William E. ‘Bill’ Reifsteck II, FDBIA, CRIS, Named 2025 DBIA Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

DBIA’s Highest Honor Celebrates a Career Dedicated to Design-Build Done Right®

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) is proud to announce William E. “Bill” Reifsteck II, FDBIA, CRIS, as the recipient of the 2025 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award. DBIA’s highest honor, the award is named after Filippo Brunelleschi, a Renaissance engineer, architect and innovator whose work united design and construction under a single vision.

For more than 45 years, Reifsteck has played a pivotal role in shaping and refining design-build best practices, leaving a legacy that continues to influence the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry nationwide.

Reifsteck’s design-build career began in 1979, and he has since guided more than 75 projects across sectors including industrial, higher education, healthcare and the public sector. Early in his career, he introduced collaborative delivery to the U.S. auto manufacturing industry, leading projects for General Motors and Saturn that set a precedent for industrial construction. He helped pioneer public-private partnerships through work on San Francisco’s Oracle Park and delivered California’s first certified net-zero educational facility for the Los Angeles Community College District, a national milestone in sustainable design-build.

Within DBIA, Reifsteck’s influence has been equally transformative. A member of the inaugural class of the DBIA College of Fellows, he has served in national and regional leadership roles for more than three decades. He helped establish DBIA’s chapter system, guided the development of designation and certification programs, and continues to chair the College of Fellows Mentoring Committee. These efforts have professionalized design-build practice while preparing the next generation of leaders.

“A Renaissance man in the mold of Filippo Brunelleschi, Bill Reifsteck is not an architect, and he is not a builder. He is a Design-Builder,” said 2022 winner Greg Gidez, FDBIA, AIA. “His engagement in the industry and industry associations demonstrates his commitment. He is a nationally recognized thought leader as well as a fixture at the DBIA since its inception.”

Reifsteck has been a respected subject-matter expert for national committees on risk, insurance and collaborative delivery, lending his voice to organizations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Lean Construction Institute and Construction Users Roundtable. His contributions have advanced both policy and practice, reinforcing design-build’s role as the nation’s fastest-growing project delivery method.

“Bill has blazed new trails in design-build, and his enduring commitment to guiding the next generation ensures the industry will continue to thrive,” said Lisa Washington, CAE, DBIA’s ED/CEO. “His decades of leadership and vision have strengthened DBIA and helped set design-build on a course for lasting success.”

As Reifsteck prepares for retirement, his legacy is a career dedicated to collaboration, innovation and mentorship that has changed the way America builds.
The Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award is named for Filippo Brunelleschi, the Renaissance innovator best known for designing Il Duomo in Florence and for pioneering modern planning, engineering patents and linear perspective. By carrying his spirit of innovation and integration into today’s collaborative delivery, the award recognizes individuals whose careers have advanced design-build best practices and shaped the built environment.

Reifsteck will receive the award during the DBIA Awards Ceremony at the 2025 Design-Build Conference & Expo, on Nov. 6, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Erin Looney
Design-Build Institute of America
+ +1 850-443-0455
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Bluesky
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.