Vancouver is a city of shells, the most innocuous of which are those found on beaches, though there also shell games, the shells of unoccupied homes. These weird socio-economic pressures have squeezed a certain demographic eastward, among this set are design professionals, artists, the precariat. This population, fueled and consoled by locavore caffeine and fine treats, have created just the right set of conditions for the success of Timbertrain Coffee Depot.

Depot cafe and coffee roaster serves three distinct functions: consumption, production, and education. With minimal intervention, PUBLIC highlights existing elements of the space – the north-facing clerestory windows, a concrete block wall, and exposed wood beams – and magnifies a bold branding graphic, a collaboration with Post Projects, to reflect the continuous activity of the space.

The program, organized both by activity and by time of day, positions a service counter and stepped seating at the front-of-house dedicated to the morning coffee rush; the centre of the space holds roasting equipment used in the afternoon once the coffee service has closed; and the back room offers more private and comfortable seating for coffee wholesalers and aficionados to attend VIP seminars to learn more about the craft of coffee brewing and roasting in the evening.