SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 wins DBIA’s top 2026 project honor

San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was named DBIA’s 2026 National Design-Build Project of the Year at the group’s awards ceremony in Cleveland on Nov. 5. Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center in Oregon received the Chair’s Award as DBIA highlighted standout design-build projects across aviation, healthcare and other sectors.

Why it matters: - DBIA’s top awards spotlight which design-build projects are setting the standard for speed, collaboration and delivery on complex public projects. - SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 shows how a major airport rebuild can move forward without shutting down operations. - Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center shows how design-build can accelerate healthcare access for Tribal communities.

What happened: - San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1 won DBIA’s 2026 National Design-Build Project of the Year. - Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center in Pendleton, Oregon, won the Chair’s Award. - DBIA presented the awards on Nov. 5 at its annual Awards Dinner and Ceremony during the 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Cleveland. - More than 80 projects entered this year’s National Design-Build Project/Team Awards competition. - An independent jury selected 32 Merit Award winners across 10 market sectors. - Nine projects earned National Awards of Excellence. - DBIA also recognized additional projects for specific delivery methods and Owner leadership.

The details: - Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was delivered through progressive design-build. - The project demolished and rebuilt a major airport terminal while keeping the airport operational. - The integrated team included Hensel Phelps and Gensler. - The team used co-location and Lean practices to coordinate construction phases and solve problems without disrupting passengers. - The terminal is named for civil rights leader Harvey Milk. - The facility includes accessible passenger amenities and spaces honoring Milk’s legacy. - Harvey Milk Terminal 1 achieved LEED v4 Platinum and Fitwel certifications. - The project also won DBIA’s National Award of Excellence in Aviation. - Harvey Milk Terminal 1 also earned Best in Design – Architecture and Best in Leadership/Teaming. - Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center expanded medical and laboratory facilities. - The project added a dedicated entrance to give Tribal Elders more convenient access to care. - BNBuilders delivered the project with architect NBBJ. - The team completed validation and advanced design to permitting and guaranteed maximum price within 16 weeks. - Substantial completion followed within one year. - The project serves the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and other Tribal members.

Between the lines: - DBIA used the awards to reinforce a central design-build message: early Owner involvement and tight team coordination can reduce risk on complicated projects. - The winning projects span aviation, healthcare, water, education, federal work and infrastructure, showing how design-build is being used well beyond one project type. - Harvey Milk Terminal 1 stands out because the project combined technical complexity with passenger continuity, sustainability and placemaking. - Yellowhawk stands out because schedule speed and access improvements were as important as the physical expansion.

What’s next: - DBIA says the complete list of 2026 award winners, with photos and more information, is available at dbia.org/project-team-awards/. - The award results set a benchmark for future design-build teams seeking national recognition in 2027 and beyond.

The bottom line: - DBIA’s 2026 honors put SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at the top of the design-build field and underscore how collaboration can deliver complex public projects while keeping them open and operational.