Fiberglass panels bring color and clarity to a compact hospitality space

Located just north of Toronto’s Ossington strip, MISC. Coffee is a compact café designed by Toronto-based architecture studio StudioAC (Studio for Architecture & Collaboration). Using minimal materials and recontextualized industrial elements, the space creates a strong visual identity centered on translucent green FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) panels. Typically used in infrastructure projects, FRP here introduces color, light, and texture into the interior with minimal intervention.

Photo credit: Scott Walsh

The layout centers around a triangular bar, which shapes circulation and gives prominence to the FRP panels from the entrance. Above, a triangular canopy is suspended from an exposed Unistrut grid, another industrial material. Together, the grid and panels form a layered spatial composition that plays with transparency, repetition, and rhythm. Complementing the FRP, stainless steel countertops and shelving reflect both natural and artificial light, subtly shifting the tone of green throughout the day. These choices align with the project’s emphasis on utility, durability, and clarity.

The overall approach is straightforward: use standard off-the-shelf materials in unconventional ways, let geometry support both form and function, and create distinctiveness without decoration. Rather than relying on finishes, the project allows materials, light, and layout to speak for themselves. In one of Toronto’s most design-conscious neighborhoods, MISC. Coffee stands out by doing less — using contrast, simplicity, and reinterpretation to propose a new language for hospitality interiors.

About Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC)）

Founded in 2015 and based in Toronto, Canada, StudioAC is an interdisciplinary architecture practice with a growing international profile. The firm was listed among Azure Magazine’s “30 Canadian Architecture Firms Breaking New Ground” and named “Canada’s Best Emerging Designer” by Design Exchange in 2019. In 2021, StudioAC was selected by 20+Change and Canadian Architect as one of Canada’s most promising firms, and in 2023, they were named “Designer of the Year” by Designlines Magazine. Each project begins with a search for a core concept that can guide design decisions throughout the process. StudioAC values legibility, clarity, and singularity, aiming to create work that is both impactful and contextually responsive. Believing in the power of good architecture, design, and art to spark dialogue and enrich urban life, StudioAC seeks to build spaces that inspire connection, community, and innovation.