Sails, ho! AEC Hackathon is here! Let the games begin!

host committee, judges, prizes set, as tickets near sell-out

by ROB McMANAMY | March 5, 2015

Chicago's first-ever coding competition designed solely for the built environment is now just hours away. BuiltWorlds and the nonprofit AEC Hackathon are excited to announce that Comcast Business has signed on as the event's official internet provider, three prominent industry leaders have agreed to be judges, and several more now comprise AEC Hackathon 2.1's Host Welcoming Committee. Last but hopefully not least, prizes also have been set for Sunday's winning teams.

"We have tried to anticipate everything imaginable for this major industry event, and now we are ready for the fun to begin," says Matt Abeles, BuiltWorlds managing director. "We are honored by the participation of our host committee and judges, and trust that the industry in general will benefit as much from this weekend as those who actually attend and compete."

Can't attend? Follow the event at #AECHACKSBW

Members of the Host Welcoming Committee: Bonnie Berman, CIO, City of Chicago; Boyd Black, AVP, Capital Projects Delivery, University of Chicago; Matt Garrison, Managing Principal, S^2 Companies (formerly South Street Capital); Andy Jansen, COO, Hard Hat Hub; Pete Kadens, President, SoCore Energy; Robert Knott, President, SWC Technology Partners; Carson Kyhl, Principal, Burnham Nationwide; John Tolva, President, PositivEnergy Practice; David Wing, President, Graycor Construction Co.

Black and Tolva, the former CTO for the City of Chicago, also have agreed to serve as judges for the event. They will be joined on the three-member panel by Molly Rossow, co-founder, Chicago Women Developers, and an engineer at Chicago-based Bright Image Scientific.

How it all works

Eight to 10 industry problems will be presented to attendees tomorrow evening (and possibly Saturday morning) here at BuiltWorlds. Teams of hackers will form around each problem, disperse to chosen work areas, and begin coding and collaborating after hours. The mood is competitive, but collegial, and all involved are strongly encouraged to make any new solutions open-sourced and available to the industry at large.

Throughout the day on Saturday, a strong lineup of speakers will also be presenting in BuiltWorlds upstairs auditorium, giving attendees and visitors the opportunity to take breaks and learn about topics such as Big Data, BIM, AR/VR, Gamification, and wearable technology. Teams again will have the opportunity to work until midnight on their solutions and final presentations.

On Sunday, the teams will finish their work and present to the judges. (Picture 'The Voice', only with less music and normal-sized chairs that don't swivel.) Teams will be judged in categories such as: Best Technology; Best Collaboration; Best Overall Project. Winners will split $1,500 in cash prizes, but each will also receive collectible event tee-shirts!

At press time, multiple attendees (and possible teams) were already registered from Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; Assemble Systems; Bluebeam; Caterpillar; Chicago Women Developers; Graycor Construction; Greeley & Hansen; Kristine Fallon Associates; Mortenson Construction; Pepper Construction; Power Construction; Thornton Tomasetti; Turner Construction; Walsh Construction; Wight & Co.