Breaking Ground, Not Budgets: Why Colleges Are Turning to Design-Build for Residence Halls

When every semester counts, delivering residence halls on time isn’t just a goal—it’s a necessity.

Rising enrollment, higher student expectations, and constrained capital budgets all demand a more agile, efficient approach to campus development.

In response, many institutions are turning to design-build—a streamlined project delivery method that unifies design and construction under one contract. Compared to traditional methods, design-build reduces fragmentation, accelerates schedules, and improves cost predictability—critical advantages in student housing, where delays can disrupt academic calendars and campus operations.

Tailored Design Within a Repeatable Framework

Student housing often involves standardized components—such as bedrooms, bathrooms, lounges and RA suites—that lend themselves to repetition and efficiency. Design-build capitalizes on this structure, enabling faster execution while maintaining design intent.

With the full project team—architects, engineers, contractor and the owner—aligned from the outset, institutions can efficiently advance the baseline layout while customizing select features to reflect campus identity, student culture and long-term operational goals. Design-build transforms standardization from a constraint into an asset, marrying speed with flexibility.

At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a 127,000 sq. ft. design-build residence hall delivers apartment-style units, open lounges and vibrant common areas—demonstrating how the model supports flexible, student-centered design aligned with modern campus priorities.

Faster Delivery Enables Faster Occupancy

Student housing projects operate on immovable deadlines. Residence halls must open in time for fall or spring semester move-ins—there are no extensions. Missing these windows can result in displaced students, operational disruptions and millions in lost revenue.

The design-build process mitigates these risks by allowing construction and design activities to proceed concurrently. Design decisions are made in real-time, reducing bottlenecks and enabling earlier procurement. With roles clarified and responsibilities unified, the team can identify conflicts before they escalate and ensure projects stay on track.

At Virginia State University (VSU), concurrent sitework and off-site precast fabrication enabled a four- to five-month schedule gain. The residence hall is on track to open by Fall 2025—supporting VSU’s largest incoming freshman class in over three decades.

A Single Point of Responsibility Reduces Fragmentation

In traditional project delivery, owners are often forced to coordinate between separate design and construction teams—juggling multiple contracts, managing conflicting priorities, and resolving disputes when problems arise.

Design-build consolidates all services and responsibilities under a single contract. This simplifies project management, improves accountability, and fosters a collaborative problem-solving environment. With one team working toward shared goals, owners can focus less on mediating and more on outcomes.

At Norfolk State University (NSU), the integrated design-build team responded quickly to poor soil conditions on a 740-bed residence hall. By raising the building pad with compacted sand—rather than resorting to costly deep foundations—the team kept the project on time and on budget through a coordinated, cost-effective solution.

Enhanced Cost Predictability and Smarter Budgeting

Design-build enables clearer financial forecasting. By involving contractors and trade partners early in the process, institutions gain access to real-time cost data, constructability insights and market-informed pricing—long before groundbreaking.

This early integration minimizes scope creep and reduces costly change orders. Institutions can make strategic decisions upfront, balancing program ambitions with budget realities and ensuring that the project delivers long-term value.

At VCU, early construction team involvement enabled a design shift to a more modern aesthetic. The team seamlessly substituted modern aluminum composite panels for the traditional red brick—delivering the change while maintaining both budget and schedule.

Three Strategies for Successful Design-Build Student Housing

While design-build offers clear advantages, its success depends on early alignment and disciplined execution. Institutions considering this approach should focus on the following strategies to optimize outcomes.

Leading the Future of Campus Housing

As institutions seek to modernize campuses and enhance the student experience, design-build emerges as a high-performance delivery model—offering faster timelines, greater cost control and improved stakeholder alignment. More than a construction method, it represents a strategic shift toward integrated thinking and long-term planning.

By embracing design-build, colleges and universities can do more than keep pace with demand. They can lead the way in reimagining residential life—delivering student housing that is not only functional and cost-effective, but also inspiring, resilient and uniquely reflective of each institution’s mission.