Exceptional and Noteworthy Jury to Select Winners of the International VELUX Award 2018

The VELUX Group has announced the esteemed architects that will make up the jury for the 2018 VELUX Award for Students of Architecture. The award, given every two years, challenges students of architecture all over the world to explore the theme of daylight and consider its role in our lives as an ever-relevant source of light, life and energy in buildings. The four internationally acclaimed jury members will elect the winners among the hundreds of daylight-focused project entries from all over the world.

“We are thrilled and proud to present this esteemed jury to the works of engaged students from all over the world and we truly hope that all efforts will be made to showcase explorations and excitement in the two award categories ‘daylight in buildings’ and ‘daylight investigations’,” says program manager of the award Per Arnold Andersen, from the VELUX Group.

The members of the jury are:

One representative from the 2017 Pritzker Prize winners, RCR Arquitectes. Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta from Spain
Rick Joy, founder of Rick Joy Architects, USA,
Li Hu, founding partner of OPEN Architecture, China,
Sasa Begovic, founding partner and principal architect of 3LHD architects, Croatia
Martin Pors Jepsen, vice president of VELUX Innovation Center, Denmark.

The jury will evaluate projects from around the world that pay special attention to the use of daylight. They will first select regional winners from Americas, Africa, Asia/Oceania, Eastern Europe/Middle East and Western Europe in June 2018 – and will then go on to name the overall and global winners at a live critique session in October 2018.

“The students are tomorrow’s decision-makers in the architect offices and our goal is to make them aware of the importance of daylight conditions in buildings – and to acknowledge the importance of daylight for humans’ health, wellbeing and joy – and not least; to see the VELUX Group as an important collaboration partner in the future”, Per Arnold Andersen explains.

To participate in the International VELUX Award 2018, students of architecture needs to register on iva.velux.com before 1 April 2018 and submit their daylight project by 15 June 2018. There are two project categories; 1) daylight in buildings and 2) daylight investigations. Every student project has to be backed by a teacher and both the winning students and their teachers are recognized with money prizes.

More about the jury

RCR Arquitectes

RCR Architects. Image Courtesy of Velux Group

Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta from Spain, who were named the laureates of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, becoming the first trio of architects to be bestowed the profession’s highest accolade. RCR have won various national and international competitions ranging from a Lighthouse in Punta Aldea in 1988, through the Meditel new head-quarters in Casablanca, The Edge Business Bay in Dubai or the Condal linear park and Province Courts in Barcelona to one of the most recent projects, the Miró country house and studio Museum in Mont-Roig del Camp. RCR Arquitectes have participated in several international exhibitions such as the III Salon International de l’Architecture in Paris, the Venice Biennale, MOMA, New York and the Toto Gallery. Ma in Tokyo. A main characteristic of their works is reaction to the landscape by revealing new dimensions in the topography and with the choice of materials they are concerned with the experience of light, shadow, earth, water and air.

Rick Joy Architects

Founded in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Beginning with the firm’s first full building commission, virtually every project has received a multitude of architectural design accolades. With a body of completed work consisting of both private and public commissions, Rick Joy Architects has gained substantial international recognition. Rick Joy has participated in multiple exhibitions while being featured in over 150 publications worldwide as well as he has lectured extensively throughout the United States and around the globe; a.o in Finland, Spain, Australia, India, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Chile. Joy’s primary interest is in the quality of the spaces he makes He is known for his use of locally available materials and of the region’s abundant sun and sky, with plays of light and shadow.

Li Hu

Founding partner of OPEN, China, and former partner of Steven Holl Architects, and director of Columbia University GSAPP’s Studio-X Beijing. During his partnership with Steven Holl, Li Hu was responsible for some of the firm’s influential urban projects in Asia, including Linked Hybrid in Beijing, Vanke Center in Shenzhen, Raffles City in Chengdu and Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing. With OPEN and his partner Huang Wenjing projects include; Gehua Youth and Cultural Center, Garden School/Beijing No.4 High School Fangshan Campus, Stepped Courtyards, HEX-SYS, Tsinghua Ocean Center, Pingshan Performing Arts Center, Tank Shanghai and Dialogue by the Sea. In this, his latest project, diffused light endows the place with a bright and uplifting spirit to produce a multi-functional gallery space. As a giant time glass, time and natural light flow softly into the space.

Sasa Begovic

Founding partner and principal architect of 3LHD architects, Croatia. He has been a visiting critic, workshop leader and lecturer in Europe and US. Since fall 2017 he has been visiting associate professor at Cornell University, AAP, Department of Architecture, Ithaca, USA. Projects, such as Memorial Bridge in Rijeka, Sports Hall Bale, Croatian Pavilions on EXPO 2005 in Aichi Japan and 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain, Riva waterfront in Split, Zagreb Dance Centre, Centre Zamet and Hotel Lone are some of the important highlights of the practice. Currently 3LHD works on project in Zurich, Rovinj, Guangzhou, Dubrovnik and Zagreb. In works like the Zamet centre, they work with concave, and flat hexagonal ceramic tiles as important elements that refract daylight – even on a cloudy day.

Martin Pors Jepsen

Vice president of VELUX Innovation Center in Denmark. He holds a M.Sc. in International Business and Modern Languages and has held several commercial positions in the VELUX Group; a.o as general manager for VELUX China and global product manager for VELUX Solar energy. From 2010 to 2016, Martin Pors Jepsen was general manager for VELUX Modular Skylights. He also serves as assistant Professor and study program manager at the Copenhagen Business School.

The International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture has been running every second year since 2003, with prize giving events in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. 4,500 student teams have participated over the years representing more than 80 countries worldwide.

The IVA is arranged in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and acknowledged by: 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.