Velux Revives Medieval Wisdom for Sustainable Architecture

Sustainability talks in architecture often focus on technology. But on September 9, at the ‘Leader 2050: x Energy Leap – Copenhagen Municipality’ workshop, the Velux Group proposed a philosophy rooted in past wisdom. Founder Villum Kann Rasmussen envisioned "A model company for employees, financially for stakeholders, and for society."

Lone Feifer, Director for Sustainable Buildings of VELUX, warned that architecture has lost touch with nature: "But somehow we have a bit lost that because somebody in a blue suit or something is taking care of it right?"

Velux calls for residents to engage with their buildings: "You have to be critical consumer also in your lives, professional lives if you are working with buildings. Be critical. Ask how good will this be." 

She adds, "Where the planet is actually part of it as well as the people and not the people and planet that is so key to us to have both and to approach it does not single ideally neither of them but in unison."

This philosophy drives the Living Places project, setting a benchmark for sustainable design. Feifer said, "I was very happy when we two years ago could take the sustainability strategy and fully integrate it into our corporate strategy."

By sharing the project, Velux urges others to innovate. In the spirit of its founder-"Sometimes it's just better to try. That’s the spirit of our founder was just trying to do something new and do it together.” the company embraces bold experimentation.