International VELUX Award for students of architecture
The International VELUX Award for students of architecture 2024 is closed. Registrations will open next year for the 2026 edition of the competition.
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For now, get inspired by browsing the 2024 projects and previous winners:
About The International VELUX Award
The competition challenges students to explore the theme of daylight – to create a deeper understanding of this ever-relevant source of energy, light, and life.
Every second year since 2004, the VELUX Group has invited students of architecture to participate in the International VELUX Award for students of architecture. The award seeks to challenge the students to explore the role of daylight in architecture and inspire new thinking. The aim of the award is to engage with students of architecture about how to use sunlight and daylight as main sources of energy and light and how to ensure health and well-being of the people who live and work in buildings.
Since the launch, it has grown into the largest competition of its kind with students from 800 schools, from 130 countries of all continents, submitting more than 6,000 projects on the award theme “Light of Tomorrow”.
The award is global and open to any registered student of architecture backed by a teacher from a school of architecture. The total prize money is up to 30,000 Euro. The jury, comprising internationally renowned architects, will award a number of prize winners and honorable mentions.
International VELUX Award 2024 for students of architecture is arranged in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and acknowledged by the following educational organizations: The European Association for Architectural Education, The American Institute of Architecture Students, the Architectural Research Centers Consortium, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
Check out the videos below and explore the winning projects from the 2022 award cycle:
The winners of the 2022 competition were elected from over 507 daylight projects submitted by students from 211 different schools of architecture in 63 countries. You can see the full list of the elected winners and their projects here.
- Global winner category Daylight in Buildings: TIP: Time Indicate Protection, Poland
- Global winner category Daylight Investigations: FLight, Iran
Listen to both winning teams from 2022 – reflect and convey their thoughts and feelings on their experiences participating in the International VELUX Award.
Louise Grønlund won the International VELUX Award in 2006, and is now working as an Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. Her journey began with her passion for photography, which inspired her winning project.
From channeling the prize money into architectural studies in Japan to recently creating a mesmerizing daylight pavilion in Copenhagen, Louise’s success in 2006 kick-started her exploration into the fascinating topic of daylight in architecture.