The International VELUX Award 2022 for Students of Architecture

Competition of Architecture '' The International VELUX Award 2022''. MaxLight project worked in Bologna, Italy. The gross floor area is 657 m² with three floors and a basement. Nowadays, using sustainable and recycled materials getting increasing every day. Plastic and light tube inspired us to create this product, also plastic is one of the most common, accessible and cheap materials in the world. The problem is always some areas in buildings that could not access daylight and need to use artificial light. Also, some products direct daylight inside the building but have limitations on height and length. On the other hand, their efficiency is low. Also, the power of light transmission decreases. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) belongs to the family of synthetic polymers is the solution. It is a very transparent, rigid material, with excellent resistance to ultraviolet rays and air. This material is capable of laser cutting, shaping, sanding, piercing, bending, etc. This material with the features that were discussed and will be discussed below in the light industry has become a suitable material for implementing some ideas. This material is the main part of optical fibres and is also used in the manufacture of special lights. PMMA is used in many cases because of its unique features. Almost the light conductivity feature is the most significant feature of this material. Conventional PMMA transmits up to 93% of light, which is more than other materials such as glass or plastic. This remarkable feature has led to its use in the manufacture of many pieces of equipment for lighting. Hardness levels of surfaces of this material show good resistance against scratches and such damages. This feature will be very useful and suitable in cases where visual beauty is of special importance to us in the long run. It is UV resistant because used for outdoor equipment. This material can be used in such spaces for a long time without changing the colour. In comparison with glass, it is not fragile and has unique properties that can be combined with other polymeric materials to increase its performance properties. Usually, these changes in its composition are made to improve the properties of this polymer for special applications. Examples of features that can be adjusted in this way include impact resistance, chemical resistance, flame retardant, light scattering, UV filter, light effects, and... MAXLight product is designed in three main parts, the first one is the head of the product with a circular shape installed on the roof that collects light and sends it to the inside of the building. The second part is the tube of product that transfers light to dark places. The last part is a light valve to distribute light in the room. This product is designed with a semi-circular shape that inside includes several PMMA rods (light rods), which is supported by some plans. This semi-circular is covered by transparent plastic. There are some advantages to using this product in a building use on more than two floors without losing the efficiency of light. Also, it is a flexible material that can turn in several angles to fit with all the plans of buildings and use as a part of interior design because of the shape and product design this material used inside the building. On the other hand, the price of this material is economical for customers.