General contractors for the steel frame of the building were the Foundation Company of Canada, and for the remainder of the work, the Pigott Construction Company. Pre-cast concrete unit floors, and block walls, were used in the structure for speedy erection. Internal Finishes Internal finishes are generally simple, with plastered walls in light colourings blending with grey steel furniture, suspended acoustic tile ceilings, and linoleum floors. Natural maple wood has been used for doorframes and windowsills. The conference hall has strip panelling in Canadian red birch, and a maple floor.
Curtains are flame and bronze-green.
When used for private film shows, the conference hall has a capacity of approximately 100. The Coat of Arms, measuring 10 feet square, in the main lobby, was designed by British artist James Woodford, O.B.E., A. R. A., and was carved locally in black granite by John S. Hogg and gilded. The High Commission's office is panelled in Rio rose-wood, from Brazil, and has a teak and ebony floor. The first British High Commissioner, Sir William Clark, arrived in Ottawa in 1928, and set up offices next to what is now the United States Embassy on Wellington Street. In 1931, the office staff of the High Commission moved into offices in the converted coach-house of Earnscliffe, the High Commissioner's residence, remaining there until the move to Elgin Street.