Inside the DBIA Project/Team Awards: What Judges Really Want

As design-build project delivery methods continue to gain ground in the U.S. construction industry, the DBIA Project and Team Awards have become one of the most coveted — and most misunderstood — recognitions in AEC. In this episode of Spill the Ink, host Steven Gallo sits down with Praful Kulkarni, director of integrated services at CannonDesign and chair of the National DBIA Awards Committee, to pull back the curtain on the judging process. Praful shares what separates winning submissions from the rest, the most common mistakes firms make and why the marketing team should lean on the project manager to help tell the full story.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

• What the DBIA Project and Team Awards are and how they differ from Architecture Institute of America (AIA) or Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) awards programs

• The three core evaluation areas judges use to score every submission: design excellence, process and teaming

• The biggest mistakes firms make when assembling their submissions — and how to avoid them

• Why the project manager, not just the marketing team, needs to be involved in the application

• Industry trends Praful is watching, including design-build's continued growth and the surge in data center construction

About Our Featured Guest

Praful Kulkarni has dedicated his career to sparking change within the AEC industry. As a young architect, he recognized the fragmented nature of traditional design and construction and the inefficiencies that came with it. He founded his own integrated firm in response, gkkworks, to unite design excellence and construction innovation. In 2018, gkkworks merged with CannonDesign, strengthening one of the most progressive integrated design firms in the world.

Praful is a champion for single-source collaborative design and delivery methods that help ensure certainty in project cost, schedule and quality outcomes. He has a pulse on the latest innovations within the industry, specifically, he is a tireless advocate for progressive design-build and its ability to foster heightened levels of collaboration across owners, designers and builders.

Praful was the DBIA National Chair in 2017 concentrating on Progressive Design Build initiatives and currently serves on the National Board for CMAA and as the Chair the Awards Committee for the National DBIA.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Learn more about CannonDesign at cannondesign.com

• Visit DBIA at dbia.org — entries for the 2025 Project and Team Awards are due June 1

• Connect with Praful Kulkarni on LinkedIn

• Follow CannonDesign on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

Sponsor for This Episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.