On a sunny July morning, a small group of design-build professionals from across the country gathered at DBIA headquarters in Washington, D.C., for a jam-packed two-day judging session. These Project/Team Awards jurors brought a wide range of experience, from first-timers to decade-long veterans, but they came with one shared goal: to help shape the future of Design-Build Done Right®.
With 78 submissions spanning multiple categories, the jurors were tasked with identifying the projects that best reflect design-build best practices. It was no small feat, but for this group, judging the industry’s finest is a labor of love.
Why They Keep Coming Back
They’re not in it for recognition. What brings these professionals back year after year –– and continues to attract new judges –– is the opportunity to move the industry forward by celebrating innovation, sharing insights and reconnecting with peers who believe in the power of building better together.
“When we leave the room, I think about how we can raise the bar,” said Laura Wake-Ramos, AIA, NCARB, DBIA, a juror for the past two years and a Design Manager at Hensel Phelps. “I look at how we’re making an impact on the industry and for the future potential award-winning projects.”
That sense of purpose also keeps longtime jurors like retired design-build professional John Giachino, DBIA, coming back. With nearly five decades in the industry specializing in the water and wastewater sector and over a decade as a DBIA juror, Giachino said it’s the relationships and their impact that matter most.
“One of the things I value about coming here is that I get to see colleagues and friends I’ve known for many years,” he said. “And we collectively make a positive impact on the collaborative delivery environment.”
The camaraderie makes the more-than-750-mile journey from Orlando, Florida, worth it year after year.
Projects That Leave a Mark
Gregory Gidez, FAIA, NAC, FDBIA, recently retired from Hensel Phelps, appreciates the chance to participate in the national judging experience for the inside look it gives into projects around the country.
“I was an architect for a number of years, and winning awards is how you get your name known and how you build your clientele,” Gidez said. “I wanted to see what they were doing to win for design-build to try to make myself better that way.”
When asked if any past winners stayed with him through the years, William Valdez, DBIA, a City & County Sector Leader and Partner at KMB architects, didn’t hesitate. It’s the projects that put people first that continue to stand out.
Citing a 2021 Excellence Award winner Kalanihookaha Community Learning Center in Nānākuli, Hawai’i, Valdez said, “It checked every box for me. Everything they did was best practice. It was innovative, creative, community-centric — all things I value as a design-build professional,”
Valdez sees community involvement as not only a key evaluation factor but also as a major influence behind the creation of the Chair’s Award in 2017, a peer-nominated category honoring standout triple bottom line success selected by the DBIA National Board Chair.
From Clipboards to Criteria
The judging process itself has evolved alongside the industry it honors. Longtime juror John Bale, FDBIA, Program and Project Manager at Horrocks, remembers when the process was entirely analog. Scores were handwritten and DBIA credentials weren’t even part of the rubric. “Now we’re looking at things like design excellence, the triple bottom line, Owner input,” he said. “The bar keeps rising, and so do our expectations.”
Praful Kulkarni, AIA, DBIA, Principal, Sr. Business Development Leader at CannonDesign, current Awards Awards Jury Chair and juror of 13 years, said the focus of the group is on continually improving quality and pushing standards even higher.
“My bottom line is: how do we improve the quality of projects?” Kulkarni said. “How do we illustrate to the Owners and practitioners the best way we can elevate the standards of our work?”
Barbara Jackson, Ph.D., DBIA, Founder of Barbara Jackson LLC, former Awards Jury Chair and jury member for over 15 years, says the competition has grown more intense each year. “We don’t have a differentiator, and you’ve got to start creating the differentiator,” she said, noting most submissions now follow best practices so well, the bar for standing out keeps getting higher.
Elevating Excellence Together
At the end of their two-day stint, the jurors had selected the 2025 Project/Team Award winners, but their work goes well beyond deciding who takes home a trophy. It’s about advancing what excellence means in design-build and challenging the industry to keep reaching for more.
Celebrate this year’s Project/Team Award winners with the jurors and the teams that brought the projects to life. Register now to join us at the 2025 Design Build Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 5-7.
