March 4, 2025

Fanshawe College Innovation Village is featured in Canadian Architect.

The new academic building is a collaborative space that aims to cater to the different ways people learn. Designed to connect previously disparate spaces, Innovation Village expands the college’s core, creating a campus hub that brings students, professors and professionals together. 

“The new Innovation Village responds to the changing pedagogies of the 21st century,” said Principal Sydney Browne. “Designed to support a culture of active and experiential learning, the facility prioritizes a diversity of spaces that can be adapted for multiple users across faculties and encourage impromptu cross-disciplinary collaborations and interactions. Environmental sustainability has also been an area of emphasis, with the Innovation Village wrapped in an envelope of custom BIPV that further expresses the facility’s focus on innovation.”

Indigenous engagement has been a key component in the overall design development of the Innovation Village. A new Library Learning Commons aims to demonstrate the college’s commitment to inclusivity, and support for its more than 400 Indigenous students. It is home to the Kalihwíy̲o̲ Circle (Kalihwíy̲o̲ is from the Oneida (OnΛyota’a:ka) language meaning ‘good message’) – the Indigenous Spirit Assembly – that introduces Indigenous presence into the built fabric of the campus. 

Raw natural materials, such as wood, and the exposure of the building’s steel and concrete structures, aim to capture a new energy for the college. A large timber glulam canopy at the main entrance, and south courtyard creates a welcoming approach. 

Read the full article on Canadian Architect here.