Description of Historic Place

Building D85 is a large, functional brick building with a gable roof, located on the shore of Constance Cove and surrounded by the City of Victoria. Its rectangular form features simple decorations and exhibits Classical influences in its design. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building D85 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Building D85 is associated with the theme of Canada’s naval history in the period of both the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy. It illustrates the internal function of a naval station as it provided the storage of materials needed for the daily operation of a fleet of ships.

Architectural Value
Building D85 is a good example of a functional structure that exhibits a Classical sense of proportion and symmetry. Its design is typical of nineteenth century industrial architecture. The functionalism of its design is enhanced by its simple but elegant details. It is a well crafted building and exhibits solid workmanship.

The Environmental Value
The Naval Dockyard was traditionally an area with a high concentration of warehouses and stores to serve the ships in the port. The warehouse buildings are a large, homogenous part of the dockyard. Building D85, as part of this complex of warehouses, is compatible with the character of the dockyard setting.

Sources:
Sally Coutts, Warehouse D85, Esquimalt Dockyard, Victoria, British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Report, 85-001.

Building D85, Esquimalt Dockyard, Victoria, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 95-120.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character defining elements of Building D85 should be respected, for example:

Its functional design and quality craftsmanship and materials such as:
Its large, two-storey brick structure with a gable roof. Its timber-frame supported by wooden trusses. Its slightly raised brick pilasters that divide the west and east facades into bays. Its evenly spaced segmental arch windows and the brick corbelling along the eaves. Its oculus in the gable end of the north and south facades. Its double doors on each level and in the basement area.

The manner in which Building D85 as part of the complex of warehouses is compatible with the character of the dockyard setting evidenced by:
Its large scale, design and materials which harmonizes with the complex of warehouses
sited on the shore of Constance Cove.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

Warehouse D85, one of a large number of warehouses constructed at the Esquimalt Naval Base between 1890 and 1903, was recommended by the FHBRO to be designated as a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. It is a large two storey brick structure with a functional design that exhibits a classical sense of proportion and symmetry, and which features
few simple decorations. The recommendation of FHBRO members was based mainly on the importance of the designer, the group of the Royal Engineers, and on the environmental value of Warehouse D85.

DESIGNER
The Royal Engineers designed and built military buildings and fortifications at both naval and military bases throughout the British empire. Other Canadian buildings constructed by this famous group of builders include the fortifications at Halifax and the barracks at Fredericton. Trained within the military, the builders of the Royal Engineers consistently produced sturdy, serviceable buildings, well suited to their functions within military and naval compounds around the world.

ENVIRONMENT
The Naval Dockyard was traditionally an area with a high concentration of warehousesand stores to serve the ships in port. The buildings in the area immediately surrounding Warehouse D85 have maintained this function, although the older red brick buildingsnow share the dockyard with newer buildings constructed during the period of expansion that was the result of the increased activity at the base during the Second WorldWar. It is the whole complex of warehouses within the Dockyard that establishes the character of that area. These buildings are a large homogenous part of the dockyard, the character of which depends upon the impression created by all the warehouses asa group.