Planners and administrators at colleges and universities across the country face a daunting task: how to complete renovations or build new facilities in a tumultuous and challenging economic climate. It cannot be expected that wholesale improvement will come quickly, but the need to improve facilities is a pressing reality. Residence halls, classroom buildings, research facilities and athletic centers need to be built, and existing facilities need upgrades in order for these institutions to serve society and create 21st-century learning and living opportunities. This article discusses the design-build approach to design and construction which has resurfaced as an efficient and cost-effective delivery for projects facing schedule and budget constraints. This approach differs substantially from the more prevailing "hard bid" or design-bid-build delivery methodology. But it is a methodology that meets tight schedules and budgets, and campus planners should consider it for high-quality design and construction. Design-build can exceed the expectations of an education institution, and its faculty and students.