29 September 2026

Daylight Conversations: Peter Edwards & Dorte Mandrup on daylight, ecology and architecture

In this episode of Daylight Conversations, Peter Edwards, Professor Emeritus of Plant Ecology at ETH Zurich, and The Daylight Award jury member Dorte Mandrup, architect, founder and Creative Director of Dorte Mandrup A/S, explore how daylight shapes both natural and built environments.

Their conversation moves from the ecological importance of light to the ways architecture and urban planning can support access to daylight. They discuss density, public spaces, façades, materials and colour, as well as the relationship between daylight, energy efficiency and technology. 

Filmed at the Zero Carbon Building Systems Lab at ETH Zurich Hönggerberg, the conversation also considers how traditional knowledge and local climatic conditions can inform contemporary approaches to daylight. 

Above all, Edwards and Mandrup reflect on the need to make daylight a more conscious part of architectural and urban thinking, and to strengthen understanding of its importance across disciplines. 

Enjoy the conversation!