Magnetic fluid ferrofluid – the future of shielding sunroofs?

At the ceremonial awards of the first year of the VELUX International Design Award (VIDA), held on May 22, 2014, at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, Netherlands, two winners were presented and five honorable mentions were awarded. The first prize was awarded to Hyunjeong Kim from the Berlin University of the Arts for her innovative design of blinds called “Ferro Fluid Scales”.

The VELUX International Design Award was established to give ambitious design students from all over Europe the opportunity to push the boundaries of what is possible through the intersection of design and technology in the design of blinds. The VELUX group invited students to bring new perspectives on the development of blinds for roof windows in an attempt to win the historic first prize in the international VELUX International Design Award competition. Participants from more than 20 European countries, including the Czech team “Moonlight” from the AAAD in Prague, submitted their works to the competition. The entries were evaluated according to the following criteria: innovation, improved quality of life, sustainability, and market potential.

How the winner is selected
The main prize of 6,000 euros, over 160,000 CZK, was awarded by the jury to Berlin University of the Arts student Hyunjeong Kim for her comprehensive and innovative solution for roof windows. Her project Ferro Fluid Scales demonstrates a high level of innovation and has a clear vision. It is a solution that is intelligent and thoughtful in technical terms and shows a new approach to solving shading for roof windows.

JURY OF THE VELUX International Design Award

Peter Zec - founder of the prestigious Red Dot design award, Germany

GamFratesi – design duo Stine Gam, Denmark, and Enrico Fratesi, Italy

Petra Blaisse - Dutch designer and architect

Magnetic fluid ferrofluid is the future of window blinds

Winning project Ferro fluid scales

The inspiration for the Ferro Fluid Scales project was the magnetic fluid ferrofluid, which appears as ordinary black water in its natural state but thickens when placed in magnetic fields. Hyunjeong Kim inserted the fluid along with a second transparent suspension into clear glass slats. Anyone using the slats can easily increase and decrease the intensity of the magnetic field, thereby regulating the amount of light let through by the blinds.
Kim says about the project development: “I explored a whole range of materials that could be used for my idea; only after some time did I come across ferrofluid. The most important aspect to understand about the Ferro Fluid Scales design is that the basis of the blind's function is not its physical movement, but the gradual change in the properties of the ferrofluid within the thin glass panels or slats. I added an electromagnetic unit that allows easy regulation of voltage to increase or decrease the amount of incoming sunlight.”
“We chose the winning project because it combines technological sophistication, ingenuity, and effectiveness. Effectiveness in terms of functionality – this solution does not impose its decorative appearance on the user,” explains juror Petra Blaisse regarding the winner's selection.

The Swipe – Blinds with gradual dimming and aesthetic effect

2nd place The Swipe

The second prize of 2,500 euros, nearly 70,000 CZK, went to Iris van den Brink and Anneoles de Koff from the Technical University in Delft, Netherlands.
The Swipe project features shading blinds that address a certain gap in the market, where most products allow either complete opening or complete closing of the blinds. The innovative solution by Dutch students van den Brink and de Koff lies in the easy adjustment of the blinds, which through a mobile application allows regulating the optimal amount of light according to the user’s needs.
The authors explain their gradual dimming system as follows: “In addition to the beautiful aesthetic effect, our project is also easy to implement because it is simple. All parts used in the construction are standard, which ensures low production costs. We believe this aligns perfectly with the vision of the VELUX group, which aims to make excellent design accessible to all.”
The jury rated the project as a very simple but robust and innovative solution, noting that “the solution in both indoor and outdoor variants shows an interesting way to handle light”.

Honorable mentions for other finalists
Five other teams were also awarded honorable mentions for their projects. At the awards ceremony, all finalists, hailing from design schools in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Hungary, demonstrated prototypes of their projects.
Jury member Peter Zec, founder of the prestigious Red Dot design award, said: “Among the projects awarded honorable mentions were a number of interesting solutions. We witnessed the application of amazing new technologies that, for example, utilize daylight as an energy source for nighttime, as well as sustainable and technically advanced solutions strongly inspired by nature.”

The new design award promotes innovation

Finalists of the VIDA competition

“When we decided to establish this competition, we had no idea that we would be standing on stage today with so many amazing designs,” said Kent Holm, director of blinds and shutters at the VELUX group at the awards ceremony. “It's truly admirable how many of these design teams attempted highly complex solutions, and we are absolutely blown away by the uncompromising commitment and quality of workmanship displayed by participants throughout the competition.”
Holm hopes that the entire process has been beneficial for students – from initial inspiration to implementation and from mere design to prototype. “As a source of daylight, fresh air, and attractive views, roof windows enrich our lives with light and create a better environment for living, working, and playing. I am convinced that all competition participants gained invaluable experience with the issues surrounding roof windows. For us, it is incredibly inspiring to see the wide array of creative approaches and solutions presented by the students.”

About VELUX
The mission of VELUX is to develop and continuously improve products
that bring more daylight and fresh air into attic spaces, allow views of the surroundings, and align with modern architectural trends. VELUX's product range includes a wide selection of roof windows, light tubes, and solutions for flat roofs. VELUX also offers a full range of shading and decorative accessories – from blinds, shutters to outdoor awnings and roller shades, including a complete system of mounting and control elements for manual or remote electric or solar operation. VELUX owns production facilities in 11 countries and commercial companies in almost 35 countries. As such, it is one of the world's strongest companies in the building materials industry. Its products are sold in most countries around the world. The VELUX group employs approximately 10,000 people. It is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited liability company fully owned by the company's founder and his family.

For more information, visit www.velux.cz.