2026 Architecture Faculty Workshop

Download the flyer.

The Workshop
•  Learn from your architectural faculty colleagues about how easy it is to introduce metal buildings into your curriculum.
•  Hear from practicing architects about how metal buildings can be used for a wide variety of low-rise, nonresidential structures.
•  Gain knowledge from industry experts about why metal buildings are a smart sustainable solution.
•  Tour iconic buildings at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
•  Visit an operating metal building manufacturing plant and discover the technology, processes and precision used to create the modern metal building.

The MBMA Student Design Competition
Eric Pros, AIA, Director of Design at DS Architecture, will provide an overview of the MBMA Student Design Competition and insights from his perspective as one of the judges and competition consultant. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to help your students vie for over $30,000 in prize money and start the process to plan how to introduce the competition into your curriculum for the fall 2026 semester.

The Location
This year’s workshop will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Attendees will stay at Hotel UMass located in the heart of campus.

Come Join Us
The event is FREE for everyone. For the first 25 registrants, all costs for travel, meals and lodging will be reimbursed by MBMA.

Registration

(CLOSED) 2025 Architecture Student Design Competition: Exploring Metal Building Solutions

Botanical Garden and Event Center

Challenge
Imagine that your community has issued a request for proposals for a botanical garden and event center. In an effort to solicit the most innovative design solutions, they have chosen to launch an architecture student design competition, and you are invited to participate. This complex will include both indoor and outdoor facilities and spaces including an event center, botanical gardens with biomes, greenhouses, and aviary, sculpture garden, observation deck, educational and research classrooms. The competition challenges students to develop innovative designs using a metal building system to meet the needs of their community. The Exploratory Program undefined space allows students to express their ideas on what would make their Botanical Garden and Event Center design unique.

Quick Introduction to Metal Building Systems
Before proceeding, please take five minutes to watch this video. Your success in the competition is highly dependent on your understanding of this form of construction and how to be creative with it.

An Introduction to Metal Building Systems

At some point, you will want to visit the Resource Page to learn more about metal buildings, especially the QuickStart Guide. Have fun!

Faculty Message
We encourage faculty to incorporate the competition into your design studio or other appropriate curriculum. We are eager to help you – so please reach out to us.  Also, please check out our Educational Project Folio Series on the Resource Page. These case studies are designed to introduce students to various topics in the “Relevance for Students” section of each folio.

Eligibility
All participants must be full-time registered students at a North American college/university. Entries will be accepted for individuals as well as teams. Teams are limited to a maximum of five students. All student/team entrants are required to work under the direction of a faculty sponsor through either a design, technology, structure or construction class. There are graduate and undergraduate divisions. No entry fee is required.

Competition Schedule
Registration Opens: June 30, 2025
Submissions Due: January 5, 2026
Awards Announced: February 24, 2026

Prize/Awards
$30,000 in awards will be made to students and faculty advisors. For student team entries, the award will be divided and distributed equally to each member of the registered team. Both the graduate and undergraduate divisions will be awarded three prizes to the student and faculty advisor as follows: