The Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA) is a Toronto-based architecture and urban design studio dedicated to inclusive city building and the creation of beautiful spaces. Founded on the belief that architecture both shapes and is shaped by the contemporary condition, the studio is deeply engaged in research and the broader discourse of architecture's impact on culture, the environment and the shaping of cities. The studio was the recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts’ 2023 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture, a travelling grant allowing the studio to explore sites of Black joy and community globally.
SOCA was also a contributor representing Canada at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture and had been awarded the 2023 Emerging Architectural Practice Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. SOCA had previously been listed in Wallpaper* Magazine’s 2021 directory of emerging architectural talent and selected as one of twenty emerging practices in Canada by Twenty + Change and Canadian Architect.
SOCA collaborates with clients in the institutional, non-profit, residential, arts, commercial and municipal sectors, working on projects that include new construction, adaptive reuse, renovations, additions and interior design. Our work also extends from exhibition design and public art to building feasibility studies.
Regardless of the scale, SOCA is passionate about the positive impacts of quality design. The studio pays close attention to detail and rigorously strives for craftsmanship throughout all phases of design and construction. Understanding that architecture requires intimate collaboration, we always begin by asking questions, exchanging ideas, and involving clients and all project team members to achieve design excellence.
The studio is led by Shane Laptiste and Tura Cousins Wilson, who have experience in residential, institutional, and civic architecture. Both Shane and Tura are founding members of BAIDA, supporting the future of Black architecture and design.
A Black-owned architecture practice, the Studio of Contemporary Architecture is a CAMSC Certified Supplier. We acknowledge that our work is located on the traditional territories of many Indigenous nations. Our office is located in the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in the Dish With One Spoon Territory.
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