Openspot

Inspiration

We wanted to solve a problem that's universal, one that affects everyday people, small business owners, and communities alike. Empty spaces are everywhere. Churches sitting vacant on weekdays, warehouses with unused square footage, studios booked only on weekends. At the same time, people are spending thousands trying to find affordable venues for weddings, conventions, pop-up shops, and events. We asked ourselves, why isn't there a simple, accessible marketplace that connects these two groups? That question became OpenSpot.

What it does

OpenSpot is a full-stack web application that lets anyone list or discover commercial spaces for rent. Hosts can create listings for venues, offices, studios, storage spaces, and more. The can also set their own pricing, availability, and details. Renters can browse, filter by city and category, and submit booking requests directly through the platform. Bookings can be made by the day or by the hour, giving renters flexibility depending on their needs. Listing owners can approve or decline requests, and renters can cancel their own bookings. Every listing shows the host's contact information so renters can reach out directly. OpenSpot also has a built-in revenue model, taking a small percentage of each transaction, similar to how Airbnb and Uber operate.

How we built it

Used python for the backend with fastapi, created a template frontend using react/vite that so we could build all the main backend features. Reworked frontend, making something that was simple but also responsive for a wide demographic of possible users. Further debugged backend and switched database to cloud. Spent final remaining time working on a live link to demonstrate the project.

Challenges we ran into

Working together with github and mitigating issues with merge conflicts gave us the most grief. Developing the live link also took a great deal of time.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are most proud to have been able to create something that truly helps both people and the environment.

What we learned

We learned a lot about working together, github, connecting frontend and backend, making a local host, creating the live link, fixing bugs and asthetics, and having fun.

What's next for Openspot

Adding payment system using stripe, adding possible add-ons such as catering, cleaning, dj service, etc.

Built With

• css
• fastapi
• html
• javascript
• neon
• postgresql
• python
• react
• vite