Where Innovation Meets Action

People are priced out of the dream of homeownership. Nearly 75% of households across the country are unable to afford the median-priced new home and more than 50% of Gen Z renters believe winning the lottery is their only ticket to buying their first home. 

Construction costs keep rising. Productivity and innovation haven’t kept pace. Traditional methods can’t deliver the speed or affordability needed to solve this growing problem. This Challenge aims to change that; bringing together the best minds in design, engineering, construction, technology, and business to rethink the entire process of how homes are designed, built and utilized for long-term value. Building on the 20-year legacy of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, the Challenge expands the conversation from energy performance to total cost of housing - focusing beyond what price the home can be delivered to include its cost of maintenance, utilities, insurance and the other hidden, growing costs of homes.