Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA) is a Toronto-based, Black-owned architecture and urban design studio led by Shane Laptiste and Tura Cousins Wilson. The firm is dedicated to inclusive city building, deeply rooted in research and critical discourse surrounding architecture’s cultural and environmental impact. SOCA delivers a range of projects — from adaptive reuse and residential to institutional, municipal, and exhibition design — all crafted with rigorous attention to detail, collaboration, and contextual sensitivity.
SOCA’s work has gained national recognition, including the 2023 Emerging Architectural Practice Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, a Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome, and representation at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. Their practice is committed to excellence through communal engagement, equity, and creating inclusive, beautiful spaces that reflect and uplift diverse communities.
LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Granny’s House—located in Toronto’s east-end, was the former home of Tura Cousins Wilson’s grandmother. After her passing, Cousins Wilson redesigned the house in honour of her legacy and to accommodate the family’s next generation.
Located in Toronto’s King West neighbourhood, SOCA was asked to redesign a two-level loft space for a young professional seeking to create two new bedrooms and an additional washroom from a previously open floor plan with no…
