Daylight as Design Technology: A Global Symposium for Architects
In a sweeping statement, Le Corbusier famously quipped that “architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light.” Despite its pithy and prescient nature, could it be argued that his enduring definition understates the importance of light to architecture? More and more research points to the vital importance of building with light — not simply to bring together masses, but to make our interiors healthier and greener.
On September 18, 2025, the 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium will bring this principle into sharp focus at Copenhagen’s Mogens Dahl Concert Hall. For one day, over 30 leading voices in research and practice will explore daylight’s role in creating salubrious, sustainable architecture. However, architects and designers need not fly to Denmark to take part. Would-be participants can experience the full program via a free livestream via Architizer’s LinkedIn account:
Pre-Register to Attend Symposium
This year’s theme, “Towards Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Architecture,” reflects a shift in architectural priorities: daylight is no longer a matter of aesthetics alone, but a measurable force for climate performance, occupant health and urban resilience. Sessions will spotlight new tools, scientific insights and built projects that reveal how daylight-conscious design can reduce energy consumption and address the urgent demands of climate change.
The livestream invites architects to access this global exchange of ideas. Whether you’re an architect in Mumbai, a researcher in São Paulo, or a policymaker in Toronto, you can engage with presentations, hear from international experts and bring daylight-forward strategies directly into your practice — all without boarding a plane. The symposium reframes innovation for a global profession: not in chasing the latest software trend, but in mastering one of architecture’s oldest, most powerful resources.
A Decade of Daylight Discourse
From Astrid Achatz, Anne Lacaton and Christoph Reinhart at the Daylight Symposium 2017 | Photo courtesy of VELUX
Launched in 2005, the Daylight Symposium has become one of the world’s most significant forums dedicated to natural light in the built environment. What sets it apart is its multidisciplinary lens: architects, scientists, engineers and policymakers come together to share knowledge that is often siloed in separate professional spheres.
The 10th edition marks a milestone. Over the past two decades, discourse around daylight has shifted dramatically. Once considered primarily in terms of aesthetics or comfort, it is now understood as a driver of sustainable design. Meanwhile, more and more research has highlighted the undeniable link between natural illumination and occupant health. The 2025 program reflects this evolution, weaving together science and architecture to redefine daylight as an essential tool for the future of practice.
Attend Virtual Symposium on Sept. 18th
Global Voices, Global Access
Kevin Van Den Wymlenberg at the Daylight Symposium in 2020 | Photo courtesy of VELUX
The 2025 program is moderated by Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg (US) and Juliëtte van Duijnhoven (NL), and features a diverse roster of experts from across continents. This diversity underscores the universality of daylight: though climate conditions vary, every building in every context must contend with how to harness natural light.
By offering the first two sessions of the symposium as a free livestream, VELUX is breaking down barriers to participation. Architects in São Paulo, researchers in Mumbai or policymakers in Toronto can join the same conversations as those gathered in Copenhagen. The livestream ensures that daylight-forward design strategies are accessible to a truly global community — amplifying impact far beyond the concert hall.
Pre-Register for Livestream Access
Why Daylight, Why Now?
Florence Lam at the Daylight Symposium in 2013 | Photo courtesy of VELUX
For architects, the message is clear: daylight is not a luxury. It is one of the most effective, low-energy and universally available technologies for creating buildings that are healthier, more sustainable and more resilient.
Unlike many emerging digital tools, daylight is timeless. Yet its design implications are anything but static. With new research and standards, architects today can both quantify and optimize daylight’s effects with unprecedented precision. The symposium reframes daylight as both an ancient craft and a contemporary science — a bridge between intuitive design and measurable performance.
In a moment when the industry is captivated by the promises of AI and automation, the Daylight Symposium offers a counterpoint: innovation is not always about adopting the newest software, but about mastering the fundamental elements of architecture.
Attend Virtual Symposium on Sept. 18th
How to Join
The 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium takes place on September 18, 2025 at the Mogens Dahl Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark — but you can attend from anywhere in the world. This year’s theme, “Towards Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Architecture,” opens with a powerful session on Design for Well-being. The session that will be livestreamed on Architizer’s LinkedIn from 09:00 to 13:00 CEST (Central European Time). Sign up now for a reminder about the Livestream on the day of the event.
Speakers and topics will include:
- Celebrating Daylight by Darron Haylock, Foster + Partners (UK)
- 5 Fundamental Shifts Ushering in the Healthy Buildings Era by Joseph Allen, Harvard University (US)
- Don’t Fight Climate, Use It by Florencia Collo, atmos lab (UK)
And many more. Save the date and join us for an event blending education and inspiration — and see daylight in a new light!
A Call to Architects
Daylight has always been architecture’s oldest material. Today, it is also among its most urgent technologies. The 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium invites architects everywhere to reimagine what’s possible when science and design converge around natural light.
By tuning in online, you’ll not only gain access to leading-edge insights — you’ll join a global community committed to advancing healthier, more resilient and more sustainable architecture.
Don’t miss this chance to be part of the conversation. Register now for the free livestream of the 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium via Architizer’s LinkedIn:
Pre-Register to Attend Symposium
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