Six Sites, Six University Teams, and a 48-Hour Sprint Towards Affordable Housing – this is the 2026 edition of the Construction Hackathon in numbers. How can affordable housing be designed to truly reflect the needs of cities and municipalities – while making smart use of data and digital tools? The third edition of the Stavební Hackathon, supported by RICAIP, brought together students, industry experts and public stakeholders to tackle real-world urban challenges. The event highlights the societal impact of Industry 4.0 and AI technologies, including data-driven design and digital twins, while fostering the next generation of innovators in sustainable urban development.
How can affordable housing be designed in a way that truly reflects the needs of cities and municipalities? This question was at the heart of the third edition of the student competition Stavební Hackathon, organized by the Národní centrum Stavebnictví 4.0, which took place on 25-27 March 2026, as part of the Festival architektury at the Brno Exhibition Centre.
Over an intensive 48-hour period, six university teams worked on proposals for affordable housing on specific sites provided by six municipalities in the South Moravian Region. As a result, six design concepts were developed for the towns and villages of Kuřim, Ostrov u Macochy, Rosice, Veselí nad Moravou, Znojmo and Želetice u Kyjova.
“The topic of affordable housing in connection with digitalization confirms that the future of construction lies in the smart use of data, effective collaboration, and the ability to design feasible solutions. The students demonstrated their capacity to think comprehensively – from urban planning to project economics,” said Prof. Radoslav Sovják, Director of the National Centre for Construction 4.0.
The students presented their proposals to an expert jury composed of representatives from academia, public administration and the private sector. Their work covered not only architectural design, but also economic feasibility, energy concepts and overall project sustainability. The proposals were developed using digital models, BIM and data-driven design approaches, with a strong emphasis on real-world feasibility.
Students from six universities participated in the competition: the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (Faculty of Applied Sciences), Brno University of Technology (Faculty of Civil Engineering), Czech Technical University in Prague (Faculty of Civil Engineering), Mendel University in Brno (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology), VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (Faculty of Civil Engineering), and the Technical University of Košice (Faculty of Civil Engineering).
The winner of the third edition of the Stavební Hackathon was the team from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology, scoring 56 out of 60 points. The team was mentored by KOMA Modular.
The teams worked under the guidance of mentors from partner companies, including Wienerberger, KOMA Modular, Progress Group, STRABAG, PKV, Central Group and SOK stavební s.r.o. Each team addressed a different site and prepared a tailored affordable housing proposal for a specific locality. The event was also supported by RICAIP – the Research and Innovation Centre on Advanced Industrial Production – which focuses, among other topics, on the societal impacts of new technologies in developing innovative solutions for urban planning and sustainable cities.
“We were pleased to engage with future designers, urban planners and architects within the Construction Hackathon, where real projects from South Moravian municipalities were addressed: projects for which we provide consultancy through the Obec ON initiative. The construction fair also offers an excellent opportunity to connect these projects with suppliers of modular housing solutions, as high-quality and affordable housing requires the synergy of many good ideas, which is exactly what this collaboration fosters,” said Daniel Ryšávka, Director of the State Investment Support Fund.
The competition brings the hackathon format into the construction sector—fast-paced collaboration between students, industry experts and the public sector working on real assignments. Thanks to the support of the State Investment Support Fund (SFPI) and the Obec ON initiative, students once again tackled real locations where municipalities are seeking new housing development opportunities.
Each site represents a different type of challenge faced by local governments today. Some towns, such as Kuřim and Rosice, are responding to the growth of the Brno metropolitan area, where demand for housing is rapidly increasing and municipalities are looking for ways to ensure affordability for their residents.
Other towns face different development dynamics. In Veselí nad Moravou, new economic opportunities are attracting a workforce and increasing the demand for quality housing. Znojmo, as an important regional centre, is seeking ways to strengthen its attractiveness for the working-age population and retain young people and professionals.
Smaller municipalities face specific challenges. In Želetice u Kyjova and Ostrov u Macochy, the construction of new housing is often a key tool to prevent the outflow of young families and to maintain the long-term vitality of the local community.
The Construction Hackathon is part of the long-term activities of the National Centre for Construction 4.0 aimed at supporting digitalization, innovation and education in the construction sector. The centre actively promotes the field among younger generations, organizes expert presentations for secondary and university students, and initiated the educational programme “Stavební Gramotnost” (Construction Literacy), which introduces construction topics to primary and secondary school students.