Have thoughts? Text us! We’re back from Las Vegas and reliving the 2025 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Part 1 of this two-part recap. This episode focuses on the teams that won big in Vegas: the Project of the Year, the Chair’s Award and the top three finishers in DBIA’s National Design-Build Student Competition. Host Erin Looney brings you conversations from the competition and the awards show floor (yes, with plenty of background noise), starting with: Project of the Year Kansas Cit...

Have thoughts? Text us! Artificial intelligence is no longer an abstract idea for design-build teams. It’s already changing how projects are delivered, managed and maintained. In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, DBIA’s Director of Virtual Design and Construction Brian Skripac is joined by three leaders from ARKANCE — Jason Kunkel, Senior Practice Manager; Nick Miller, Director of BIM Services; and Justin Friedman, Practice Manager | Facilities Management — to explore how da...

Have thoughts? Text us! This bonus segment from the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, brought to you by ARKANCE, goes a little deeper into the human side of design. DBIA National Board Members Deb Sheehan of DPR Construction and Susan O’Connell of AC Martin explore design justice, community context and why “offensive” isn’t always straightforward. From satisfaction surveys to public art, they unpack how design-build teams navigate human complexity with empathy, flexibility and a touch of h...

Have thoughts? Text us! How do you bring empathy, listening and iteration into projects built for real people? In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, Erin Looney talks with Deb Sheehan and Susan O’Connell about the realities, challenges, and opportunities of applying Human-Centered Design within design-build delivery. Expect stories from healthcare, higher ed, and civic projects where user feedback, prototyping, and adaptability shape outcomes. Guests: Deb Sheehan, ACHE, LEED ...

Have thoughts? Text us! People usually fall into one of two camps on AI: it’s either the most exciting tool since BIM or it’s a technology to fear. In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, we look past the hype and into the jobsite, where AI agents are already reshaping how design-build teams work. Brought to you by ARKANCE (Learn more at arkance.us/dbia), this conversation features Brian Skripac, DBIA’s Director of Virtual Design & Construction, and Paul Hedgepath, Dir...

Have thoughts? Text us! What does it take to deliver a mission-critical federal facility atop one of the most extreme environments in the U.S.? In this episode, we head to Colorado’s Pikes Peak to explore the award-winning High Altitude Research Lab, a 4,000-square-foot facility rebuilt under intense weather, logistical and design constraints. Joe Opyd shares how his team used design-build to meet the moment and what this “small” project reveals about trust, flexibility and collaboration. Gu...

Have thoughts? Text us! What do you get when you sit down with two DBIA Fellows who’ve seen it all and still want to make things better? A conversation that’s honest, insightful and just the right amount of blunt. Join host Erin Looney as she chats with Darlene Septelka, FDBIA, and Bill Reifsteck, CRIS, FDBIA, about building strong teams, smarter projects and a more connected design-build future. You can nominate a design-build leader for the 2025 College of Fellows now through July 7....

Have thoughts? Text us! There’s no official job description for a mentor and no script for how a single introduction can change a student’s life. But when Kent State senior Lola Preseren met DBIA Fellow and 2023 Brunelleschi Award winner Bill Hasbrook at a DBIA conference, everything changed. In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, brought to you by U.S. CAD, An ARKANCE Company, we explore what real mentorship looks like in design-build. Bill shares how decades of industry expe...

Have thoughts? Text us! In this bonus episode of Design-Build Delivers, we continue the conversation from April’s feature, Living Labs and Inclusive Housing: How Design-Build Serves Higher Education. Jason Dunster, Senior Integrated Design Director at McCarthy Building Companies, returns to share additional insights on what made UC Riverside’s North District Phase Two project a model for inclusive, collaborative campus housing. Jason digs into contract structures, risk allocation and t...

Have thoughts? Text us! In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, we spotlight one of the fastest-growing sectors for design-build: higher education. From inclusive student housing to sustainable infrastructure, campuses across the country are embracing collaboration, speed and innovation. You’ll hear from two design-build pros—both named Jason—who bring award-winning expertise to the table. 👤 Jason Dunster, Senior Integrated Design Director at McCarthy Building Companies, joins ...

