Homer Watson House & Gallery

In 2008 Goldsmith Borgal & Co. Ltd. Architects, in association with Canadian Cultural Resource Consultants Inc., was chosen as the consultant for the City of Kitchener and the Foundation of the Homer Watson House & Gallery to prepare a Master Plan for the historic site. The City of Kitchener owns the Homer Watson property and the Foundation operates it as a gallery and art school. The prime objective of the Master Plan was to provide a comprehensive plan that would guide the evolution of this National Historic Site in an appropriate and sustainable way.

The Homer Watson House & Gallery property contains several buildings—two date from the mid-nineteenth century and were formerly occupied by the artist Homer Watson, others date to the mid-twentieth century and were connected to the Doon School of Fine Arts. Both the Doon School and Watson are important parts of Canadian art history, and today the Foundation’s goal is to preserve their legacies. This is achieved through art exhibitions in the historic gallery spaces in the house, instructional art programming in the outbuildings and on the landscaped property, and special programmes and events that draw visitors from throughout the province. The popularity of the site has unfortunately put a strain on the heritage fabric.

The Master Plan included a detailed description and analysis of the buildings (interior and exterior) and of the associated landscape. For this project, GBCA assembled a team of experts that included a mechanical/electrical engineer, landscape consultant, archaeologist and art conservator. GBCA Staff undertook the historical research and the building envelope condition review. The team assessed the needs and wants of the stakeholders and ultimately will develop a “Road Map” to future improvements or expansion.