Autodesk Challenge Cup 2024

The Autodesk Challenge Cup is a university-based team challenge for students in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction Management (AEC) disciplines. It is designed to discover the next generation of built environment design professionals that will help propel the industry forward into a truly innovative future. The teams competing in the Challenge Cup must leverage the unique value proposition of prefabrication and modular building by employing extraordinary design and technical innovation that cannot be matched by traditional construction methods.

Requirements to enter

Interested students from the Architectural, Engineering, Construction Management and other AEC design streams must form collaborative cross-disciplinary teams from the same University of between 4-6 students.

Teams must nominate a team captain who will be responsible for submitting the team registration and final Project submission on behalf of the entire team.

Why enter?

Gain interdisciplinary insight, industry exposure and boost your employability while working with like-minded peers. 

Following the conclusion and judging of the competition, the four winning teams will be announced at the annual prefabAUS conference – Offsite 2024.

The finalists are engaged in promotional activities and have the opportunity to meet and connect with decision-makers in AEC fields and the prefabrication and modular construction industry.

The Challenge Cup 2024 Brief

Challenge Cup Judges

  • Stephen Browne, Construction Technical Solutions Manager - APAC and Japan Autodesk

    Stephen Browne leads the Construction Technical Solutions team for the APAC & Japan region at Autodesk with a keen focus on empowerment and leadership. With extensive industry-specific experience spanning from post-disaster DfMA shelter projects to managing five-star hotel fit-outs Stephen is dedicated to empowering his team with a growth mindset. His leadership philosophy centres on fostering a collaborative environment that cultivates individual strengths and harnesses collective potential. Through innovative technology and sustainable practices, Stephen and his team strive to deliver impactful outcomes that drive positive change in the Construction industry.

    Stephen holds an Honours Degree and a Masters by Research in Architecture from the University of Plymouth in the UK, and currently calls Central Victoria home.

  • Joyce Ferng, Industry Technical Advisor

    Joyce has been delivering complex and challenging projects across Australia, United Kingdom and Singapore for over 25 years as a Chartered Fellow professional engineer, in collaboration with renowned international architects. She implements innovative and economical solutions to project challenges and is passionate in pushing the boundaries of modular technologies and has delivered numerous modular projects from feasibility to the final construction completion.

    Joyce is an Adjunct Industry Fellow with Swinburne University and an Industry Technical Advisor to Melbourne University CAMP.H initiative. She is also on the board of directors for prefabAUS.

  • John Lucchetti, Director, Collective Engineering:

    John Lucchetti, Director, Collective Engineering

    John Lucchetti is one of six founding Directors of Collective Engineering. John is actively involved in the construction industry and is a director of prefabAUS.

    Prior to his work at Collective Engineering, John was a director in one of Australia’s Leading Tier 1 consulting firms. John has built his career on the principles of client service, technical excellence and teamwork and prides himself on being able to bring teams together to first understand and appreciate client objectives and then deliver on them. He is an active contributor to the construction industry through various industry body involvement, including currently holding positions as committee member on PCA (Victoria) Commercial Office Committee and as a director at PrefabAUS.

  • Prabin Pathak , Senior Structural Engineer Arup

    Prabin, who is currently based in Melbourne, serves as a senior structural engineer at Arup. With number of years of engineering expertise, he has gained valuable experience in design and construction across a diverse range of projects in various sectors, both in Australia and abroad.

    Prabin has taken on roles as a structural engineer and discipline lead on a wide array of projects, including those that involve interdisciplinary collaboration and significant large-scale endeavours. Among his career highlights are notable projects such as Melbourne Metro, Atria Canberra (a mixed-use building), Ryman Health Care Melbourne, and Central Place Tower Sydney.

    Prabin earned a Master’s degree from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the Institute of Engineering in Nepal. In addition, he has made valuable contributions to the field through the publication of peer-reviewed journal articles and a book, focusing on the finite element analysis of concrete and composite structures under varying load conditions.

  • Laurence Robinson, Director, Brand Architects:

    Laurence Robinson is a director of Brand Architects in Melbourne. He has over 30 years’ experience in Architectural practice with a focus on Community, Sports and Education Infrastructure. Laurence has taught Environmental Design and Postgraduate Architectural Design at the University of Melbourne. He is currently a partner investigator on the ARC Linkage project; Building Connections, Schools as community hubs. He is also a director of Learning Environments Australasia.

Watch the video below to hear more about competing in the Challenge Cup

Cash and in-kind prizes are also on offer for the finalist teams.

Past Years

Since 2020, universities from around Australia have been invited to participate in “The Challenge Cup.” Entries and winners from previous years are showcased below.

Autodesk Challenge Cup Timeline

1 February 2024 - Competition opens with the brief available to download. 

24 April 2024 - Team nominations close

27 June 2024 - Submissions close

1 August 2024 - Finalists announced

28 August 2024 - Winners announced at Offsite 2024

Want more information? 

Contact info@prefabaus.org.au with any questions.