James Strutt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Strutt
Born	James William Strutt 8 January 1924 Pembroke, Ontario
Died	8 November 2008 (age 84) Ottawa, Ontario
Alma mater	University of Toronto (1950)
Occupation	Architect
Spouse(s)	Audrey Elizabeth Lett ​ ​ (m. 1949; her death 2004)​
Practice	Gilleland and Strutt

James William Strutt (born January 8, 1924 – died November 8, 2008) was a famous Canadian architect. He designed buildings from 1950 to 1999. Most of his work was in the Ottawa area. James Strutt is known for helping to shape modern architecture in Canada. This was especially true after World War II.

Life and Career

Strutt House in Gatineau

James William Strutt was born in Pembroke, Ontario. He grew up in Ottawa, in a neighbourhood called Glebe. He had one sister named Esther. After finishing high school in 1942, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He became a pilot and served on Canada's east coast during the war.

University and Family Life

After the war, James Strutt went to the University of Toronto. He first studied mechanical engineering. But after one semester, he changed to architecture. While at university, he met two very famous architects: Buckminster Fuller and Frank Lloyd Wright.

On May 21, 1949, James married Audrey Elizabeth Lett. She was also a student at the University of Toronto. They had four children: Lesley, David, Katherine, and Jocelyn. Both James and Audrey graduated in 1950.

Starting His Architectural Practice

After graduating, Strutt moved back to Ottawa. He started working for an architecture firm called Lefort and Gilleland. A year later, in 1951, he and William Gilleland started their own company. It was called Strutt and Gilleland and lasted until 1960.

During the 1950s, their firm mostly designed homes. One of his most famous designs was his own house in Gatineau, built in 1956. This house had a very unique roof shape. It was called a hyperbolic paraboloid. The Strutts often hosted parties at their home. Important guests like Pierre Trudeau would attend.

After James Strutt passed away, his house was bought by the National Capital Commission in 2010. They are now working to restore it to its original look. During the same time, Strutt and Gilleland also designed two airports. They created the Ottawa and Halifax airport terminals. Both were built in the International Style. This style uses clean lines and simple shapes.

Later Career and Teaching

In 1960, James Strutt started a new partnership with Inigo Adamson. This firm, Strutt and Adamson, lasted until 1966. After that, he started his own practice, J.W. Strutt, Architect. He worked there for the rest of his career.

Strutt was also very involved in professional groups. He was the chairman of the Ottawa chapter of the Ontario Association of Architects. He also served as vice president and president of this group. For the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, he held roles like honorary treasurer, honorary secretary, and vice-president.

From 1969 to 1986, he taught architecture at Carleton University. He even became the director of the department from 1987 to 1988.

The Strutt Foundation

After James Strutt's death in 2008, a group of people created the Strutt Foundation. This is a non-profit organization started in 2013. Its goal is to support projects related to modern architecture in Canada. The foundation also keeps an archive. This archive holds some of Strutt's papers, papers from his clients, and documents from other Canadian modernist architects.

You can find James Strutt's official records at Library and Archives Canada. They are part of the James W. Strutt fonds.

Notable Works

James Strutt designed many buildings throughout his career. Here is a list of some of his projects: