Students Compete in Nationwide Competition During IBS
In February, thousands of housing professionals flocked to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., for the 2026 International Builders’ Show. Among those in attendance were students taking the opportunity to participate in educational sessions, network with their peers, and for some, compete in the National Association of Home Builders Student Competition.
Following months of preparation, students from across the U.S. had two days at the show to present their building proposals to an audience of construction company executives. At the 2026 show, 85 student teams participated in the competition, an increase from 76 the prior year.
The winners were announced in front of a full room during NAHB’s Student Chapters Awards Ceremony at the OCCC on Feb. 18. The winners of the 2026 competition include:
Secondary Programs
Construction Management
- First Place: Raleigh-Wake County Student Chapter
- Second Place: Charles J. Colgan, Sr. High School
- Third Place: Baldwin Preparatory Academy
- Rookie of the Year: Middle Bucks Institute of Technology
Architecture
- First Place: York County School of Technology
Associate Programs
- First Place: North Dakota State College of Science
- Second Place: Front Range Community College (Team 1)
- Third Place: Kirkwood Community College
- Rookie of the Year: Lawson State Community College
Four-Year and Graduate Programs: Custom/Small Home Builder
- First Place: Kennesaw State University
- Second Place: Tuskegee University
- Third Place: University of Oklahoma
- Rookie of the Year: Appalachian State University
Four-Year and Graduate Programs: Production Home Builder
- First Place: University of Cincinnati
- Second Place: University of Denver
- Third Place: Texas A&M
- Rookie of the Year: Collin College Technical Campus
For those interested in participating, registration for the 2027 NAHB Student Competition will open Aug. 21.