UC Santa Barbara’s Interactive Learning Pavilion was awarded U.S. Building of the Year after receiving the most votes in a World-Architects poll — a publication highlighting architecture worldwide.

The building, designed by LMN Architects, provides 2,000 classroom seats and increases the campus classroom capacity by 33%. Maddy Fangio / Daily Nexus

The Interactive Learning Pavilion (ILP) — which opened in spring 2023 after undergoing construction for nearly three years —  is a 95,000 square foot building that houses five lecture halls and several classrooms. LMN Architects designed the ILP, which earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification last fall. 

The building provided 2,000 classroom seats and increased the campus’ classroom capacity by 33%. It was the first dedicated classroom building built on campus since 1967.

World-Architects’ poll was open for all of January and asked readers to vote for their favorite of nearly 40 Buildings of the Week highlighted by the publication throughout 2023. The ILP won with approximately 42% of the 5,000 votes cast, according to World-Architects.

“This is an honor, one I share with the incredible team at LMN, our design team collaborators, and with the University. It is gratifying to hear how appealing this building is with your readers, with the voters of the poll,” LMN partner Stephen Van Dyck said in a statement to World-Architects.

“We continue to hear great things from the University about the success of the project with students and faculty, and it is thrilling for our work to be supporting the important educational and research mission of UC Santa Barbara,” he continued.

UC Santa Barbara did not immediately respond for comment on the award.

A version of this article appeared on p. 6 of the Feb. 8, 2024, print edition of the Daily Nexus.

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Sindhu Ananthavel
Sindhu Ananthavel (she/they) is the Lead News Editor for the 2023-24 school year. Previously, Ananthavel was the Deputy News Editor for the 2022-23 school year, the Community Outreach News Editor for the 2021-22 school year and an assistant news editor for the 2021-22 school year. She can be reached at news@dailynexus.com.