The Commissariat Building - Bytown Museum (Third floor) - Integrated Project Dossier (2016)

The Commissariat Building is recognized by the Government of Canada as a Classified Federal Heritage Building due to its historical, architectural, and environmental values. Historical value: The Commissariat Building has a strong historic association with the military origin of the area and the development of the Rideau waterway and the city of Ottawa as a whole. At the time of construction, Ottawa was transforming from a small lumber town to the capital of Canada. The large buildings on either side of the museum dwarf it, illustrating that although it has lasted, it is a small building compared to modern size. In addition, the grandness of the surrounding buildings helps to highlight the blandness of the museum, as it was constructed for utility use only. Architectural value: The Bytown Museum is a small post and beam building clad in a masonry exterior. Despite the relatively small size, the building has an imposing presence, with plain and symmetrical facades. The large supply doors on every floor are a functional attribute that contributes to the visual proportioning of the building. The east and south side roof soffits previously contained a pulley system to lift supplies to the doors on every level. There is a high level of craftsmanship visible on the masonry walls, although the gable roof is visibly sloping due to structural instability which has been addressed by Parks Canada. Environmental value: The current location of the Bytown Museum is in the heart of downtown Ottawa, making it a visible and easily accessible connection to Ottawa’s history. The building also reinforces the historic military character of its environment, which includes the locks and the lockmaster’s building. Its visibility from the Ottawa river as well as its accessibility as a historic museum makes it a landmark in the downtown Ottawa area. This is the Integrated Project Dossier compiled by a group of undergraduate students of the Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Program (Engineers and architects) at Carleton University for the CIVE3207 (ARCN4100) Historic Site Recording and Assessment course in 2016. The scope of work focused in recording the third-floor fo this important building.