In today’s construction environment, direct collaboration between building designers and component manufacturers is largely nonexistent outside of the RFI process. The consequence of this is two-fold: one, building designers often don’t understand how structural components are designed and perform so they don’t specify them, and two, designers don’t include all the necessary information on their building plans before they go out for bid.
To bridge that gap in communication and information, SBCA has created a new event series: SBCA Component Craft.
Each SBCA Component Craft symposium is designed to begin addressing those common outcomes by bringing architects, engineers, residential building designers, and inspectors together under one roof to explore how structural components are designed, fabricated, and installed in the field.
SBCA Component Craft is a new regional education series created to bridge the gap between those who design, build, and regulate structural components and the manufacturers who make them. Through a combination of technical education, hands-on demonstrations, and meaningful dialogue, attendees will gain a deeper appreciation for the complexity and precision behind roof trusses, floor trusses, and wall panels.
For building designers, this event offers a rare opportunity to step inside the component design and manufacturing process and understand how design decisions translate to manufactured results. Ultimately, it will help designers understand how component specification can unlock new architectural and structural possibilities that are more material and cost-efficient.
For the structural building component industry, it’s a chance for the design community to understand our industry, allow them to exchange insights with other building designers who work with components, and give them insight into how to approach plan development to maximize the benefits inherent in component framing.
Based on past experience, SBCA has learned that events like SBCA Component Craft don’t just deliver education, they build meaningful relationships. By fostering understanding between design and inspection professionals, these events will help ensure that everyone involved in a project understands how vital the component manufacturer is in the process and utilizes their expertise in delivering the best structural framework possible.
SBCA encourages every component manufacturer to invite the building designers, engineers, code officials, and partners they work with to attend SBCA Component Craft. It’s an investment not just in education, but in collaboration, innovation, and the future success of their business and our industry.
To help get the word out, SBCA has created a Media Toolkit that includes ready-to-use materials and templates to make sharing easy: Access the Media Toolkit Here.
Spread the Word and Invite Your Building Designers and Engineers to Attend
What: A new regional symposium series connecting the people who design and regulate the use of structural components.
Who: Architects, engineers, code officials, and residential building designers.
Why: To build confidence, clarity, and a better understanding of how roof trusses, floor trusses, and wall panels are designed and perform.
Where: The Brewtorium Brewery & Kitchen, Austin, TX
When: February 24–25, 2026
Learn more: https://sbcacomponentcraft.com/
Additional Locations in 2026: Boston, Nashville, Southwest U.S.
Each symposium presents a great opportunity to open these important lines of communication, and Austin is only the start. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at sshields@sbcacomponents.com or 224-244-5204.