Hardware-Free Horizons: The 2024 Ventora Innovation Challenge

For centuries, the design of internal doors has remained largely unchanged, relying on traditional hardware (i.e., handles, latches, etc.). This conventional approach has persisted not necessarily because it is optimal, but because it has gone unchallenged. In a world where innovation drives progress, there is a compelling need to reimagine how internal doors function.

Imagine a new generation of how internal doors reside in homes and buildings, that eliminates the need for traditional hardware. This challenge seeks solutions that are not only cost-effective and easy to install but also bring fresh, revolutionary ideas to the industry. Participants are encouraged to look beyond conventional designs and explore bold, innovative approaches to door systems.

To win, competitors should present concepts of how internal doors can be operated without the use of traditional door hardware such as levers, knobs, latches. The concept should maintain all passageway functionality. 

Ventora's Hardware-Free Horizons Challenge invites a wide range of innovative ideas to revolutionize internal door design, primarily as it pertains to how doors latch and with consideration for how they “hang” or reside in a door frame. We welcome conceptual "back of the envelope" submissions that break tradition on internal doorways.  

To get involved:

• Click SOLVE THIS CHALLENGE above to sign up for the challenge
• Read the Challenge Guidelines to learn about the requirements and rules
• Share this challenge on social media using the icons above. Show your friends, your family, or anyone you know who has a passion for innovative problem solving.
• Start a conversation in our Forum to join the conversation, ask questions or connect with other innovators.

Challenge Breakthrough

Ventora is seeking bold, inventive minds to rethink the internal door—particularly focusing on the latching mechanisms that control how doors open, close, and secure spaces. Break free from conventions and present innovative solutions that streamline the experience of interacting with internal doors.

Background

Internal doors have been in existence for a long time and the method of hanging and operating an internal door has not changed. An internal door adds aesthetic appeal to the interior of a home, and therefore needs to blend in with the home interior and be considered part of the furniture. Innovative designs are commonplace when it comes to traditional furniture inside a home and the operation of an Internal door needs to be modernized in the way it blends in seamlessly with the modern interiors of a home. An internal door without handles and levers, knobs will enable a seamless un-obstructed transition between internal spaces and blend in with the modern kitchens / pantries inside a home.

At its core, a door is a movable barrier designed to control access to a space, allowing entry and exit as needed. It serves as a key element of security, regulating passage through an opening, commonly known as a doorway, portal, or passageway. Traditionally, doors are solid panels that fit within this opening and are often made from materials suited to their function. While most doors are attached using hinges, other mechanisms such as sliding or counterbalancing systems are also used to allow movement.

In contrast to internal doors, other types of doors, such as those on cabinets or modern furniture, have evolved significantly. These designs have embraced minimalism, eliminating traditional hardware like handles and hinges in favor of seamless, integrated solutions that enhance both function and aesthetics. This evolution has allowed these doors to blend effortlessly into contemporary spaces, reflecting the changing demands of modern design. It’s time for internal doors to follow suit and embrace similar innovation.

The “Problem”

The fundamental concept of the door has remained largely unchanged, not because it is the best solution, but simply because no one has asked whether it could be better. The traditional design has been accepted without question, and yet, in a world driven by innovation and creativity, there is an exciting opportunity to challenge the status quo. Ventora believes it's time to reimagine what a door can be, starting with the internal door.

We are seeking bold, unconventional ideas that break free from traditional thinking. Ventora invites the world’s brightest minds to explore how we can radically transform the way internal doors function, paving the way for innovations that could disrupt the entire industry. The goal is not to fix a problem, but to leap beyond limitations that have never been questioned—until now.

A key focus of this challenge is the rethinking of traditional latching hardware—handles, knobs, levers, and latches that have long defined how we interact with doors. There is significant potential to eliminate or completely reinvent these elements, making internal doors more streamlined, intuitive, and integrated with modern interior design. Solutions that address how doors can open, close, and secure spaces without relying on conventional latching hardware are at the heart of this challenge. (more information available in the hardware brief in the Resources tab)

The Challenge

This challenge is not about incremental improvements but a complete reimagining of the internal door's role, function, and aesthetic in contemporary living spaces. The goal is to move beyond conventional designs and explore entirely new ways of constructing, operating, and integrating doors within modern interiors.

Ventora invites solvers to rethink the concept of the internal doorway. While the primary focus is on reimagining the mechanisms of traditional doors - particularly how latching systems such as handles, levers, and knobs can be replaced or reinvented - solvers are not confined to this approach alone. We encourage participants to explore innovative alternatives that still fit within a traditional doorway but challenge what we think of as a "door."

If your concept involves a door, consider how traditional latching mechanisms can be replaced with more streamlined, intuitive, or invisible solutions. Alternatively, if you have an idea for a solution that isn’t a door in the conventional sense but still fits within the doorway, your submission should demonstrate how it performs the same essential functions, such as controlling access, enhancing privacy, and providing security.

Your submission should include a detailed description that outlines how the concept departs from traditional thinking and offers a new way to fill the internal doorway. Explain how your solution can be practically implemented and how it integrates with modern interior spaces. Sketches or diagrams should accompany the description to help visualize the concept - these do not need to be technically perfect but should clearly communicate the core idea.

