UCSB’s new $70 million dollar building fosters interactive learning through functional design

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Construction of a new $70 million dollar state-of-the-art building is officially complete at UC Santa Barbara.

“They made it really fast because I started when I was like the end of my freshman year. And then I'm a junior now and it's like fully built and functional,” said 3rd year Statistics major Arthur Thatch.

The Interactive Learning Pavilion is a four story architectural beauty that is transforming learning through its minimalist and modern design.

The students we spoke with say it’s a lot easier to concentrate and stay engaged in a place like this.

“It's very vibrant and colorful. The chairs are squiggly, too. So for people with like ADHD or like anxiety, it's nice to like. I don't know, have your own, like, rolling around spot,” said 2nd year Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Esmerelda Arroyo.

This massive structure has created 2,000 seats of classroom space.

This includes 5 lecture halls, 3 classroom spaces for project based learning, and 20 flexible discussion rooms.

“I liked walking up the stairs. Walking down the stairs. I think the lighting's really nice. Yeah, the really clean inside's overall pretty good,” said 3rd year Statistics and Data Science Major Patrick Omens.

The project also provides 1,700 new bicycle parking spaces, making it easier for students and teachers to head straight to class without worrying about snagging a spot.

Students have a lot to look forward to when classes start September 28th.