Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2026

Date

Thursday the 8th of October 2026

Duration

One day (from 8h30 until 17h00), during Staalbouwdag 2026

Location

AFAS Theater
Inspiratielaan 3
3833 AV Leusden

Organisation

Bouwen met Staal in cooperation with Ontologic

• Marijn Luijmes (Ontologic), e-mail marijn@ontologic.tech
• Rayaan Ajouz (Bouwen met Staal), e-mail rayaan@bouwenmetstaal.nl

Jury

• T.B.A.

Sponsors Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2026

Content

During the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2026, multidisciplinary teams will compete to develop an innovative parametric design for connecting steel to an existing concrete structure.

This design competition calls for creativity, collaboration and, of course, architectural and structural expertise. Participants from across the sector will come together with one shared goal: to create an architecturally impressive yet structurally sound solution for a fictional case that will be revealed during the event.

Teams will be challenged to explore how steel can be efficiently and elegantly connected to an existing concrete structure. How can the connection become an integral part of the architectural design while meeting all structural and practical requirements?

Participants are encouraged to push the boundaries of conventional structural design by using smart digital tools, parametric workflows and innovative applications of steel. The challenge will require teams to balance aesthetics, structural integrity, feasibility and efficient material use.

Get inspired, collaborate with professionals from across the industry and take the opportunity to push the boundaries of structural design for a day.

Register now for free, and we will see you on 8 October!

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 2026.

We are looking for participants for the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2026 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 2026 will be announced at 3:30 PM during the conference in the main theater hall.

Prizes

The winning team will receive the Hackathon@Staalbouwdag 2026 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 Plus or Claude 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 invoerveld functie
• Short motivation for participation (+/- 100 words), mention in invoerveld opmerking

The deadline for enrollment is Monday September 28th 2026 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 5th, 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.