Aleksandra Pytka and Zuzanna Sazonow, students of the Faculty of Architecture at Poznan University of Technology, won the regional prize in the International Velux Award 2022 competition. The project "TIP - Time Indicate Protection" won in the category "Natural Light in Buildings" in the Eastern Europe and Middle East region. Patrycja Kaminska was the project supervisor.
The International Velux Award competition has been held periodically every two years since 2004. Polish architecture students have participated in the competition for years, achieving success. The competition offers entries in two categories: "Natural Light in Buildings" and "Natural Light Research." The entries were judged by an international jury consisting of:
- Anupama Kundoo - Anupama Kundoo architects (India),
- John Ronan - John Ronan Architects (USA),
- Rainer Hofmann - Bogevischs Buero (Germany),
- Fuensanta Nieto - Nieto Sobejano Arquitos (Spain).
- Lotte Kragelund - VELUX A/S (Denmark).
From left: research supervisor M.Sc. arch. Patrycja Kaminska and students - Aleksandra Pytka, Zuzanna Sazonow
© Velux
TIP, or Time Indicate Protection
The project created by Aleksandra Pytka and Zuzanna Sazonow is a modular shading system that can be adapted in multifamily residential buildings. It allows reducing the negative effects of climate change.
I realized that the work "TIP - Time Indicate Protection" deserved to be appreciated and won. From the very beginning of work on the concept, the project had the hallmarks of an innovative solution in architecture. I am happy that this work was noticed. The students worked diligently during the development of the project. Their creative approach, imagination, sense of aesthetics, acquired engineering knowledge and conducted research on the latest materials and technologies enabled them to create an innovative design of a modular building facade fully responding to the challenges of the modern world," commented Patrycja Kaminska, scientific supervisor of the winning team.
The winning project "TIP - Ime Indicate Protection"
© Velux
unusual fan
The system relies on the operation of a fan that opens with an actuator during times of high sunlight in the building. The most important consideration in the design of the structure was the ability to protect the interior from overheating while allowing natural daylight in. The fans were made of fiberglass, which avoids darkening the interior, while remaining light and transparent. In addition, an important goal of the designers was to adapt the fans to the facade of the block in such a way as to make the building light and organize the space.
The winning project "TIP - Ime Indicate Protection"
© Velux
The main impetus for our project, was noticing both the positive and negative effects of solar radiation on living conditions. We wanted to eliminate its undesirable effects while preserving the positive ones. We were inspired primarily by observation of everyday life and analysis of the conditions in which a sizable portion of Poles currently live. Many of our relatives, living in multi-family buildings, face the problem of overheated housing during the summer. In the current post-pandemic era, this problem has become even more important, due to the proliferation of remote and hybrid modes of operation, and the consequent increase in the time spent in the apartment when it is at its most heated. At the same time, we are aware that climate change with the prospect of more frequent and longer heat waves will exacerbate this phenomenon. Observing this problem and the need to face it were the main driving forces for us," the students point out.
The winning project "TIP - Ime Indicate Protection"
© Velux
The project "TIP - Time Indicate Protection" by Aleksandra Pytka and Zuzanna Sazonov will take part in the next stage of the VELUX competition, this time to compete for the global Grand Prix award. All regional winners have been invited to a three-day trip to Lisbon, where during the World Architecture Festival they will present their projects to a jury, which will select one grand prize winner in both competition categories.
