HOUSING INNOVATION SHOWCASE

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGIATE COMPETITIOn

In June 2026, 11 local and international university teams will gather and each present their most innovative housing units – the culmination of the design-build competition.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Teams compete in 10 diverse contests addressing the most pressing questions regarding the future of housing including those of affordability, sustainability and efficient delivery.

eXHIBITION EVENT IN DOWNTOWN sT. lOUIS

The Competition Village is located in downtown St. Louis, just minutes from iconic landmarks like The Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium, right in the heart of the Gateway South project area.

2+ Yr competition, INTERnational stage

— NOTABLE DATES —

May 2023

2025 Decathlon
RFP Released

Jun 30, 2023

2025 Rules
Released

Oct 6, 2023

Applications
Due

Nov 1, 2023

Announcement of
Selected Teams

Jun 5-7, 2024

All-Team Workshop
St. Louis, MO

June 2026

Competition Event:
Jury Presentations, Public
Exhibitions, Winners Announced

Gateway South District, St. Louis

11 SELECTED TEAMS

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY:

EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP

Richard king

Richard King, founder of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, serves as Competition Director for Gateway Decathlon.

He previously directed 7 Solar Decathlon events in the U.S. and took an active role in 13 international Solar Decathlon competitions in Europe, China, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Bobby Vance, AIA

Bobby Vance leads a design practice focused on prefabrication, offsite techniques, and design research. He serves as the Competition Manager for the Gateway Decathlon.

He previously co-led the winning FutureHAUS Dubai Solar Decathlon project while teaching at Virginia Tech, has been an advisor in Solar Decathlon workshops and was an Innovation Jury Member for the Solar Decathlon Africa competition in Morocco.

  • This competition serves as the physical manifestation of change within the construction industry. We are reimagining the traditional decathlon into a collaborative link between the construction industry, developers, academic institutions, and our communities. As someone who has been on all sides of the industry, I cannot think of a better location, better format, better partners, or a better time for Gateway Decathlon.

    Bobby Vance, Competition Manager

  • After twenty years of Solar Decathlons worldwide, I'm excited to apply everything I've learned to make Gateway Decathlon a success. With the competition next to the iconic Gateway Arch, I haven’t been this excited about a location since Versailles in 2014! Even more exciting is showcasing our remarkable design teams, ready to compete house to house, head-to-head, and leading-edge to leading-edge. Their challenge is to define what’s next. Gateway Decathlon will reward those way out front.

    Richard King, Gateway Decathlon Director

The Crisis

An urgent demand for affordable homes, labor shortages, rising material costs, and varying & diverse industry inefficiencies create challenges that necessitate a profound shift in building design and construction norms. Adding to these hurdles is a substantial industry carbon footprint intensifying the need for innovative and sustainable solutions.

The building industry struggles with collaboration, as disparate fields within it operate in silos. Architects, engineers, and contractors often lack effective communication, hindering the potential for holistic and integrated solutions that enhance overall project cost, efficiency, and sustainability.

Building better will solve our most pressing crises.

Gateway Decathlon: A Vision for Affordability & Innovation

In June of 2026, a revolutionary construction-centered event in home affordability and construction innovation will materialize with the advent of Gateway Decathlon. The event aims to challenge a century of housing design norms by a) showcasing innovative homes constructed and assembled by future leaders of the building industry and b) showcasing affordable homes constructed and assembled by offsite homebuilders. The objective is clear: to stimulate efficiency, innovation, & sustainability and lay the groundwork for a new era of affordable, sustainable, efficient buildings, products and designers.

contact us

General Inquiries: INFO@GATEWAYDECATHLON.COM

Sponsorship Opportunities: EVENTHQ@GATEWAYDECATHLON.COM