Have thoughts? Text us! In this bonus episode of Design-Build Delivers, we’re zooming out from state-level policy to explore the federal developments shaking up the AEC industry. From Project Labor Agreement (PLA) rulings to sweeping new tariffs and shifting immigration policies, recent federal activity is already influencing how projects are planned, priced and staffed. Back to help us break it all down: Richard Thomas, DBIA’s Director of State and Local Legislative AffairsVince Campanella,...

Have thoughts? Text us! Design-build is on the rise, but keeping up with legislative changes is no small task. In this episode, we explore the latest policy updates, new bills shaping the industry and the challenges design-build faces across the country. DBIA’s Director, State/Local Legislative Affairs Richard Thomas, our go-to state and local legislative expert, and Lydig Construction's Vice President of Operations, Eastern Region Vince Campanella, a veteran of alternative delivery and Chai...

Have thoughts? Text us! In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, we chat with Emily Beardall from FMI Corporation to explore what she and her team found in the 2024 Design-Build Utilization Study. The latest data highlights design-build’s continued momentum, with projected growth reaching $1.1 trillion in spending by 2028. Episode highlights include: The industries driving design-build’s expansionThe rising popularity of progressive design-buildHow Owner Advisors are shaping pro...

Have thoughts? Text us! Get excited for the 2025 DBIA Project/Team Awards by revisiting some of 2024’s biggest winners. In this Design-Build Delivers Podcast Bonus Content Episode, we shift the focus from process to the projects themselves — what makes them stand out, the unexpected challenges they overcame and the surprising ways they came together. From cutting-edge space research to building in one of the harshest places on Earth, these stories will keep you hooked and get you ready to su...

Have thoughts? Text us! DBIA is keeping the conversation going with a Bonus Content Episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, expanding on the insights shared in our January episode, "Looking Back, Building Forward: Kicking Off 2025 with Lisa Washington and Tom Foley." In this bonus content, DBIA Executive Director/CEO Lisa Washington and DBIA National Board Chair Tom Foley (Commissioner, New York City Department of Design and Construction) talk about the power of legislative advocacy in...

Have thoughts? Text us! In this first episode of 2025, host Erin Looney kicks off the year with an inspiring conversation featuring DBIA’s Executive Director/CEO, Lisa Washington, CAE, and Thomas J. Foley, P.E., CCM, DBIA, Commissioner of NYC’s Department of Design and Construction and DBIA’s new National Board Chair. Together, they reflect on the game-changing wins of 2024, explore the ambitious 2025-2027 Strategic Goals and discuss the continued growth of design-build. Plus, Erin introduce...

Have thoughts? Text us! TRL may have given us the Backstreet Boys v. NSYNC* showdown, but we’re bringing you the ultimate design-build throwdown: the Top 5 Design-Build Delivers Podcast episodes of 2024! This isn’t just any countdown –– we’re going into the vault to bring you fresh content from your favorite conversations of the year. Which episodes made the cut? You’ll have to tune in to find out! You can relive the top episodes of the year in full as well as all our Design-Bui...

Have thoughts? Text us! The 2024 DBIA Design-Build Conference & Expo in Dallas was so big –– you know what they say about Texas –– we had to break the November episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast into two parts. In this special episode, we’re bringing you the highlights from the 2024 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Dallas, held Nov. 6-8. Part 2 features our chats with Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award winner Don Warren, FDBIA, and Distinguished Leadership Award winne...

Have thoughts? Text us! The 2024 DBIA Design-Build Conference & Expo in Dallas was so big –– you know what they say about Texas –– we had to break the November episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast into two parts. In this special episode, we’re bringing you the highlights from the 2024 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Dallas, held Nov. 6-8. Part 1 –– out now –– kicks off with interviews featuring the Project/Team Award winners, including team members from the Holt Watte...

Have thoughts? Text us! In just 22 months, New York City delivered its first design-build project — during a global pandemic — and the impact is already being felt nationwide. In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, we talk about the Queens Borough Hall Garage and Community Center, a state-of-the-art project that's now up for major awards, including DBIA Project/Team Awards. We also explore how NYC’s design-build successes are influencing other states and local governments. Joi...