2026 MBMA Student Design Competition opens with more than $30,000 in prizes available

by hanna_kowal | July 29, 2026 11:22 am

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The Metal Building Manufacturers Association[2] 2026 Student Design Competition is now open for entries. This year’s contest asks architecture students to create an innovative metal building design for a new public library/community knowledge hub, approximately 40,000 sf (3,716.1 m²), with outdoor event spaces.

More than $30,000 in prizes will be awarded to entrants in graduate and undergraduate divisions. Individual students or teams interested in this opportunity can register at www.mbmaeducation.org[3] with submissions due by January 11, 2027. Registration is free for full-time graduate and undergraduate students, but all entrants must have a faculty sponsor.

“This is the sixth year of our competition, which has continued to grow while introducing students across North America to the advantages of utilizing metal buildings in their designs,” says Jon-Paul (JP) Cardin, MBMA’s director of research and engineering and the contest organizer. “Public libraries provide a real-world design opportunity for the students, and metal building systems are an optimal solution due to their high degree of design flexibility.”

Prizes in each division—graduate and undergraduate—will be given and awards will be divided between the students and faculty sponsors. Teams may also enter, and prizes will be distributed equally among the members of a registered team. Contest winners will be announced in March 2027. Additionally, honorable mention awards may be given at the judges’ discretion.

Further details about design parameters, judging criteria, and submission requirements are available at www.mbmaeducation.org[3]. Also, questions can be addressed to JP Cardin at mbma@mbma.com[4].

Founded in 1956, MBMA serves manufacturers and suppliers that work with industry professionals, architects, building designers, educators, building code officials and others to advance the metal building systems industry.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/news/daily-news/2026-mbma-student-design/

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