A Space that Served as a Catalyst for the Design Community while Providing Opportunities for Neighbors to Network and Socialize

SOKO is MARK+VIVI’s first mixed-use project located in downtown Sherbrooke’s transitioning commercial neighborhood, just South of King Ouest. Nestled at the intersection of the Magog and Saint Francis rivers in Quebec’s quaint Eastern Townships, the newly renovated 12,000 square foot, 5-unit apartment building is currently home and studio for designers Mark Fekete and Viviana De Loera, founders of MARK+VIVI.

Main entry
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Building facade
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Storefront graphics
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Originally built between 1914 and 1920, the once abandoned furniture warehouse now also serves as residence and coworking café to many of the city’s newly arrived international students, academics, researchers, and young professionals.

Café and coworking façade
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Café lounge
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Café menu wall
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Café and coworking space
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

As in previous work, sustainability serves as guide to MARK+VIVI’s design efforts. Rather than shipping construction waste off to landfill, demolished century-old timber framing and Oak floorboards find new life as rugged yet tasteful furniture and accent pieces throughout.

Kitchen wall storage
Photo credit: Sylvie Li

Apartment kitchen and living space
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Bedroom
Photo credit: Sylvie Li

In order to keep with the look and feel of the neighborhood’s architectural heritage, much of the original exterior red brick is kept untouched. Interior steel columns and structural Glu-lam beams are added to support the existing traditional heavy wood framing. Refinished existing wood floors and new “bones” not only lift, but gracefully compliment the old.

Apartment kitchen
Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Kitchen island
Photo credit: Sylvie Li

Bedroom with built-in closet and work surface
Photo credit: Sylvie Li

Pleasantly unexpected antique finds during demolition helped influence the design process of various living and commercial spaces throughout. Uncovered were old woodworking tools and original vintage hand-painted storefront signs that now play an integral part in SOKO’s warm and cozy industrial interior decor.

MARK+VIVI

MARK+VIVI is an interdisciplinary design-build studio based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Co-founders, Mark Fekete and Viviana De Loera, are two designers who began their collaboration after graduating from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where they both received degrees in architecture.