Description of Historic Place
Building 28, also known as the Machine Shop and the Former Cattle Barn, is a modest two-storey structure located in the operational component area of the Saanichton Centre for Plant Health. This long, rectangular building has a gabled roof with dormer windows and a one-story addition on the south façade. An extended roofline with projecting eaves protects the exterior bevelled wood siding and evenly-spaced wood sash windows. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
Building 28 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value
Building 28 is associated with the expansion of the Experimental Farm system and its early participation in dairy production. With its conversion from a cattle barn to a workshop, the structure also bears association with the various design and construction of specialized agricultural machinery that took place at the station in the 1950s and 1960s.
Architectural Value
Building 28 is valued for its good aesthetic design and modest proportions. The extended roofline, and interior side stalls reflect its function as a cattle barn while the large, one-storey addition is more utilitarian in design, befitting of its later function as a machine shop. The light, wooden construction also exhibits the structure’s good workmanship.
Environmental Value
Building 28 reinforces the utilitarian character of the operational compound in the Saanichton Centre for Plant Health. As the oldest surviving building at the station and the largest in the operational compound, the structure influenced other operational developments in the area such as greenhouses, sheds and workshops. It is a familiar landmark within its immediate surroundings.
Sources: Edward Mills, Four buildings, Saanichton Centre for Plant Health, Saanich, British Columbia, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 93-086; Machine Shop, Building No. 28, Saanichton Centre for Plant Health, Sidney, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 93-086.
Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of Building 28 should be respected.
Its good aesthetic design, functional design and materials and craftsmanship, as evidenced in:
- its rectangular, two-storey massing with an extended, gabled roof and dormer windows;
- its exterior cladding of bevelled wood siding and evenly-spaced wood sash windows;
- its large, centrally placed main entrance on the northern façade;
- its interior features that reveal aspects of its various functions, including original utilitarian finishes and design as defined by the building’s substructure and the extensive modifications made over the years.
The manner in which Building 28 reinforces the utilitarian character of the operational compound and is a familiar landmark within its immediate surroundings, as evidenced in:
- its prominent location within the operational compound of the Saanichton Centre for Plant Health;
- its original location that influenced subsequent operational developments in the vicinity;
- its characteristic proportions, wall-treatment and exterior cladding which are shared with other operational structures, creating the look of standardization within the area.
