The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) will hold its annual Architecture Faculty Workshop for college and university professors from across the county on April 15 and 16 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Workshop attendees will take a tour of the UMass campus and visit a nearby metal building manufacturing plant. Registration for the program is now underway at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026arch, and there is no fee for architecture educators to attend.

“The annual MBMA Architecture Faculty Workshop has been a great benefit to the educational community,” says John-Paul (JP) Cardin, P.E., MBMA Director of Research and Engineering. “In addition to learning about metal building systems, attendees get insights into our student design contest and can help their students be successful in the competition.”

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

The workshop introduces metal building systems to faculty and presents ideas for integrating this popular building type into the curriculum. One focus of the workshop is the annual MBMA student design competition, underway during the fall academic semester, which awards more than $30,000 to undergraduate and graduate students and faculty sponsors. The workshop provides the background for faculty to serve as advisors for the competition. 

The workshop begins with an introduction to metal building systems and a look at design trends. Additional presentations and speakers include the following:

• MBMA Student Design Competition Insights, Eric F. Pros, AIA, Director of Design, DS Architecture
• Metal Building Designs – In and Out of the Classroom, Stephen Schreiber, FAIA, ACSA, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at UMass
• The Diamonds of New England: From Fenway Park to Polar Park, Janet Marie Smith, AIA, Co-founder & Chair of Canopy Team, and Executive Vice President for Planning & Development, the Los Angeles Dodgers

Attendees of the workshop will receive free publications and access to resources about metal buildings. On top of the presentations and tour of the UMass campus, a local metal building manufacturing plant tour is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, April 16. 

“We look forward to seeing academic leaders and providing more information about metal buildings and our design contest,” comments MBMA General Manager Tony Bouquot. “Our competition is open to both graduate and undergraduate students, so educators at all levels can gain some important insights by attending.” He notes that typical attendees include undergraduate and graduate college and university professors, graduate programs advisers, deans of architecture schools and practicing architecture professionals who are also adjunct professors.