Fanshawe College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Air Quality program students test the air quality on campus as a way to learn how to utilize the instruments and identifying different pollutants.

"Student in Architectural Technology are toured around campus, looking at Green Building features, and other features that may not be as desirable. They also work on a Net Zero Project for one of the College's residences.

Building envelope materials relating to walls, windows, roofs, and solar thermal ventilation are areas where Fanshawe’s students and faculty may collaborate with suppliers to test new products and experiment with product configurations to maximize efficiency and effectiveness."

Second year students from landscape design course present on the FSU Forwell Courtyard project redesign. The project include using renewable energies, green infrastructure, eco-friendly construction materials, etc.

Solar panels installed on H-building roof are used by students to study different types of technologies.

Olive Oyles Deli and Saffron's Restaurant are both run by the School of Tourism and Hospitality. Both are student run, where students get experience cooking, serving, and working with money. Products are sourced locally as much as possible, and during the growing season students produce herbs and vegetables on campus in an organic garden. There is also an organic garden on campus, where students grow and use produce in their labs.

Horticulture Technology and Technician students maintain all gardens on main campus and at Cuddy Gardens. This is integrated into curriculum and where students learn how to build and maintain landscapes, gardens and indoor spaces. Students study arboriculture, landscape materials, field construction, equipment maintenance, landscape design, plant identification, plant production, and even business management. All of these topics are covered hands-on when working on campus grounds.

Students are involved with the creation and evaluations of RFPs, implementations and post-implementation reviews and research. Recent examples include the design of a Solar PV system with two major components: production and research. The research component provides a living lab, which will be available to students, faculty, community and suppliers.

William Pol is currently a professor in the GIS and Urban Planning programs at Fanshawe College London. His passion is unlocking student potential to understand, interpret and visualize, planning design projects that build community. Through active learning including field trips, design charrettes and competitions, he guides students to professional positions where they can design solutions to existing and future land use problems. As an active cyclist he is a member of the Cycling Advisory Committee for the City of London. He leads students to design biking maps for the College which are posted by the City of London.

William Pol is currently a professor in the GIS and Urban Planning programs at Fanshawe College London. Through active learning including field trips, design charrettes and competitions, he guides students to professional positions where they can design solutions to existing and future land use problems.

Professor Sara Bellaire leads the students of Landscape Design to engage with the public by conducting surveys to incorporate the public opinions to their design.

Mend Massage Clinic, where massage therapy students get hands-on experience. This clinic is open to the community and charges a very reasonable, low fee. This clinic allows Fanshawe to promote and make available a form of natural, alternative medicine.

Students from School of Contemporary Media, such as broadcast and journalism interview Fanshawe students, faculty, and staff on the sustainability initiatives and report / post / write/ broadcast them on newspapers and radio programs.