The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) announced the winners of the 2026 Building Excellence Awards at its annual meeting in Tempe, Arizona, January 26^th – 28^th. The trade association’s offsite construction award program recognizes outstanding residential and light commercial projects that exhibit the energy efficient performance, design flexibility and resiliency associated with structural insulated panels (SIPs). To meet today’s increasingly tough building and energy codes in all climate zones, a growing number of industry professionals are choosing SIPs to deliver a nearly impermeable building envelope that prioritizes the comfort, health and safety of the homeowner or future building occupant.

The Building Excellence Awards gives SIP builders, designers and manufacturers an opportunity to showcase projects completed the year prior. To be eligible for an award, SIPs must be used on at least 50 percent of the building envelope, determined by square footage of the exterior walls and roof. This year, the Building Excellence Award judges evaluated each project for its creative use of SIP construction, its overall design and structural engineering innovation, its energy efficiency (quantified by its HERS? Index score and other data), and its commitment to environmental sustainability. 

The 2026 Building Excellence Award winners are as follows:

Affordable Housing

Winner: Affordable Senior SIP Apartments in Las Vegas, NV

Runner Up: Affordable SIP Duplex in Gypsum, CO

Agricultural

Winner: SIP Barn in Yamhill, OR

Runner Up: SIP Gathering Barn in Blair, NE

Commercial Over 10K Sq. Ft.

Winner: SIP Airport Terminal in West Yellowstone, MT

Runner Up: SIP Restaurant and Arcade in Queen Creek, AZ

Commercial Under 10K Sq. Ft.

Winner: SIP Rest Area Roof in Frisco, CO

Runner Up: SIP Car Barn in Romulus, NY

Multifamily

Winner: Duplex SIP House in Ridgeway, CO

Renovations

Winner: SIP Building Transformation in Apple Valley, MN

Runner Up: Revamped SIP Synagogue in Sag Harbor, NY

Homes Over 3K Sq. Ft.

Winner: SIP Rustic House in Rapid City, SD

Runner Up: SIP Desert House in Phoenix, AZ

HP Winner: Solar Panel SIP House in East Hampton, NY

HP Runner Up: SIP Hangar and Lodge in Condon, MT 

Homes Under 3K Sq. Ft.

Winner: SIP Studio & Office in Lewiston, ID

Runner Up: SIP Custom House in Florence, MT

HP Winner: Energy-Efficient SIP Lake Cabin in Mercer, WI

HP Runner Up: High Performance SIP Family Cabin in Biwabik. MN

Homes Under 900 Sq. Ft.

Winner: SIP ADU Cottage in Antioch, CA

Overall Residential Winner
Solar Panel SIP House in East Hampton, NY
 
Overall Commercial Winner
SIP Airport Terminal in West Yellowstone, MT

To discover more SIP structures, visit the SIP Project Library, which includes more than 800 projects compiled from more than two decades of past Building Excellence Award entries. 

SIPA is the leading source for structural insulated panel news, training materials and free resources for the construction industry. Visit our Builders or Design Professional pages to prepare for a building legacy of the highest standard.