James William Strutt (8 January 1924 – 8 November 2008) was a Canadian architect. Practising between 1950 and 1999 and working primarily in the Ottawa area, Strutt is noted for his role in the development of modern architecture in Canada following World War II.
Biography
James William Strutt was born in Pembroke, Ontario, and grew up in Ottawa in the Glebe neighbourhood. He had one sister, Esther. After graduating from Ottawa Technical High School in 1942, he enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force, becoming a pilot. During the War Strutt served on Canada's east coast as part of RAF Coastal Command.
Following the War, through the Veterans Charter, Strutt enrolled at the University of Toronto to study mechanical engineering. After a single semester he transferred to architecture. During his time at the U of T he met both Buckminster Fuller and Frank Lloyd Wright. On 21 May 1949 at the Bishop Strachan School chapel, Strutt married Audrey Elizabeth Lett of Toronto (d. 2004), who was also attending the University of Toronto. The couple later had four children: Lesley, David, Katherine, and Jocelyn. James and Audrey both graduated in 1950.
Following his graduation, Strutt returned to Ottawa where he got a job with the firm Lefort and Gilleland. A year later, Strutt and William Gilleland broke off to form their own partnership, Strutt and Gilleland, which lasted until 1960. Throughout the 1950s the firm worked primarily on residential projects. Notable among them was Strutt's own 1956 house in Gatineau, which employed a hyperbolic paraboloid roof. At the house, the Strutts regularly threw parties which included prominent guests such as Pierre Trudeau. After falling into abeyance in the years following Strutt's death, in 2010 the National Capital Commission purchased the house and is in the process of restoring it to original condition. During the same period, Strutt and Gilleland also received two commissions as part of the Department of Transportation's post-war airport construction programme. The firm designed the Ottawa, Sept-Iles and Halifax terminals, which were done in the international style.
In 1960, with Inigo Adamson, Strutt formed the partnership Strutt and Adamson, which lasted until 1966. That year, Strutt formed a personal practice, J.W. Strutt, Architect, at which he would remain for the duration of his career.
With the Ontario Association of Architects Strutt served as the chairman of the Ottawa chapter (1955-1956), vice president (1958-1959), and president (1959-1960). With the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada he served as honorary treasurer (1963-1964), honorary secretary (1965-1966), and vice-president (1966-1967). Between 1969 and 1986 he taught at the department of architecture at Carleton University, serving as the department director from 1987 to 1988.
Following his death in 2008, a group of individuals began the Strutt Foundation. The foundation - a non-for-profit which was incorporated in 2013 - seeks to support projects relating to modern architecture in Canada. The foundation also has an archive which includes some papers of Strutt's, papers from Strutt's clients, and papers of various other Canadian modernist architects.
Strutt's records and held at Library and Archives Canada as the James W. Strutt fonds.
Works (a limited selection) NameCityAddressYearStatusShaefer HouseOttawaMontreal Road1949Palmer HouseOttawa824 Maple Crest Road1950Dowbiggin HouseSenneville1952Dawson HouseSenneville1953Geophysical LabOttawaExperimental Farm1953Burke HouseOttawaRevelstoke Drive1954Shore HouseGatineau (Aylmer)1204 Mountain Road1954Waring HouseAylmer1124 Mountain Road1954Seven Islands AirportSept-Îles1954Transport CanadaSt. Mark's Anglican ChurchOttawa1606 Fisher Avenue1954St. Peter's Anglican ChurchOttawa915 Merivale Road1955Gibson HouseOttawaCunningham Avenue1955Halifax Civic Airport TerminalEnfield1956Southam Ski LodgeKingsmere, Gatineau Park1956Hall HouseOttawaDorothea Drive1956Strutt HouseAylmer1220 Mountain Road1956Owned by National Capital CommissionNeatby BuildingOttawaExperimental Farm1957Uplands Airport TerminalOttawa1958DemolishedSt. Paul's Presbyterian ChurchOttawa971 Woodroffe Avenue1958Dobell ChaletEdna Lake1958Weiner HouseOttawa418 Roger Road1958Loeb HouseOttawa225 Minto Place1958Geldhart round House [sic Geldart]The Round Houses of 1959 designed by architect James Strutt (Petra Books, 2025)Aylmer170 Edgewood Drive1959DemolishedSolenHus round houseAylmerChestnut1959Zarzycki round HouseAylmer1959Baldock HouseAylmer1224 Mountain Road1959Van Leeuwen see SolenHusAylmerChestnut1959Rothwell United ChurchOttawa42 Sumac Street1960Trinity United ChurchOttawa1099 Maitland Avenue1960Morley HouseAylmer190 Edgewood Drive1960Anderson HouseAylmer241 Skyridge Road1960DemolishedQuain ChaletMont Cascades1961Hanlan HouseAylmer145 Chestnut Street1962Royal Trust BuildingOttawa55 Metcalfe Street1962Fischer HouseOttawa339 Pleasant Park Road1962Designated Heritage PropertyStopforth HouseChelseaMine Road1962Kemper HouseOttawa11 Briarcliffe Drive1962Part of Briarcliffe Heritage Conservation DistrictSt. Paul's Anglican ChurchOttawa194 Prince Albert Street1963Camp Fortune Ski LodgeGatineau1963Merrit HouseDeep River54 Laurier Avenue1963Northern Electric Advanced Devises CentreOttawaMoody Drive1963Loeb Building, Carleton UniversityOttawaCarleton University1964Plaza de las Américas (Expo '67)Montreal1967National Capital CommissionOttawaWestern Parkway1965Bells Corners United ChurchOttawa3955 Old Richmond Road1965Westboro Beach PavilionsOttawaKitchisippi Lookout1966Canadian Nurses Association HeadquartersOttawa50 Queen Elizabeth Drive1967Borman HouseOttawa20 Qualicum Street1968Gatineau River Yacht ClubChelsea1 chemin Summerlea1976Rochester HouseAlmonteConcession Rd. 71976Meredith HouseAylmer1203 Mountain Road1987Lambert HouseAylmer1211 Mountain Road1994Canadian EmbassyAlgiers1998
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