The Innovation Village at London, Ont.’s Fanshawe College is an 11,782.7 m2 (126,828 sf) collaborative space.
Designed by Diamond Schmitt, the facility transforms and expands the college’s core, creating a new campus hub that brings students, professors, and professionals together.
Innovation Village offers a variety of adaptable spaces, from silent study zones to open work/study areas, homework labs, and multiuse event and presentation spaces.
Additional features include maker spaces, an augmented and virtual reality lab, multimedia labs, and Leap Junction, a centre for all things entrepreneurship-related.
At the core of Innovation Village is Canada Life Village Square, a full-height multipurpose space at the crossroads of the campus’s major corridors. Surrounded by interior glazing, the Square has multiple access points that open towards the building’s interior.
Indigenous engagement has been a key component in the overall design development of the Innovation Village. A new library learning commons is home to the Kalihwíy̲o̲ Circle, the Indigenous spirit assembly. It is anchored by a terrazzo floor ‘petal’ motif that represents the 28 days and a ceiling motif that represents the 13 moons of the Lunar calendar. It is protected by a ‘turtle-shell’ ceiling that references the creation of Turtle Island and can host Indigenous workshops, exhibitions, and smudging ceremonies.
With a focus on sustainability, Innovation Village is enveloped in custom building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) cladding, which provides on-site renewable energy to power the building.
