University of Arizona Wins 2026 National Design-Build Student Competition

Cardinal Design-Build from University of Arizona wins 2026 DBIA National Design-Build Student Competition (Photo by Robb McCormick Photography)

Cardinal Design-Build continues impressive run of national success; Texas State takes second place in competition debut

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, November 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The University of Arizona's Cardinal Design-Build team has won the Design-Build Institute of America's (DBIA) 2026 National Design-Build Student Competition, marking the university's fifth national top-three finish in six years.

The national champion was announced Friday, Nov. 6, during DBIA's 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Cleveland, following a final round of interviews before a national jury of industry professionals. Texas State University's Bobcat Builders earned second place, while Florida Gulf Coast University's Whitaker Group finished third.

Arizona team member Katherine Hurst also received the Best Individual Collaborator Award, recognizing her leadership, creativity and presentation skills during the competition.

MEET THE 2026 NATIONAL WINNERS

FIRST PLACE: CARDINAL DESIGN-BUILD — UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Western Pacific Region
• Team Members: Mia Dale, Lauren Harper (team captain), Katherine Hurst, Lola Money and Julia Urbanowski
• Faculty Advisor: Dean Papajohn

SECOND PLACE: BOBCAT BUILDERS — TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Southwest Region
• Team Members: Rasmita Acharya, Anthony Breaux (team captain), Evan Mickshaw, Jakob Villarreal and Arno Wiesner
• Faculty Advisor: Mithil Mazumder

THIRD PLACE: WHITAKER GROUP — FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY
Florida Region
• Team Members: Abram Brito, Alexis Figueroa-Baltazar (team captain), Alana Fleck, Jeffrey Gonzalez-Tista and Izaul Martinez
• Faculty Advisor: Sushmit Sharma Bhattarai

Texas State's second-place finish marked a remarkable debut. The university approached DBIA in August about establishing a student chapter and decided to enter the competition at the same time. Bobcat Builders won the Southwest regional competition and advanced to the national final in their first attempt. The university's inaugural DBIA Student Chapter meeting in October also attracted more than 30 attendees.

Arizona entered this year's competition with an established record of success, including two first-place and two third-place finishes during the previous five years. Faculty advisor Dean Papajohn has emphasized the value of the competition regardless of placement, citing the professional development opportunities it provides students.

THE 2026 COMPETITION CHALLENGE

This year's competition challenged students to develop a progressive design-build approach for a hypothetical hospital in a small rural community. The proposed site, a former gas station, presented potential environmental contamination concerns. Limited local resources and an initial funding commitment of $8.5 million added to the challenge.

Students had to demonstrate how an integrated design-build team could help an inexperienced public Owner address these constraints while planning a facility to meet the community's healthcare needs.

The competition follows a three-phase process modeled on industry procurement. Teams first respond to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), with regional winners advancing to a national Request for Proposals (RFP) round. The top three teams then compete in person at DBIA's annual conference.

During the final round on Nov. 5, each team participated in an interactive interview with a national panel of industry professionals. Students were presented with an additional problem to solve and asked to explain their approach while responding to questions from the judges.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL DESIGN-BUILD STUDENT COMPETITION

DBIA's National Design-Build Student Competition gives college students experience with the demands of collaborative project delivery through a simulated procurement process. Participants also have opportunities to connect with industry professionals and potential employers during DBIA's annual conference.

For more information about the National Design-Build Student Competition and student engagement opportunities, visit dbia.org/student-engagement/student-competition.

Erin Looney
Design-Build Institute of America
+1 850-443-0455
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