Honeywell and the Atlanta Hawks today celebrated students participating in their inaugural Arena of the Future Innovation Challenge at State Farm Arena.

The top three winning teams’ schools were awarded by Honeywell a total of $10,000 in prizes, with the first-place team’s school winning $7,500, $1,500 to second, and $1,000 to third. The winners are:

• 1st Place: Stepping to Sustainability — B.E.S.T. Academy. The team’s idea involved converting foot traffic, specifically around the entrances, into energy to power the arena.
• 2nd Place: Project Hawks — Frederick Douglass High School
• 3rd Place: Project Safety and Security — Frederick Douglass High School

"I am inspired by the creativity and dedication of the students participating in the Arena of the Future Challenge,” said Billal Hammoud, president and chief executive officer, Honeywell’s Building Automation business segment. “Their forward-thinking solutions are a testament to the power of community and education in shaping a greener, more sustainable future. Supporting our next generation of leaders is essential to ensuring a future that is fueled by innovation and collaboration.”

The eight-week Challenge brought together nearly 30 high school students from Atlanta schools to conceptualize a blueprint for a next-generation arena with building automation and sustainability components as the cornerstones. Participating students were encouraged to include water conservation, energy generating solutions, and technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence in their designs.

Each student team was guided by mentors from Honeywell as they brainstormed concepts to help improve building automation and sustainability efforts at State Farm Arena. The Challenge concluded with Honeywell and the Hawks hosting today’s capstone event at State Farm Arena, where each team pitched their design to industry judges from the Hawks and Honeywell.

Earlier this year, Honeywell announced it became the Official Sustainable Building Technology Partner for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. The Stadium of the Future Innovation Challenge is one component of the community engagement program in development and collaboration with the Atlanta Hawks.

To learn more about the Hawks and State Farm Arena’s sustainability efforts, visit StateFarmArena.com/sustainability.

Jackson Caudell

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does.