Design-build is redefining how America builds, and the 2025 DBIA Design-Build Project/Team Awards celebrate the teams leading that transformation. From record-breaking infrastructure to small but mighty community projects, this year’s winners showcase the collaboration, innovation and trust that define Design-Build Done Right®. These projects were celebrated in Las Vegas during the Design-Build Conference & Expo at a special awards ceremony on November 6.
Project of the Year: Kansas City International Airport
The Kansas City International Airport New Single Terminal and Garage took home Project of the Year, recognized for its seamless blend of technical mastery and community connection. Delivered by Clark/Weitz/Clarkson with architect SOM and engineers SOM and Henderson Engineers, this $1.5 billion progressive design-build (PDB) project replaced three outdated terminals with one modern facility and finished 60 days early and $45 million under budget.
The terminal’s success lies in its inclusive design approach, featuring 19 art installations from local artists, 80 percent local vendors and $320 million in contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned firms. Together, these elements reflect Kansas City’s pride while setting a new standard for efficiency, accessibility and local impact in major infrastructure.
Chair’s Award: Hurricane Ian Sanibel Island Access
The Chair’s Award, selected each year by DBIA’s National Board Chair, recognized the Hurricane Ian Sanibel Island Access project for restoring Sanibel Island’s only connection to the mainland after the 2022 hurricane’s 155‑mph winds destroyed the causeway. Led by the Florida Department of Transportation and delivered by the Superior‑de Moya Joint Venture, the team reconnected the island within weeks and completed a full rebuild in just over two years.
For Sanibel, reopening the causeway meant more than transportation. Families were reunited, schools and medical care reopened and the local economy was revived. The project illustrates how design‑build can deliver rapid results without sacrificing safety, quality or resilience.
Learn more about Sanibel Island in DBIA’s Design‑Build in Times of Crisis series.
Innovation and Collaboration in Action
DBIA’s specialty awards honor the leaders and innovators who push design‑build’s boundaries every year:
- Best in Design – Architecture: University of California San Diego Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood
- Best in Design – Engineering: Sterling Natural Resource Center
- Best in Process – Progressive Design‑Build: Kansas City International Airport New Single Terminal and Garage
- Best in Process – Best Value: Ramona Community Resource Center
- Best in Leadership/Teaming: UC San Diego Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood
- Best in VDC: Orange County Health Care Agency at Marine Way
- Best in Small Projects: Ramona Community Resource Center
- Enlightened Owner: Orchard Beach Maintenance and Operations Building (NYC Department of Design & Construction)
- I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. Owner: Clackamas County Circuit Courthouse
- Trailblazer in Inclusive Growth (Large Project): Kansas City International Airport New Single Terminal and Garage
- Trailblazer in Inclusive Growth (Small Project): Riviera Beach Fire Rescue Station 88 and Fire Administration Building
Excellence Across Sectors
From airports to aquatic centers, courthouses to water facilities, this year’s Excellence Award winners represent the best in ten key market sectors. These projects were chosen from among the Merit Awards Winners announced in August:
- Aviation: Kansas City International Airport New Single Terminal and Garage
- Civic/Assembly: Loma Verde Community and Aquatic Center
- Commercial/Office Buildings: May Lee State Office Complex
- Educational Facilities: University of California San Diego Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood
- Federal/State/County/Municipal: Clackamas County Circuit Courthouse
- Healthcare Facilities: Jewel & Jim Plumb Heart Center at Mercy Medical Center
- Industrial/Process/Research: Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center
- Rehabilitation/Renovation/Restoration: Smith and Perkins Renovation & Expansion
- Transportation: Hurricane Ian Sanibel Island Access
- Water/Wastewater: Sterling Natural Resource Center
See the full list of 2025 DBIA Project/Team Award Winners and explore how design‑build continues to transform the way America builds.
