 – 12:00) are:

• Jakob Strømann Andersen (Denmark), Director of Innovation and Sustainability, Henning Larsen Architects

Can generative algorithms improve daylighting work? Jakob's presentation will address this question and demonstrate how we can explore numerous daylighting designs and identify the best ones.

• Manuel Spitschan (UK), University Research Lecturer, Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford

Manuel Spitschan will discuss the principles of circadian and neuroendocrine phototransduction and how insights gained from scientific and field studies can be utilized to support practice.

• Till Roenneberg (Germany), Emeritus Professor at LMU Munich Medical School. President World Federation of Societies for Chronobiology (WFSC)

Till Roenneberg will present findings from recent studies examining the impact of lifestyle and environmental changes during lockdowns during the COVID pandemic.

• Yvonne de Kort (Netherlands), Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction, Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovative Sciences at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

Yvonne de Kort will introduce the LIGHTCAP project, a European training network as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie initiative. LIGHTCAP aims to provide an innovative impulse for our understanding of complex and intricate relationships between light, perception, attention, and cognition.