MBCEA 2026
Building of the year
by behlen builder

May 4, 2026: A Behlen Mfg. Co. tradition is to select a metal building project each year that shows outstanding attention to design, construction, and how well it serves the surrounding community. Behlen’s selection, The Refinery Sports Complex in Garden City, Kan., has also been named the 2026 Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA) Building of the Year.

Each year, MBCEA’s Building of the Year recognizes the most outstanding metal building project across all categories—highlighting innovation, complexity, and overall excellence. In MBCEA’s evaluation, the project was singled out for showcasing large-scale coordination, clear-span design, and high-performance execution.

The Refinery Sports Complex, a 200,000 sq. ft. facility, was constructed by GBS Enterprises, Bel Aire, Kan., and manufactured by Behlen Building Systems. The Refinery serves as a regional destination for athletics, community events, and retail shops.

In releasing the name of this year’s Building of the Year, the MBCEA offered this evaluation: “The project features a massive clear-span structure assembled at grade and lifted into place, along with a complex multi-building configuration that integrates indoor fields, courts, retail space, and a convention center. The project required significant in-field coordination to merge multiple building systems into a unified structure while maintaining high performance and energy efficiency.”

A profile of the building will be featured in the July issue of Metal Construction News. In addition, MBCEA is creating a 2026 Building of the Year video detailing project specifics.

The Refinery project profile is also available here on our website.