Portrait
The Daylight Academy (DLA) is an international membership organisation initiated by the Velux Stiftung. It brings together scientists from all backgrounds, as well as architects, engineers and other professionals who are involved in daylight research or have a strong interest in daylight related topics.
By organising networking events, supporting collaborative activities and providing a platform for connection and exchange among the different disciplines and fields of expertise working on daylight, the Academy wants to initiate cooperation, innovation and new knowledge. Such interdisciplinary exchange has the potential to be a catalyst for creativity, novelty and development.
The aim is to strengthen daylight research and its applications for the benefit of humanity and nature.
The Daylight Academy was officially inaugurated in November 2016.
Mission
The Daylight Academy aims to internationally promote interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary cooperation among scientists, architects and other professionals active within daylight research or with a strong interest in daylight related topics to impact daylight research and its application for the benefit of humanity and nature.
The impact shall be achieved by:
- Connecting scientists, architects and other professionals, linking disciplines and promoting interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary thinking to initiate cooperation, new knowledge and innovation
- Being a catalyser for creativity, novelty and development within all involved disciplines in daylight research and its application
- Disseminating the knowledge to specialists and the public.
Background
The Daylight Academy was started as a bottom-up initiative. Since 2013, the Velux Stiftung has organised several scientific workshops to identify hotspots of daylight research. Scientists participating in these workshops showed a strong interest in having a permanent opportunity for exchange and collaboration. The board of the Velux Stiftung supported this and the foundation facilitated the development of the idea.
From the beginning, it was clear that the Academy should be independent and allow its members to define the shape of the Academy as well as its topics, dedicated to daylight. Therefore, the Daylight Academy has become an entirely independent initiative of scientists, facilitated by the Velux Stiftung.
The Daylight Academy also evolved in the context of many initiatives and programs that go back to the founder of the Velux Stiftung, Mr. Villum Kann Rasmussen and his dedication to daylight. Since 2025, the Daylight Academy presents The Daylight Award, an international biennial award that honors and supports daylight research and daylight in architecture. With its roots stretching back to the 1980s, The Daylight Award was organised by the VELUX Foundations in Denmark and Velux Stiftung from 2016, before being presented by the Daylight Academy since 2025.
Finally, the VELUX company organises the Daylight Symposium that focuses on the more applied aspects of daylight in building technology.