KitSwitch
Kit Switch is a team of five female engineers passionate about improving the built environment. We designed a kit of building components and wall panels to assemble fully-functional housing units within any pre-existing structure. As the way we live, work, and shop evolves, and the demand for housing increases, we need change-of-use solutions that are more flexible and sustainable than demolishing viable buildings. Kit Switch offers that solution, providing a tool to simplify design for architects, ease installation for contractors, and reduce costs and timelines for developers, all while increasing building stock sustainability. We outsource component manufacturing to focus on what matters most, continuously refining our MEP-integrated panels, joint systems, and layout optimization. By productizing and streamlining a construction process that has long remained fragmented, we are highly competitive, projecting up to 70% time and 30% cost reductions compared to baseline practices.
Team Members:
Anusha Krishnamurthy (MS, CEE), Candice Delamarre (MS, CEE), Alexandra Diabre (MS, CEE), Samantha Liu (MS, CEE), Armelle Coutant (MS, CEE) and Prof. Michael Lepech (PI, CEE)
Learn more:
IN² Demonstration: The Possibilities of a Plug-and-Play Kitchen October 2022
Old Problem, New Solutions: How Kit Switch is Switching Up Affordable Housing February 2022
KitSwitch wins $100k at Rice Business Plan Competition April 2021