Building on the success of our first ever Hack the Building Code innovation challenge held last year, DOB is once again sought ideas on the best ways to improve how we design, construct and maintain our city of over 1.1 million buildings.
Submissions for the challenge incorporated a wide range of ideas, including new technologies, resiliency standards, building sustainability, construction site safety, public safety, public quality of life issues, removing inefficiencies in the development process, and modernizing construction techniques. Get more information on the 2021 Hack the Building Code Innovation Challenge.
SAFERISE HOISTWAY SAFETY
A standardized, reusable, and lockable barrier that would prevent worker and material falls in elevator and other shaftways.
SAFETY NETTING IN SHAFTWAYS
A code change to require horizontal safety netting to be installed every thirty feet in open shaftways
NOYA 'DIRECT AIR CAPTURE'
Technology retrofitting cooling towers to capture carbon emissions from building HVAC systems.
FUTURE INSIGHT/AORA AUTOMATIC PERMITTING
Accelerate the building-permit approval process via the submission of BIM drawings that could be checked automatically against existing building codes.
KWANT.AI WORKER SAFETY PLATFORM
Utilize a network of smart badges, sensors, and mobile-phone alerts to track workers' locations and enable automated headcounts, store and display site safety/training certificates and other compliance documents, alert site personnel when falls or other safety hazards occur, and collect data for predictive analytics.
In 2020, the New York City Department of Buildings hosted the agency’s first-ever innovation competitions, inviting the public to submit ideas to increase energy efficiency among buildings and to improve building and worker safety. Launched in partnership with the Urban Tech Hub @ Company, members of the design, construction, and technology industries were invited to submit their ideas on ways to increase building sustainability and to modernize the development process in New York City.
Members from DOB’s in-house Innovation Committee and a special panel of judges comprised of experts from the private sector selected the winners based on feasibility, impact, and innovation. The innovation competition winners were showcased at the Department’s Digital 2020: Safety, Innovation, & Sustainability Conference.
The Carbon Neutrality Innovation Challenge launched to find ideas and highlight new technologies designed to help cut carbon emissions and boost energy efficiency in New York City buildings.
HYDROMYX, INC. Hydromyx® is the first commercially viable and academically recognized Efficient Heat Transfer Nanofluid in the World for hydronic closed-loop cooling and heating systems. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-017 |
RADIATOR LABS The Radiator Labs’ Cozy platform is a uniquely enabling proprietary system of smart, insulated radiator covers networked to central boiler control. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-018 |
WEXENERGY WindowSkin helps building owners reduce energy consumption, heating and cooling costs, carbon footprint and improves occupant comfort while deferring expensive window replacements which often carry paybacks of 75+ years. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-014 |
ZINC8 ENERGY SOLUTIONS, INC Zinc-air Energy Storage System allows site owners to offset peak demand, reduce time-of-use charges, and participate in the value stacking programs and the distributed long-duration energy storage space. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2019-002 |
Get more information on the 2020 Carbon Neutrality Innovation Challenge and see video of the winning Carbon Neutrality Challenge proposals.
The Hack the Building Code Innovation Challenge sought ideas for practical steps the City can take to improve the safety of buildings and workers, and to modernize the construction process.
AJUSTCO ANCHOR THREAD The Anchor Thread greatly reduces the need to drill in newly poured concrete by providing a ready to use anchor point available for use immediately upon stripping form work. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-016 |
a ROBOTICS Company The Imager Robot allows for faster, safer, and better facade inspections. Easily transported and installed, the robot needs only two operators who can perform more than 4 drops per day on a typical 25 story building. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-013 |
CEC ELEVATOR CAB CORP STERILYFT Sterilyft was developed as an unmatched risk mitigation system for the purification and sterilization of the interior elevator air to remove air impurities and pathogens from the air providing a safe and healthy elevator use for all passengers. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-015 |
T2D2 Tool for autonomous detection and classification of facade damage and deterioration from photographic and video images. |
OTCR/Buildings Bulletin 2021-012 |
Get more information on the 2020 Hack the Building Code Innovation Challenge and see video of the winning Hack the Building Code Challenge proposals.