Institutional (Large) Award
Jury Comment
Creating a central focus for the campus with a project that combines retention and new building was a strategic decision to support both environmental and social sustainability. The daylight and energy challenges posed by intensification were elegantly met with a day-lit atrium, clerestory windows and an innovative BIPV cladding system using active and passive solar panels.
Innovation village includes the substantial renovation of existing facilities, minimizing new construction, demolition, and the carbon impact of the project as a whole. Additional floors of shell space increase density and the use of shared resources at the campus core. This contrasts with previous campus development, which spread horizontally across undeveloped land.
Student and Indigenous engagement informed the building’s design, visually and spatially, establishing a dynamic learning environment that supports diverse programming.
Glulam canopies at the main east entrance and south courtyard are warm and welcoming. Their seven columns reference the seven Indigenous teachings and the seven job skills of the future outlined by the College.
A new Library Learning Commons reflects Fanshawe’s commitment to inclusivity, and support for its more than 400 Indigenous students. It is home to the Kalihwíy̲o̲ Circle (Oneida for ‘good message’) – the Indigenous Spirit Assembly. Its circular form creates a feeling of safety and trust, encouraging the sharing of culture.
The 11,800m2 Innovation Village project brings together previously disconnected interior spaces and courtyards to create a new heart for Fanshawe College. The design reflects Fanshawe’s focus on experiential learning.
Catering to the various ways people learn and collaborate, Innovation Village offers a variety of adaptable spaces that range from silent study zones to open work/study areas, homework labs to multi-use event and presentation spaces. It is a place where all students have access to innovative technology, including maker spaces, an augmented reality and virtual reality lab, multimedia labs, and Leap Junction – a centre for all things entrepreneurship – teaching both students and alumni the soft skills required to succeed in the changing workforce.
Built by D. Grant Construction Limited, the Innovation Village project brings together previously disconnected interior spaces and courtyards with the entrance designated by glulam canopies. Tempeff dual core high efficiency enthalpy recovery units contribute to the energy efficiency of the building.
PROJECT CREDITS
- Owner/Developer Fanshawe College
- Architect Diamond Schmitt in joint venture with Philip Agar Architect Inc.
- General Contractor D. Grant Construction Limited
- Landscape Architect Ron Koudys Landscape Architects
- Civil Engineer Development Engineering (London) Limited
- Electrical/Mechanical engineer Smith + Andersen
- Structural Engineer VanBoxmeer & Stranges
- Commissioning Agent WSP Canada Inc.
- Photos Tom Arban Photography
SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL OR PRINT ISSUE OF SABMAGAZINE FOR THE FULL VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE.
