Support Us Button Widget

ICON’s Initiative 99 wants you to design its next project for under $99,000

Do you have what it takes to create the most innovative affordable home?

An organic-looking 3D-printed home that is fully furnished.

ICON’s designs often involve walls with fluid movement, and a lack of right angles.

Photo by ICON

ICON, Austin-based 3D-printing construction company, is calling on you to design its next housing project, but there’s a catch: it has to be built for $99,000 or less.

Called Initiative 99, registration for the contest will open to all architects — including students, firms, and individuals — this summer. The year-long competition has several phases, potential for multiple winning designs, and $1 million in prize money on the line.

A kitchen with a 3D-printed island and barstrools.

CEO Jason Ballard said he hopes this concept shifts the idea of affordable housing.

Photo by ICON

This isn’t ICON’s first foray into the affordable housing sphere — in 2019, ICON gifted a batch of homes in Nacajuca, Mexico to families living in poverty. A little closer to home, ICON has been working on building homes for Community First! Village since 2020.

ICON CEO Jason Ballard said the rubric will include taking “beauty, aesthetics, comfort, sustainability, and resiliency” into account. Once designs are in, a panel of architectural practitioners — including several Austinites — will weigh in.

Learn more and get designing.

More from ATXtoday
Fans of thrilling, tear-jerking, and frightening films can watch eight films on the big screen this summer.
The western wear brand is kicking off its first Austin store by inviting local stores on the strip to party all weekend.
This weird Austin festival celebrates the gloomy donkey from A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” series.
The services offered at local Austin Public Library branches are pretty useful in our books.
It may be Earth Day, but we’re offering tips and tools for supporting Austin’s thriving urban forest 365 days a year.
The winner of Austin FC’s Dream Starter competition started an online platform to help people navigate serious illness and end-of-life care for their loved ones.
The Soundtrack to the Future plan outlines improvements to the venue facades, curb appeal, and safety features.
Mayor Kirk Watson calls Downtown “Austin’s living room,” so we’re speculating on what that means for the rest of the city.
The Mermaid Capital of Texas, home to Texas State University, and riverside town is a great place to take a day trip — we’ve got all the spots to hit when you visit.
This list of volunteer opportunities in Austin, TX includes everything from building homes for people in need to fostering shelter animals.