Architects awarded with the Daylight Award and 100,000 Euro for their unique approach to social housing

Anne Lacaton, 55, and Jean-Philippe Vassal, 57, are principals in Lacaton & Vassal , an architecture firm they started together in 1987. Their designs balance aspects of daylight quality, energy consumption and low-budget economy in a humanistic and aesthetically convincing manner.

“There is an economic advantage in refurbishing social housing instead of tearing all the buildings down,” says Jean-Philippe Vassal . “Renovation will always be more cost-effective than new buildings. There is so much potential in renovating a good and solid building and thereby transforming the area to a new and inviting neighbourhood.”

New life with daylight and fewer walls

Lacaton and Vassal are inspired by buildings with large open spaces: hangars, warehouses, large greenhouses and supermarkets. In these structures they have found new ways to use standard construction systems to transform older buildings. By bringing more light into the buildings, removing as many walls as possible, creating better acoustics and using glass as an extra facade on the building, they have succeeded in transforming both private and large public projects.

Of particular note, is the architects work with a number of social housing projects in France. Lacaton & Vassal run the projects by the governing principle that 90 percent of the required materials are already available on site. Demolition of older social housing buildings is not an environmentally friendly option regardless of how green the replacement building may be.

About The Daylight and Building Component Award

The Daylight and Building Component Award is given annually to an individual or group of individuals who, through artistic, scientific or practical work, have contributed significantly to the understanding of the value and importance of daylight. Previous recipients of the award, which has been presented since 1980, include architects Jørn Utzon, Henning Larsen, James Carpenter and solar scientist Richard Perez.

The VILLUM and VELUX Foundations, two non-profit foundations established in 1971 and 1981 by the civil engineer and inventor Villum Kann Rasmussen stand behind the award. Villum Kann Rasmussen developed the modern VELUX roof window, opening a new world of architectural possibilities for bringing daylight, fresh air and a better environment into peoples lives. Based on his invention, he founded the company VELUX.

The press is welcome at the ceremony that takes place on March 7, 2011 at 3 pm on Kunstakademiets Arkitektskole in Holmen - Festsalen, Danneskiold-Samsøes Allé 51, DK-1435 Copenhagen K

Further information:
Ane Hendriksen, VILLUM Foundation and VELUX Foundation, +45 3957 0985, ahd@veluxfondene.dk