For over 35 years the principals and staff at McBride Hess Design Group have provided design services to over a dozen colleges and universities throughout North Carolina. At MHDG, we believe our campus design work should support and enhance the educational experience through the development of exterior spaces that foster a sense of community, provide opportunities for social and personal growth, improve the relationship between faculty and students, create a lasting impression for parents, and assist in the recruitment and retention of students.

Our most notable university association is our 35 year history with Elon University. When Dr. Fred Young began his tenure as president around 1983 he retained our firm because of our resort design background. He understood that the visual impression of a vacation resort could make or break the vacation experience. He appreciated that this visual impression also held true for his campus. He understood that when visiting a university or college the first impression could affect the perception of a student and their parents have of the university, regardless of the quality of the faculty and the educational programs provided. He saw in our work the quality he wanted to achieve. We believe we have fulfilled our role by assisting Elon in achieving its various national rankings. At MHDG, we strongly believe that our university work, just like our resort work, must strive to make a lasting impression and provide a facility that is commensurate with the quality of the educational programs.

Our dedication to excellence in planning and design is strongly reflected in the awards received by our firm in the categories of resort and university design. It is also reflected by the state and national commendations awarded to Elon. In addition to other noteworthy awards, Elon's has been ranked the second most beautiful campus in the nation by the Princeton Review in 2003 and eleventh in 2008.

We believe that through innovative and cohesive exterior space planning, forms that reflect a collegiate environment and attention to design detail, our work better equips a university to recruit and to retain students while enhancing the educational experience.