Dalhousie Community Centre (Third Floor) - Integrated Project Work (2015)

Built-in 1906 for the neighbouring Dominican Monastery, the Dalhousie Community Centre was used as both a schoolhouse and later a school of linguistics until 1974. Currently owned by the City of Ottawa, the building serves the locals of Chinatown and Dalhousie as their own community centre. Specifically, the centre serves the Dalhousie Community by catering its programs and providing support to high-risk urban families with young children or teens. It also continues the school houses tradition of teaching the local community the national languages of Canada. The centre is thus recognized by the local community for its educational and cultural values and ideals, however, hidden behind its rubble masonry facade are some fine examples of schoolhouse architecture, as well as fine architectural details and woodwork, such as its uniquely patterned metal ceiling. 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 2015, for the purpose of learning to document Ottawa’s architectural heritage. In this case, the team worked to document the third floor of the Dalhousie Community Centre.