TURA COUSINS WILSON

Bio:

SOCA is a Toronto-based architecture practice dedicated to serving communities by designing spaces that reflect their culture, values, and aspirations. The practice’s  work is grounded in the belief that architecture can strengthen connections, support belonging, and inspire a shared sense of place. The studio was a contributor to the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture and the recipient of the 2023 Emerging Architectural Practice Award from the RAIC and the 2023 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture. 

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How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

Both Shane and Tura were interested in architecture from a young age. Their early student work focused on culture and community spaces.

What do you do?

We are architects, designers, cultural thinkers, and dreamers, deeply engaged in research and the broader discourse of architecture's impact on culture, the environment and the shaping of cities.

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What excites you in the work you do?

We are excited by continually seeking craft and narrative as inspiration and expression to our work.

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Who or what inspires you professionally?

We are inspired by our community of architect colleagues, educators, and ambitious clients all of whom strive to make a world that is more delightful, more equitable, and more sustainable.

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What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

Walking though a completed project with the client, contractor and others is a momentous moment that never gets old.

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Featured Project Name: 

Montreal Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre (CCAM)

Featured Project Location: 

Montreal, Quebec

Featured Project Completion Date: 

2028

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Role in Featured Project: 

Co-Design Lead in collaboration with Les Architectes FABG

Featured Project Description:

CCAM reimagines a historic École des Beaux-Arts building into a contemporary hub for Black culture and creativity in Montreal. The design carefully balances heritage with new interventions. A new entrance pavilion informed by structures and rituals of the African diaspora will provide universal accessibility and a clear architectural identity, while a rear addition will house a state-of-the-art performance hall, anchoring the Centre as a major venue for cultural production and public gathering.

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Photography Credit:

Renderings by: Office In Search Of