Winning the BIM-Portal Hackathon in Berlin

On September 22–23, 2025, I had the honor to participate in the BIM-Portal Hackathon in Berlin. Over two intense days, 13 teams from across Germany came together under one mission: to prototype solutions around the BIM portal’s REST API and advance digital transformation in the construction sector.

Our event venue was at the Federal Ministry for Transportation (BMV), where participants with expertise in architecture, construction, IT, and geodesy collaborated on five different challenge tracks. The participants came from diverse backgrounds — ranging from start-ups and universities to established companies and long-time BIM experts with many years of professional experience.

Challenges & Objectives

The hackathon was structured around five thematic challenges:

• Model Checking
• Enrichment of BIM Models
• Definition / Generation of Information Requirements
• Software Integration with the BIM Portal
• Innovative Solutions for the Construction Sector

Mentors from academia, industry, and public administration guided the teams. Each team had about 24 hours to design, build, and pitch a working prototype.

First Place: Team ScrumMasters

I’m thrilled to share that our team — Andreas Haffa, Robin Ov, Dennis Sippel, Ayman Soultana, Justus Weyers, and myself — won 1st place.

Our submission integrated an AI-based model checking component designed to help with the validation of BIM models, a CoPilot for the civil industry. The jury praised especially the technical feasibility and clear practical benefit it would bring to real-world workflows.

Working late into the night, we managed to deliver a prototype that convinced both mentors and the jury. I’m deeply proud of our collective effort, the synergy we built, and the results we achieved together.

Other Winning Teams

The official results page also lists:

• 2nd Place — CheckMate
   Challenge: Model Checking
   Team: Robert Jürgensen, Julian Keller, Sophie Lipkaya, Maximilian Sternal

• 3rd Place — Bonsai BIM
   Challenge: Software Integration
   Team: Bernd Gmeiner, Dr. Volker Krieger, Matthias Weise

Congratulations to both teams!

Ceremony & Broader Impact

The award was handed over by Verena Hubertz, Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building. Her words underscored the importance of innovation, collaboration, and digitalization in the construction sector and we had a good laugh about our team name.

More than just a competition, the hackathon was a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and cross-disciplinary inspiration. I left Berlin with fresh ideas, new contacts, and a reinforced drive to push digital transformation forward in construction.

Further Reading & Links

• Official BIM Deutschland Hackathon 2025 Results — includes team lists, challenges, and presentation links
• BMV Press Release — background, photos, statements

All images are property of the German Federal Ministry for Transportation (BMV).