The Hacking for Homebuilding competition, hosted by the Venture College with the College of Engineering, challenged student teams to come up with solutions for challenges faced in the construction trades — everything from finding more affordable housing to contending with construction site debris.
Fifteen teams competed. Panelists chose three top teams: Affordable Idaho (AID) from Boise State, a group advocating for an expansion of tax increment financing, a tool that could support more affordable housing; HAUS from the University of Idaho, an access system that lets homeowners easily reach the utilities in their homes; and BEAMING from Boise State, a strategy to salvage and reuse plastic lumber wrap.
The three teams will pitch their ideas at Boise Startup Week beginning Oct. 26. They will vie for cash prizes ($10,000 for the winner) and the chance to connect with industry investors. The pitch competition takes place at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29.
“We had an incredible week of work with all of the 15 teams that competed,” said Nic Miller, director of the Venture College. “The amount that they were able to accomplish in one week was impressive, not to mention that they did it in the midst of some incredibly challenging circumstances.”
Because of the pandemic, student teams worked and made their pitches remotely.
Read a recent feature about Hacking for Homebuilding.
** Story update: HAUS, the University of Idaho team, won the top prize and $10,000 at Boise Startup Week.