The VELUX Company has created an international biennial architecture award for projects by students of architecture. The first edition of this Award was launched in January 2004 on the theme: Light of tomorrow. Admission was open to students in European schools of architecture in association with a named teacher.

Organised in collaboration with the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE) this Award was approved by the International Union of Architects (UIA).

Daylight and sunlight have played a determining role in architecture for as long as buildings have existed. VELUX wants to generate reflection and debate on the reinterpretation of daylight in architectural design today. The VELUX award encourages innovation in this field and the search for excellence in architectural solutions that can improve the quality of life and the environment.

Under the Presidency of the Australian architect Glenn Murcutt, the jury was composed as follows:

• John Pawson architect, United Kingdom
• Craig Dykers architect, Project Director, Snöhetta, Norway
• Ole Bouman, architect, Editor in Chief, Archis, The Netherlands
• Ahmet Gülgönen architect, UIA representative, France
• James F. Horan architect, EAAE President, Ireland
• Michael Pack, General Manager, VELUX, Germany

The jury met in Paris from 15-17 September 2004 and evaluated 258 projects from 106 schools in 27 European countries. Following three days of deliberations, the jury awarded two prizes and eight mentions. Over and above qualities of analysis and conception, the jury looked for concepts and ideas that expressed optimism and hope for the future, stressing the projects' social dimension, placing life and living conditions at the heart of creativity. A total of 30 000 euro was allotted for prizes. The results were officially announced in Paris on 1 October 2004 in the presence of the winners and jury members.

According to the jury : Seen as whole, the projects represent a remarkable and interesting overview -literaly a cross section over architecture education in Europe today.In that respect all the submitted projects are valuable as exemples on different aspects of the large research.

Claes Heske Ekornås
Teachers: Per Olaf Fjeld, Neuen Fuchs-Mikal, Lisbeth Funck, Rolf Gerstlauer.
Oslo School of Architecture (Norway)

This project, entitled "Light as Matter", based on the programme of the international competition for the museum dedicated to the work of the Korean artist Nam Jun Paik, in Yong-In (Republic of Korea). The author: I have exploited the possibilities of making light and art work together. Physical walls have been replaced by immaterial walls of light, working as transmitters instead of borders, dividing the different rooms (Comment by Claes Heske Ekornås). According to the jury, this project is characterised by its sensitive approach that demonstrates lightness and happiness. The project ccomprises several ideas that are also elaborated in other projects. It works on all scales demonstrating convincing detail studies as well as practical experimtents -merging earth and light and light and dark.

2nd prize

Hrvoje Zuparic, Dean Niskota, Ivan Starcevic
Teacher: Alenka Delic
Faculty of Architecture, Zagreb (Croatia)

Entitled "The Hole Issue" this project, according to its authors, represents an intelligent house using the five facades and exploiting the potential of solar energy to make the house sustainable.
The project merges light and lightness. An ordinary, archetypal house design, a very simple building shape with an ultimately flexible solution, where the window is the wall and the wall is the window. (Jury comment)


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