Red River College Innovation Centre project awarded to Diamond Schmitt and Number TEN

Rendering of the new Innovation Centre (Red River College)

Red River College in Winnipeg has awarded a $95-million Innovation Centre project to Diamond Schmitt Architects in joint venture with Number TEN Architectural Group.

The 100,000-sq. ft. development will comprise new construction and incorporate a repurposed downtown heritage building to provide facilities that will expand research and foster innovation in the heart of Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

“We are excited to work with Red River College to design a facility that prepares students for their careers and enables both the college and the business community to work together,” said Ms. Sydney Browne, principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects, in a media release.

Among the features to advance student projects to marketplace development include a pitch session room and open teaching areas the College calls “collision” spaces that accommodate students working together alongside industry and social service partners.

The project received $40.6 million in funding from the federal government through its post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund (SIF), which stipulates a fast-track timeline for construction.

“We are now in the design stage and we expect to be building within 12 months,” said Red River College president Paul Vogt in the release.

“Red River College is a forward-thinking institution that recognizes the important role that innovation and industry partnerships play in creating the best opportunities for today’s workforce,” says Number TEN Partner Doug Hanna, who led the design for Red River College’s new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre, currently under construction. “Our team combines Diamond Schmitt’s industry-leading experience in the design of similar facilities across Canada with Number TEN’s reputation for design excellence in the Winnipeg market.”