From complex infrastructure to community-focused facilities, DBIA’s 2026 National Design-Build Project/Team Awards celebrate the projects, teams and Owners demonstrating what’s possible through collaboration.
An airport terminal transformed while passengers kept moving. A healthcare expansion serving a Tribal community. Critical transportation and water infrastructure. Innovative educational facilities and revitalized public spaces.
The projects honored in DBIA’s 2026 National Design-Build Project/Team Awards span different markets, communities and challenges, but they share a common thread: collaboration that delivers results.
DBIA celebrated this year’s winners Nov. 5 during its annual Awards Dinner and Ceremony at the 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Cleveland, recognizing outstanding achievements in project delivery, design, innovation, teaming and Owner leadership.
More than 80 projects competed in this year’s program, with an independent jury selecting 32 National Merit Award winners across 10 market sectors. Nine projects earned National Awards of Excellence, while additional honors recognized exceptional achievements through the Best in Awards and specialty awards. The evening also celebrated the recipients of DBIA’s highest project honors: Project of the Year and the Chair’s Award.
Together, the 2026 winners demonstrate the breadth of Design-Build Done Right® and the many ways integrated teams are delivering value for Owners and the communities they serve.
Recognizing Excellence Across the Industry
From transportation infrastructure and public facilities to healthcare, research and water systems, this year’s award winners reflect the versatility of design-build across an increasingly diverse range of markets.
Nine projects received National Awards of Excellence, representing outstanding achievements in their respective market sectors:
- Aviation: SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1
- Commercial Buildings: The Apiary Hotel & Residences
- Educational Facilities: UC San Diego Ridge Walk North Living and Learning Neighborhood
- Federal/County/State/Municipal: NASA Langley Research Center – Flight Dynamics Research Facility
- Healthcare Facilities: UC Davis Health 48X Complex
- Industrial, Process and/or Research Facilities: BlueOval SK Battery Park
- Rehabilitation/Renovation/Restoration: Resources Building Renovation
- Transportation: CSXT Howard Street Tunnel (HST) Clearance Project
- Water/Wastewater: James River Crossing (JRX)
The diversity of these projects tells an important story about the reach of design-build. This year’s honorees include a major university living and learning community at UC San Diego, a new research facility at NASA Langley, an innovative healthcare facility at UC Davis Health and a large-scale battery manufacturing development at BlueOval SK Battery Park.
Infrastructure projects were equally prominent, with the CSXT Howard Street Tunnel Clearance Project and James River Crossing representing the critical transportation and water systems communities and industries depend on. Meanwhile, the Resources Building Renovation demonstrates design-build’s role in renewing existing facilities for continued use.
Each project brought different technical demands, stakeholders and delivery challenges. Together, they illustrate how integrated teams can apply collaborative approaches across a wide range of project types, from highly specialized research environments to essential public infrastructure.
Going Beyond the Finished Project: The 2026 Best in Awards
DBIA’s National Design-Build Project/Team Awards also recognize teams that work well together, overcome challenges and apply design-build best practices throughout project delivery.
The 2026 Best in Awards highlighted exceptional performance in six areas:
- Best in Design – Architecture: SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1
- Best in Design – Engineering: 16th Street Revitalization
- Best in Process – Progressive Design-Build: CSXT Howard Street Tunnel (HST) Clearance Project
- Best in Process – Two-Phased Best-Value: Oklahoma National Guard Wellness Center
- Best in Leadership/Teaming: SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1
- Best in Virtual Design & Construction (VDC): United States Courthouse Huntsville, Alabama
These honors recognize the practices, processes and relationships that contribute to successful project outcomes, demonstrating that excellence in design-build extends well beyond the finished facility. From architectural and engineering achievement to innovative procurement approaches, digital coordination and strong team leadership, the winners reflect the many elements that contribute to effective project delivery.
Celebrating Owner Leadership and Specialized Achievements
Successful design-build delivery begins with engaged Owners and teams committed to working together. DBIA’s 2026 Specialty Awards recognized exceptional Owner leadership alongside projects demonstrating innovation, responsiveness and excellence in delivery.
This year’s recipients include:
- Enlightened Owner: Copford Capital Management, LLC — The Apiary Hotel & Residences
- Enlightened Owner: State of California Department of General Services — Resources Building Renovation
- I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. Owner: Georgetown University — Georgetown University – 111 Massachusetts Avenue
- I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. Owner: WSSC Water — Piscataway WRRF Bioenergy Project
- Trailblazer in Inclusive Growth: Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center
- Crisis/Emergency Repair: SCDOT Bridge Package 29 (Oconee US 76 & Jasper US 278)
- Best in Small Projects – Vertical: Children’s Health Fairview Clinic Andrews Institute for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Best in Small Projects – Horizontal: Tampa Bay Water Desalination Intake Pump Station – Phase II
These awards highlight the many dimensions of successful design-build delivery, from Owners who establish the foundation for collaboration to teams that find innovative solutions under challenging circumstances.
Project of the Year: Transforming SFO While Keeping the Airport Moving
SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 | San Francisco, California
Reconstructing an airport terminal is complicated enough. Doing it while maintaining operations at one of the nation’s busiest airports adds another layer of complexity.
That was the challenge facing the team behind SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which earned DBIA’s highest project honor, 2026 National Design-Build Project of the Year.
The integrated team, including Hensel Phelps and Gensler, coordinated demolition, reconstruction and construction phasing while keeping the terminal operational. Through co-location, Lean practices and continuous collaboration, the team addressed challenges while minimizing disruption to passengers.
The result is a modern terminal designed to improve the passenger experience while honoring the legacy of civil rights leader Harvey Milk. The facility incorporates accessible amenities and spaces recognizing Milk’s contributions. Sustainable design features have also earned the terminal LEED v4 Platinum and Fitwel certifications.
Beyond Project of the Year, SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 also earned the National Award of Excellence in Aviation, Best in Design – Architecture and Best in Leadership/Teaming.
It’s an example of how progressive design-build can help teams manage technical complexity, maintain essential operations and deliver a facility that serves its community.
Chair’s Award: Expanding Tribal Healthcare Through Collaboration
Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center | Pendleton, Oregon
The challenges facing the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center team were different, but the importance of collaboration was just as clear.
Serving the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and other Tribal members, the healthcare expansion received DBIA’s prestigious 2026 Chair’s Award.
The project increased medical and laboratory capacity while introducing a dedicated entrance to make care more accessible for Tribal Elders.
Delivered by BNBuilders and architect NBBJ, the project required the team to move quickly without sacrificing the needs of the community it serves.
Through early Owner engagement and coordinated decision-making, the team completed validation and advanced design through permitting and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) in just 16 weeks. Substantial completion followed within one year.
The project demonstrates how an aligned team can accelerate delivery while remaining focused on the people who will ultimately use the facility.
As DBIA Executive Director/CEO Lisa Washington, CAE, noted in recognizing the two top honorees: “These are very different projects with their own challenges, but both demonstrate the importance of Owners and design-build teams working closely together from the beginning.”
That spirit of collaboration runs throughout the 2026 award winners. Across markets, project sizes and delivery challenges, these teams demonstrate how early engagement, shared goals and integrated decision-making can deliver lasting value for Owners and communities.
Explore the complete list of 2026 National Design-Build Project/Team Award winners, including project photos and details about the teams behind these award-winning projects. See more pictures from the night of celebration in our 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo photo album.
