Architecture | Quinzhee Architecture
Quinzhee Architecture - Franky - Québec City - Canada
| 2026-01-27 |     |
Franky is a mixed-use development comprising 24 residential units, ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, as well as three commercial spaces, located at the corner of Boulevard des Capucins and Rue de Beaujeu. At ground level, the commercial spaces open directly onto the boulevard, while the residential units above are accessed through a more discreet shared entrance from the adjacent residential street. This configuration establishes an intuitive relationship between streets and uses.
In front of the commercial spaces, covered areas and landscaped islands create pleasant places for movement, exchange, and gathering, playing a key role in strengthening social connections.
The project’s volumetry and color palette draw inspiration from the neighboring building, while clearly expressing changes in use and softening the building’s perceived height. The ground floor, clad in dark panels, contrasts with the masonry facade of the upper floors. Designed with high ceilings to offer a high degree of flexibility, the project allows for the future adaptation of commercial spaces in response to the evolving needs of the neighborhood.
Designed without on-site car parking, Franky prioritizes active and public transportation, reducing its ecological footprint, as well as construction costs and rents. Freed from automobiles, the basement instead accommodates generous shared and private bicycle storage areas. Its success is evident: all units were leased before construction was completed, confirming the growing interest in this type of development.
Franky thus exemplifies a thoughtful approach to densification, combining quality of life, mixed uses, and environmental responsibility, while contributing to the vitality and social cohesion of the neighborhood.
The Franky Bag
The Franky bag illustrates the close relationship between the building and the street. An ideal accessory for public transit commutes or neighborhood shopping, it was illustrated by local artist Charles Turcotte. More than a simple Tyvek bag, it celebrates collaboration and social interaction, core values both in the design of our cities and in everyday life.
The object becomes a pretext for communicating the foundations of the project. By adopting this item, you share the team’s vision: that of an everyday architecture that is sensitive, lively, and contemporary.
About Quinzhee
Quinzhee Architecture reflects the dwelling that inspired its name: playful, ecological, and distinctly Nordic. Since 2013, the firm has developed expertise in multi-residential projects, particularly in light wood-frame construction, within dense and constrained urban contexts. Its flagship projects contribute to the renovation and gentle densification of central neighborhoods in Quebec City.
The firm’s expertise also extends to the design of experiential cabins in natural settings, local commercial spaces, temporary installations, and, more recently, the creation of accessories aimed at democratizing architecture. Through its processes, the firm seeks to raise clients’ awareness of architecture by actively involving them in the creative process. For the team, communication and the sharing of ideas are essential and form the foundation of innovative and human-centered projects.
Quinzhee’s philosophy is rooted in an accessible vision of architecture: an architecture that we encounter, inhabit, and share, and one that inspires and contributes to building more resilient living environments. Firmly believing that architecture belongs to everyone, Quinzhee has made it its mission to democratize it by making it more understandable, tangible, and playful.
Photo credit: Anne Rousseau