Edward Drake Building, Federal heritage building in Ottawa, Canada
The Edward Drake Building is a government structure in Ottawa featuring six floors of modern design from the 1960s. Its form follows straightforward architectural lines with functional interior spaces organized to serve federal office operations.
Designed by CBC chief architect David Gordon McKinstry, the building was constructed between 1961 and 1964 as the broadcaster's headquarters. Budget cutbacks in the 1990s led to the head office staff relocating in 1997, after which the Communications Security Establishment occupied it. CSE moved out in stages from 2014 to 2015, and the agency's new east-end campus then took the Edward Drake name.
The structure reflects how Canadian federal buildings of the 1960s approached modern office design with straightforward forms and practical layouts. Its appearance shows what government architects valued during that era in terms of functionality and clean design.
The building occupies a large site bordered by Riverside Drive, Heron Road and Bronson Avenue in south Ottawa, set apart from other buildings. It is a classified federal heritage building and an active government facility, so it is not open to the public; it can be viewed from the surrounding streets.
The name Edward Drake was first given to the Bronson Avenue building while the Communications Security Establishment occupied it, honouring the first director of CSE's predecessor, the Communications Branch of the National Research Council. When CSE left in stages in 2014–2015 for a new headquarters in Ottawa's east end, that new campus took the name, so the original building no longer officially carries it.
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