Students will show how they envision future living

Brno - The next edition of the Active House Award has started. The competition for architecture students is announced by VELUX Czech Republic, s.r.o. and VELUX SLOVENSKO s.r.o. The theme for this year's edition is "Future living".

How will we live and reside in Europe in a few years? Will our dream be individual housing in private homes, or will today's millennials and future generations lean towards community living? Will there be interest in new constructions or rather in the renovation of older buildings? Students from universities will attempt to answer these questions during this year's Active House Award.

"Every sixth European lives today in an unhealthy building," claims the Healthy Homes Barometer 2017 study analyzing the impact of buildings on people's health. Unsuitable buildings include those with high humidity, lack of daylight, and inappropriate temperature conditions.

The goal of the competition is to bring a new perspective on the architecture of the future. Enrolled students are tasked with designing a concept of a building designed for living that provides innovative solutions to this issue and operates in accordance with the principles of an active house. This is determined by the quality of the indoor environment, a positive attitude towards the environment, and energy efficiency. The future of healthy homes requires a shift in thinking regarding their design. Designing should transition from addressing individual aspects to a comprehensive view of the building.
The expert jury will primarily evaluate the overall urbanistic, architectural, and design solutions of the building; adherence to active house standards and ensuring adequate daylight.

Students who wish to participate in the competition can register here until October 19, 2018. By the end of November, they can submit their competition projects. The ceremonial announcement of results will take place on December 10, 2018.

1st place 1800 euros
2nd place 1000 euros
3rd place 800 euros
In addition, the jury will award other prizes with a total value of 2400 euros. The prize amounts are stated after the relevant tax deductions.
February 19, 2018 - competition announcement
October 19, 2018 - final deadline for registration in the competition
November 30, 2018 - final deadline for project submission
December 4, 2018 - meeting of the competition jury
December 10, 2018 - ceremonial announcement of results

During the competition period, webinars will be conducted for all enrolled students.

Official page:  www.activehouseaward.velux.com
Facebook:              www.facebook.com/ActiveHouseAward/
E-mail:                    [email protected]

Snapshot from the ceremonial announcement of results from the previous edition of the competition

The vision of the active house arose from the effort to create healthier and more comfortable living conditions with respect to the environment. The project itself is evaluated based on the building's energy consumption, indoor environment, and impact on the environment. The result of measuring the facility is the so-called active radar, including 3 basic parameters with several subcategories:
1. Comfort - the radar considers how much daylight and fresh air enters the interior, as well as the quality of the indoor air.
2. Energy - the radar shows the energy consumption in connection with its supply and with primary energy parameters. The active house prioritizes renewable energy sources that are part of the building or are located nearby.
3. Environmental protection - the active house focuses on resource use and overall environmental impact. Thus the radar monitors the sustainability of the house's construction, the level of potable water consumption, and ecological burdens.

For 75 years, the VELUX group has been creating better living conditions for people around the world, providing them with daylight and fresh air through roof windows. Our product range includes roof windows and products for illuminating flat roofs, as well as a wide array of decorative elements and blinds, shutters, installation solutions, and smart home controls. These products contribute to ensuring a healthy and sustainable environment indoors for work and study, as well as for play and enjoyment. We operate globally - selling and manufacturing in over 40 countries and employing around 14,500 people worldwide. The VELUX group is owned by VKR Holding A/S, whose shares are held by several foundations and the family. For more information, visit www.velux.cz.