Originally constructed between 1914 and 1920, the three-storey warehouse marked its 100th anniversary in an inauspicious state. Situated in downtown Sherbrooke — a city some 100 kilometres east of Montreal — the handsome structure near the fork of the Magog and Saint Francis rivers sat quietly abandoned; a pocket of a once-thriving industrial urban fabric negotiating a complex transition into the 21st century. Just a few years later, however, the 1,110-square-metre building has been revived as a mixed-use hub that honours the building’s history while creating spaces that reflect a new and evolving socio-economic reality.

Designed and developed by local interdisciplinary design duo MARK + VIVI, the modestly scaled project incorporates five residential apartments alongside a sidewalk café and co-working space. A dual response to Canada’s urban housing crisis — which is increasingly also felt in smaller cities like Sherbrooke — and the prevalence of remote and hybrid work, the project, dubbed maison SOKO, animates the public realm a sociable “third space” that highlights the building’s handsome architectural bones. “We wanted to create a space that served as a catalyst for the design community while providing opportunities for neighbours to network and socialize,” says MARK + VIVI co-founder Viviana De Loera.

While the ground floor vitrine now invites passerby into the lively café and creative co-working hub — one that is particularly catered to a university town full of recently arrived international students, as well as transient population of academics and researchers — the upper floors are occupied by five apartments. Throughout the building, MARK + VIVI emphasized preservation and creative re-use, seeking to retain the building’s heritage while limiting the use — and carbon cost — of new materials.

Carefully restored brickwork and refinished original flooring ensures an honest yet elegant patina — and one that belies the complexity of the restoration process. Built using heavy timber framing, the building’s original structure was no longer sound, necessitating the insertion of new steel columns and structural glulam beams. Environmentally sensitive mineral wool insulation was also inserted throughout the building, reducing energy use.

Inside, the pared down yet vivid interiors are accented by bold monocrhome splashes of colour and elevated by ample natural light. A raw palette of Canadian plywood also shapes maison SOKO’s spaces, with the humble material used across the floors, shelving, and kitchen cabinetry. Meanwhile, custom furniture was built using wood reclaimed from the building during the reconstruction process.

As MARK + VIVI Mark Fekete puts it, “We enjoy creating spaces that capture the essence and character of classical 19th century Canadian industrial buildings infused with contemporary touches of playfulness and style.” And it shows. Sherbrooke’s maison Soko is a decidedly contemporary setting that celebrates its history. It augurs well for the next century.