Description of Historic Place

The Nutrition Building is located on landscaped grounds in a pastoral setting at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. The L-shaped, brick building has a steeply-pitched hip roof, enlivened with triangular and shed dormers, and by prominent masonry chimneys. A boxed cornice with modillions and narrow frieze board accentuate the horizontal lines of the building. Multi-paned windows reflect the interior layout and contribute to the balanced composition of the elevations. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Nutrition Building is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Nutrition Building is closely associated with the development of the Experimental Farm system in Canada. In accordance with its 1886 mandate to introduce new and profitable farming methods to Canada, a Chemistry Division, one of the four original divisions, was established. On its completion in 1899, all the experimental laboratories, which serviced the various divisions of the farm, were contained in the Chemical Laboratory later named the Animal Nutrition Laboratory. The building is also closely associated with Frank T. Strutt, the Dominion Chemist from 1886 to 1932, who was awarded a prize from the American Society of Agronomy in 1929.

Architectural Value
The Nutrition Building is valued for its good aesthetic design. The building is a well-preserved example of the sturdy, functional type of building, characteristic of the first thirty years of the Central Experimental Farm’s history. The interior layout has been reworked to accommodate changing needs and is sympathetic to the original layout and patterns of circulation. Good craftsmanship and materials are evidenced in the masonry work and wood details such as the boxed cornice with modillions and narrow frieze board.

Environmental Value
The Nutrition Building reinforces the ‘gardenesque’ character of its pastoral setting at the Central Experimental Farm.

Sources: Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 91-170; Nutrition Building, Building 59, Central Experimental Farm. Ottawa, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 91-170.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Nutrition Building should be respected.

Its good aesthetic design, good functional design and good materials and
craftsmanship, for example:
-the L-shaped massing that consists of a rectangular building with a one-storey brick addition and a frame addition;
-the steeply-pitched hip roof, with triangular and shed dormers, and projecting masonry chimneys;
-the boxed cornice with modillions and narrow frieze board;
-the formal west entrance defined by a semi-circular masonry arch and accessed by exterior stairs, and the secondary entrance on the south elevation;
-the smooth red brick walls set on a well defined rock-faced limestone basement storey and the wood elements such as the doors and windows;
-the arrangement of multiple-pane windows that reflect the interior layout and contribute to the balanced composition of the elevations;
-the surviving interior layout and patterns of circulation.

The manner in which the Nutrition Building reinforces the ‘gardenesque’ character of its pastoral setting at the Central Experimental Farm (CEF), as evidenced by:
-its scale, massing, roof profile and materials, which harmonize with the pastoral, semi- rural setting of this part of the CEF.