Hackathon

Date

Thursday the 9th of October 2025

Duration

One day (from 8h30  untill 17h00), during Staalbouwdag 2025

Location

AFAS Theater
Inspiratielaan 3
3833 AV Leusden

Organisation

Bouwen met Staal in cooperation with BAM A&E, IV and Kingspan Light + Air

• Teun van Dooren (Kingspan Light+Air), e-mail teun.vandooren@kingspan.com
• Luka Ekart (IV-group), e-mail l.ekart@iv.nl
• Tom Diks (BAM A&E), e-mail tom.diks@bam.com
• Rayaan Ajouz (Bouwen met Staal), e-mail rayaan@bouwenmetstaal.nl

Jury

• Walter Spangenberg (retired, formerly ABT)
• Florentia Kavoura (Delft University of Technology)
• Pieter Pauwels (Eindhoven University of Technology)

Sponsors Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2025

Content

During the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2025, multidisciplinary design teams will compete in parametrically designing the optimal steel structure.

This design competition calls for creativity, collaboration, and, of course, (structural) knowledge. On this day, participants from across the sector will be brought together with a common goal. This year, teams are challenged to design a structure and build parametric models that evaluate the use of high-grade steel. How can you maximise the benefits of high-quality steel to positively influence environmental and cost impacts without demonstrably compromising structural integrity? Naturally, teams are encouraged to use smart digital tools, parametric workflows, and work with steel as much as possible. 

Be inspired and get the chance to push the boundaries of structural design for a day. Register now for free, and we'll see you on October 9th!

Participants

Each Hackathon team consists of a minimum of four members, including at least one architect, one engineer from a consulting firm, one detail engineer from a steel construction company, and one student. The team that delivers the best design during the Staalbouwdag wins the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag.

We are looking for participants for the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag who are:

• Architects
• Structural Engineers
• Detail engineers
• Students

The event is accessible for all experience levels: we need a mix of designers, creative thinkers and hackers. Whether you're a Grasshopper pro or just curious, your input is valuable. Innovation needs all kinds of minds. 

Are you also participating in the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag? Then sign up using the registration button at the top of the page.

You can find the registration procedure at the bottom of this page.

Why join?

Program

The Hackathon begins with the announcement of the team compositions and the case you will be working on, followed by the public introduction of the Hackathon to visitors of the Staalbouwdag. In the afternoon, each team gives a short presentation of their design. Subsequently, the jury evaluates the proposals. The winner of the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2025 will be announced at 4:00 PM during the conference in the main theater hall.

Prices

The winning team will receive the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2025 trophy. In addition, the winning team will receive a dinner voucher worth €500. Furthermore, the participants of the winning team will each receive a 3-month ChatGPT Pro license.

Registration procedure

Do you want to demonstrate that your team can design the best steel structure? Then sign up using the registration button above or by clicking on this linked text.

Add the following text to the comments:

• Job description, mention in in invoerveld functie
• Short motivation for participation (+/- 100 words), mention in invoerveld opmerking

The deadline for enrollment is Monday September 29th 2025 23:59.

You will receive a confirmation of your registration at your email address.

Team assembly:

Participants register individually. The organization will assemble the teams, and these teams will be announced at the start of the Hackathon. Each team consists of at least one architect, one engineer, one detail engineer, and one student.

Case:

Each team will receive the same case. This case will be announced in the morning, at the start of the Hackathon.

Announcement of participants:

The Hackathon has a limited number of spots.

For the selection of participants, the organization follows the following rule: "We strive for a good distribution of roles, companies, and diversity. After that, it's first come, first served."

On Monday, October 6th, Bouwen met Staal will announce the participants of the hackathon based on the received registrations. The participants will receive a voucher for free access to the Staalbouwdag at their email address. Upon arrival at the Staalbouwdag, the voucher can be exchanged for a visitor's badge at the reception desk.