Calendar

Upcoming hackathons

Hackathon Leadership program UvA

May 2022

Facility Managers of the University of Amsterdam learn how to use nature’s database to solve complex organizational challenges. This hackathon is a part of a yearly leardership program that is organized with Kessels & Smit.

Spinwaves Lab

May 2022

In 2022 we organize a Biomimicry Hackathon being part of the Spinwaves Lab that starts in May 2022. The participants of the Lab get the opportunity to apply design thinking in combination with Theory U to develop sustainable prototypes for the built environment.

More information www.spinwaveslab.nl

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Past hackathons

Hackathon Vrije Universiteit

October 2021

In October 2021 we organized a three day hackathon for the realestate department of the Vrije Universiteit. Their ambition is to have a 100% regenerative strategy and operations, that is based on natures’ design principles. In three days they reconnected to nature with their team and redesigned a roadmap, long term vision and concrete next steps.

Hackathon at University of Amsterdam

July 2021

In July 2021 we organized a hackathon for a major logistic challenge brought in by the University of Amsterdam. This hackathon was part of a leadership program for the facility managers of the University of Amsterdam, a partnership with Kessels & Smit.

This hackathon is incompany (part of a leadership program).

Hackathon quay walls Amsterdam

July 2020

In July 2020 we organized a hackathon for the municipality of Amsterdam. The challenge: how can we develop sustainable solutions for the quay walls? In three multidisciplinair groups the municipality worked together with builders, biologists and artists to develop new 100% regenarative concepts. In 2021 one of the concepts called ‘Honingbeer’ is built in a prototype and applied.

Hackathon A58

26th of June

In June 2019 we organize a hackathon for the A58 project from Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat). This hackaton was the start for a new ecosystem of SME and bigger companies that design and built a 100% regenerative highway.

Hackathon Nature Based Solutions

16th and 17th of October

In 2019 we organized a hackathon for the Nature Based Solutions Group from Shell. We designed a global – local strategy including an organizational model that transform Shell into a partner that can help building sustainable ecosystems.

Private Hackathon

28th of September, Eindhoven

Hackathon TU Eindhoven
More than 120 students of the honors programme will hack five sustainability challenges submitted by Shell.

Hackathon InfraTech 2019

15th and 16th of January

At InfraTech 2019 we organise a hackathon for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat). We will handle two challenges. Read more on “How to renovate a crucial movable bridge in a sustainable way?”

De Grauwe Abdeel

A diverse team of students and entrepreneurs designs a nature preserving solution for the development of a new business park. The solution is inspired by the ecosystem (developed) around the tree that currently grows there: the grey poplar. How can a building take over or make up for the functionality of this tree? Services taken into consideration are the storage of water and the living organisms in and around the tree. In addition, air filtration is incorporated into the design of the building.

Nature designs Future proof bridge

During the hackaton, it was therefore asked to come up with sustainable, innovative solutions for renovating 13 bridges in 5 years, without too much traffic disruption and with scarce capacity at both the Ministry of Transport and Market parties. Forty participants from engineering firms, contractors, start-ups, students and biomimicry experts set to work on the problem at a hackathon organized by Spinwaves on the Infratech.

Open hackathon

11th of april 2018, Amsterdam

How can we mobilise young people to commit themselves to nature? Four student teams developed a miracle tree for this challenge. This tree invites people to get acquainted with nature and learn how they can help nature get stronger.

Vital Valley

We (known as Startupbouw at the time) organised the very first hackathon on 27 May 2016. One of our 13 clients was the City of Oss. Inspired by the so-called BlueZones (naturally formed areas all over the world where people live longer and healthier), they designed a housing area named Vital Valley; a Bluezone built by people, based on nature’s principles.

Ruig Nature Plaza en Communi Tree

Our teams designed two solutions for an empty school building in Hoogvliet, Rotterdam:

Ruig Nature Plaza

The idea of Ruig Nature Plaza is to engage in sustainable relations with the direct surroundings on different levels. One of the proposals that can lead to a sustainable relation is to enhance the connection between the bicycle path and the nearby nature reserve.

Communi-Tree

The idea behind Communi-Tree is that the building has the same functionalities as a tree and its immediate preconditions for its surrounding eco system. Features that are studied are the collection of solar energy and absorption of nutrients (waste) from the direct environment.

Dawda - Absorba - Mygreen

Three concepts are developed to decrease noise pollution from 50km roads in inner city areas. Dawda, Absorba and My Green. All three concepts are based on techniques derived from nature. Dawda sees noise as a source of energy, that gives feedback to the users of the road in a unique way. Absorba is inspired by human bowels: they develop big balls made of absorbing materials that are placed in the streets. My Green redesigns the whole street; by establishing green areas and lowering parts of the street any form of noise pollution is dealt with.

Hackathon Brabantse Delta

Hackathon Waterboard Brabantse Delta

How can we boost the innovation climate at with the Water Boards (“Waterschappen”)? How can we speed up the execution time from concept to realisation? What cultural barriers do we have to break down? The Brabantse Delta hackathon lasted 24 hours. Over 30 employees sank their teeth into this challenge and at breakfast they presented their solutions to the board.