Design-build has transformed the way America delivers projects, but it wasn’t always the go-to method or even a widely accepted one.
For much of the 20th century, design/bid/build was the most widely used project delivery method, especially for public infrastructure. Its linear structure of “design first, then bid, then build” provided a familiar framework for many Owners, but as projects grew more complex, costly and schedule-driven, the industry began looking for alternatives that offered greater integration, collaboration and agility.
That’s where design-build came in.
Leaders across sectors began exploring new ways to deliver outcomes that were faster and more cost-effective. They championed a more unified approach, where teams work together, decisions are informed by real-world constructability and project goals drive every phase.
And that movement gained traction. By 2028, nearly half of all U.S. construction will be delivered through design-build, according to the 2024 FMI Design-Build Utilization Study. The rise of design-build reflects decades of work by industry trailblazers who saw the future and worked to build it.
The Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates those individuals.
DBIA’s highest individual honor, the Brunelleschi Award, honors the professionals who have made that shift possible. Those who paved the way for design-build long before it was the norm. The mentors. The reformers. The champions of collaboration who turned a bold idea into the fastest-growing delivery method in the nation.
Nominate a Design-Build Leader
We’re accepting nominations for the 2025 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award. If you know someone whose career exemplifies the highest values of design-build — vision, integrity, collaboration and impact — we want to hear their story.
Nominees should:
Why “Brunelleschi”?
The award takes its name from Filippo Brunelleschi, the groundbreaking 15th-century architect and engineer best known for designing and building Il Duomo, the dome of the Florence Cathedral, a feat that redefined what was possible in construction and project integration at the time.
Brunelleschi was a designer and builder whose work fused art, architecture and engineering into a cohesive whole, much like the collaborative, interdisciplinary spirit that defines modern design-build.
The individuals who earn this award embody that same spirit: visionary leaders who challenge convention, unite teams and leave a lasting mark on the built environment.
- Demonstrate a lifetime of achievement in advancing design-build project delivery
- Have made significant, lasting contributions to the industry and/or DBIA
- Be recognized as leaders, mentors and innovators in their field
Brunelleschi honorees include public and private sector leaders, pioneers in project delivery and champions of integration across disciplines. Their work goes beyond benefiting their own organizations or careers to elevating the entire industry.
How to Nominate
Read through the full nomination details and eligibility requirements, and explore past winners and their inspiring design-build journeys. The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2025.
We encourage nominations from all sectors and specialties: architecture, engineering, construction, legal, Owner representation, academia and beyond. Design-build thrives on cross-disciplinary leadership, and so does this award.
Design-build is now a cornerstone of American infrastructure, but that’s only because people fought to make it so. Let’s honor the leaders who turned bold ideas into everyday reality.
