
How a Campus Bike Shop Doubles as a Work of Art
2023 Best of Year Winner for Domestic Small Higher Education
Bike-repair shops are often rough-and-tumble places, so University of California, Santa Barbara initially balked when the student union proposed putting one in front of the admissions building—the school’s literal and metaphorical front door. But the administration came around when it saw John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects‘ proposal. The 3,000-square-foot white-stucco structure not only provides a bright and airy, wood-paneled interior with an open area for individual repair stations but also includes a walk-up service window and welcoming outdoor social-gathering spaces right at the campus entrance. The pavilion’s circular-drum roof references bike wheels, as does the forecourt’s massive, spoked pergola that, like a giant parasol, shades a monumental concrete bench outfitted with tall steel-plate backrests bearing the university’s branding. The result is an eye-catching graphic sculpture that doubles as an irresistible selfie wall.

See Interior Design’s Best of Year Winners and Honorees
Explore must-see projects and innovative products that took home high honors.




PROJECT TEAM
alice kimm; john friedman; gordon au; michael royer; tyler johnson; evan chang; adelfrid ramirez.
read more
Projects
Take A Break At This Open-Air Café In Houston
Grab a snack at the Memorial Park Running Complex Café, designed by Schaum Architects, before exploring the rest of the Houston conservancy.
Projects
Explore a Whimsical Kindergarten in Xiamen, China
School’s in session at the 2023 Interior Design Best of Year Awards winner for Kids’ Zone, ECNU Xiping Bilingual School Kindergarten by PAL Design Group.
Projects
How Mayan Construction Shapes a Luxury Condo Complex in Mexico
See how this 160,220-square-foot condominium complex in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, by Sordo Madelono nods to the region’s pre-Hispanic history.
recent stories
Projects
7 Community-Oriented Spaces Nodding To Nature
Whether in Bentonville, Arkansas, or Avignon, France, libraries, visitor centers, even a college dorm seamlessly meld 21st-century advancements with materials and forms sourced from the great outdoors.
Projects
Walk Through A Refreshed I.M. Pei Apartment In Manhattan
Explore how Uli Wagner Design Lab fills I.M. Pei’s Manhattan apartments Kips Bay Towers with fluted wood panels and plenty of natural light.
Projects
A Room Of One’s Own: Local Creatives Enliven Hotel De L’Europe
Amsterdam’s historic Hotel De L’Europe invites guests to stay in bespoke rooms designed by local creatives, including KOKKE House and Van Gogh Museum.