To demonstrate the practicality of your concept, include a high-level feasibility outline, discussing the materials and basic engineering principles behind your idea. Detailed engineering calculations are not required, but your submission should indicate how the concept can be realized in the real world.

While reinventing the latching mechanism is a primary focus, solvers who also wish to reimagine the hinging mechanisms of doors - or explore other technical aspects - may be eligible for additional recognition. Hinge innovations are encouraged but are considered "extra credit" and not a core requirement of this challenge.

Finally, provide a summary of the benefits your solution offers, including potential cost savings, ease of use, aesthetic appeal, and enhanced functionality. Whether your submission focuses on improving the traditional door or presents an entirely new concept, the goal is to create seamless, intuitive designs that maintain the essential functions of access control, security, and privacy while blending into contemporary interiors.

Ventora wants your groundbreaking ideas that push the boundaries of what defines an internal doorway, whether through rethinking the door itself or presenting bold new alternatives that serve the same vital functions.

Prize

The following range of prizes, totaling $15,000, will reward groundbreaking ideas that challenge the traditional concept of internal doors. Prizes will be awarded to submissions that meet or exceed the judging criteria, offering both significant recognition for top-tier solutions and special recognition for outstanding concepts in specific areas of innovation.

The prizes are structured as follows:

• Top Prizes: Up to three top prizes of up to $4,500 each will be awarded to the best groundbreaking concepts that demonstrate exceptional innovation, feasibility, and creativity. These submissions will push the boundaries of what is possible and offer solutions that could redefine internal door design.
• Categorical Prizes: Up to three categorical prizes of $500 each will be awarded in specific areas of innovation. Categories are yet to be finalized, but may include themes like "Best Hinge Solution," "Most Innovative Concept," or other standout achievements that deserve recognition.

Timeline

How do I win?

To be eligible for an award, your proposal must, at minimum:

• Satisfy the Judging Scorecard requirements
• Thoughtfully address the Submission Form questions
• Be scored higher than your competitors!

Judging Criteria

The judging criteria for the Hardware-Free Horizons Challenge are designed to ensure that submitted solutions meet the high standards necessary to revolutionize internal door design. Each submission will be evaluated based on the following criteria to determine its potential to address the challenge effectively and innovatively.

To be considered for a prize, submitted solutions must, at a minimum:

1. Address functional requirements outlined in the hardware brief.
2. Demonstrate a clear departure from traditional door hardware including, handles, latches, knobs, etc.
3. Consider the construction constraints of existing door frames or require minimal modifications. 

Participation Eligibility:

The challenge is open to all adult individuals, private teams, public teams, and collegiate teams. Teams may originate from any country. Submissions must be made in English. All challenge-related communication will be in English. 

Individual competitors and teams may originate from any country, as long as United States federal sanctions do not prohibit participation (see: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx).

No specific qualifications or expertise in the field of engineering or door hardware is required. Prize organizers encourage outside individuals and non-expert teams to compete and propose new solutions. 

To be eligible to compete, you must comply with all the terms of the challenge as defined in the Challenge-Specific Agreement.

Registration and Submissions:

Submissions must be made online (only), via upload to the HeroX.com website, on or before the submission deadline listed in the challenge timeline. All uploads must be made using the challenge HeroX submission form in the format prescribed therein. No late submissions will be accepted.

This challenge allows multiple submissions per individual/team. Should you have multiple entries to submit to this challenge, they will be considered separately. Whether or not multiple entries from the same individual or team may be chosen for a prize is up to the discretion of the Challenge Sponsor. You are not required to submit multiple entries.

Intellectual Property Rights:

As detailed in the Challenge-Specific Agreement, by winning the prize award for this Challenge, the Innovator will transfer all right and title of the Submission to the Sponsor.

Consolation Prize:

In the event that none of the submissions meet the Judging Criteria, the sponsor will award the following consolation prizes to the competitor(s) that score the highest:

• Up to 2x Consolation Prizes : $1,000 each

Awarding of the Prize:

The Individual Submitter or Team Captain is automatically designated as the Recipient of the prize monies. The Individual’s or Captain’s name must also match the Authorized Person on the receiving Bank Account. No changes are permitted to the prize Recipient after the Submission Deadline date. If you wish to change who would receive the prize monies, those changes must be completed prior to the Submission Deadline. View our Knowledge Base article here for how to change Team Captains.

Judging Panel:

The determination of the winners will be made by a group of people including door industry experts who have intimate knowledge of Internal door functionality, manufacturing methods, customer expectations and possess commercial acumen.

Additional Information

• By participating in the challenge, each competitor agrees to adhere to the HeroX Intellectual Integrity Policy and promises to submit only their original idea. Any indication of "copying" amongst competitors is grounds for disqualification.
• All applications will go through a process of due diligence; any application found to be misrepresentative, plagiarized, or sharing an idea that is not their own will be automatically disqualified.
• All ineligible applicants will be automatically removed from the competition with no recourse or reimbursement.
• No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win the competition.
• Void wherever restricted or prohibited by law.