Our Story

The Build UP!  Building a Brighter Michigan Sustainable Housing Design Competition was established by students at the University of Michigan in 2009 (an extension of the 2008 Live Green Sustainable Design Competition). Its mission is to empower and equip students in Michigan to pursue sustainable innovations that improve people’s lives, drive the economy and contribute to students’ education and professional development. Through collaborative efforts with peers, academics, and professionals, students get hands-on experience, develop professionally, and earn scholarship money. In order to do this, the founding board of students at the University of Michigan reached out to other Michigan universities in order to create a design competition between the various campuses. Six teams have registered to enter their designs for a net-zero vacation home to be built on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Build UP! is currently seeking sponsors, grants, and financial and in-kind donations to support the project.

The success of this year’s competition will carve the path for Build UP! to hold a similar competition each academic year.