We recently connected with Noura Bishay and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Noura, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

NPB Design Studio’s mission is to design spaces that prompt healing, inspiring, and empowering communities in a variety of ways. Here are a few ways in which interior design can achieve these outcomes: 1. Healing: design can help promote healing by creating spaces that are calming, restorative, and supportive of mental and physical health. For example, a well-designed healthcare facility can promote healing by creating a welcoming and comfortable environment for patients and their families. Similarly, interior design can be used to create calming spaces such as meditation rooms or relaxation areas in public spaces.
2. Inspiration: design can inspire people by creating visually engaging and stimulating environments. A well-designed space can spark creativity, imagination, and curiosity in people who encounter it. For example, a public art installation or a unique and engaging design element in a public space can inspire people to think differently and engage with their surroundings.
3. Empowerment: design can empower people by creating spaces that are inclusive, accessible, and equitable. For example, a well-designed co-working space can provide a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals from diverse backgrounds and skill sets. Similarly, interior design can be used to create accessible spaces that promote equal access and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Overall, design has the power to create a positive social impact by promoting healing, inspiration, and empowerment in communities. By prioritizing these values at NPB Design Studio, we hold ourselves to a higher social impact level to create a more equitable and just society.

Noura, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Noura P. Bishay is recognized for her outstanding leadership and for raising awareness about social impact and social equity design. Her work speaks for itself such as Park-to-Bay Project, 14th Street Promenade, AIA Housing the Next 1 Million (AIA-HN1M), and Kearny Mesa city. She is an extraordinary urban designer with not only outstanding skills but a heart to serve unprivileged communities. She adds empathy to urban design putting the community’s needs as her priority. The type of urban design that She does makes people feel safer, freer, and happier and promotes healthy inclusive living styles. It is the type that cares about community history, tradition, culture, and authenticity. The urban design includes everybody and reflects the community. In fact, it is the type that fights on behalf of the community’s needs rather than being commissioned to do the minimum. The urban design builds resilient communities and provides a prototype for democracy. It is a way to add flexibility and unveil the community’s identity.

Inspired by Jane Jacobs, Miss Bishay is a dedicated community activist and a change-maker. She received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community California Legislature, Assembly Certificate of Recognition (2022), Jose Medina, Assembly Member- 61st District, California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition (2022) Sabrina Cervantes, Assembly Member- 60th District, California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition (2022) Eloise Gomez Reyes, Assembly Member- 47th District. The community nominated Ms. Bishay for the AIA Film Challenge for her Park to Bay Project, 2021 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, 2019 Inclusive and Diverse Leadership in Action Award, J.M.K Innovative Award (round 1), Irvine Leadership Award.

Ms. Bishay received her master’s degree in Architecture from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design. Her thesis “The Green Network” has received the SDAPA Academic Award. Ms. Bishay combines compassion with art to design and create spaces that matter. She was nominated for the AIA Student Award. She also got qualified for the AIA Film Challenge for her Park to Bay Project.

Ms. Bishay completed her bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport. She worked for six years in two of the top architecture firms in Egypt. She worked on more than 90 projects in Egypt and the USA in a wide spectrum of typologies such as residential, retail, commercial and industrial. Also, she trained her coworkers and supported them. She was awarded five scholarships; AIA Scholarship, International Student Scholarship, Merit Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, and the AAUW International Fellowship. The University of San Diego chose Ms. Bishay as a changemaker and offered her a $20,000 Scholarship to study for a master’s in social innovation.

Ms. Bishay along with her mother Samia Khair founded a social enterprise called NPB Design Studio. Her firm aims to solve the housing problems one granny flat/ ADU at a time. NPB Design Studio helps homeowners add value to their properties through social impact design. Her company was selected to go on the second round of the J.M.K Innovation Prize. The second round is the top scoring 10% out of almost 3000 applicants. Along with her design business, Ms. Bishay founded the Tables of Hope, a food-giving and sharing table for the community during the pandemic. The Table of Hope was the only food distribution that was open 24/7 for anyone and no questions asked. It also rescued tons of food from more than 10 nonprofit organizations and churches. In response to the Table of Hope needs, Ms. Bishay designed and managed the Gardens of Hope, community gardens that plant the food needed at the table. In addition, Ms. Bishay created the “She Makes History Award” in honor of Women’s History Month, NPB Design Studio has chosen 33 successful women to highlight during March. when we see a need we fill it with our actions not just words. read more www.nourapb.com/2023whm

Ms. Bishay also volunteered in developing and improving slum areas for the garbage collectors in Egypt as well as volunteering with AIA- HN1M (Housing the Next One Million). Her passions are helping the homeless and supporting women’s rights. She believes that we can change the world through our small actions, and she puts her heart and soul into everything she does.

Ms. Bishay is one of the founders of the first eco-village in Sinai, Egypt. She, along with her family, transformed several of the desert lots by planting almost 30,000 olive trees and 5,000 palm trees into an oasis.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

NPB Design Studio built a strong reputation in the market by investing in several strategies that include branding, show casing our work with a strong presence online and last but the most important is building relationships with clients and industry professionals. Develop a clear brand identity: Our brand identity reflects your values, mission, and unique approach to design. As mission-driven design studio, we are different from a traditional design studio because it places a strong emphasis on the social or environmental impact of its work. While traditional design studios may prioritize aesthetics, functionality, and client satisfaction, a mission-driven design studio places equal weight on these factors and the positive social or environmental outcomes that its work can achieve.
Showcase your work: Our portfolio demonstrates our design skills and highlights our best projects. Our Founder Noura Bishay has designed more than 100 projects and she is just in her thirties.

Establish a strong online presence: In today’s digital age, it’s important to have a strong online presence to reach potential clients. This can include a well-designed website, active social media accounts, and online directories. Our website www.nourapb.com is always being updated to enclose our awards, projects, and social impact. We also have a strong presence on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest and a channel on youtube.

Build relationships with clients and industry professionals: Building strong and deeper relationships with clients and industry professionals helped us gain referrals and establish a positive reputation within our market. We attended industry events, spoke at conferences, and reached out to potential clients and collaborators. We are looking into participating in design competitions this year.
Provide excellent customer service: NPB Design Studio provides excellent customer service that can help you establish a reputation for reliability and professionalism. Our clients call us “A Concierge Design Studio” We communicate clearly with clients, respond to inquiries promptly, and deliver projects on time and within budget. NPB Design Studio typically works with a small number of clients at any given time, allowing us to provide a high level of attention and service to each client. We offer a wide range of design services, from interior design to housing to landscape design, and we specialize in customizing the space to reflect our clients’ tastes and identities.
By focusing on these strategies, NPB Design Studio carved its name and reputation within the market and established itself as a leader in social impact design. It’s important to remember that reputation building is an ongoing process, and requires consistent effort and attention to maintain.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

During the pandemic Our Founder, Noura Bishay was volunteering at a food pantry. At the end of the distribution, they had a few boxes of mixed produce remaining. This food was going to be trashed if nobody took it. Noura took some of the food and started a food-sharing table in front of her house that is open 24/7 no questions asked. The community adopted the table and called it the Table of Hope. After advertising on Facebook and Nextdoor, we are glad to say the table served more than 1000 families at a time when most food pantries were not allowing newcomers, the EDD website crashed and mothers with disabled children had no place to go.

The Table of Hope program illustrates resilience in several ways. Firstly, it demonstrates the ability to adapt and respond to challenges, such as the food insecurity that many families are facing during the pandemic. By recognizing a need and taking action to address it, the Table of Hope program shows how resilience can be a powerful force for change.

In addition, the Table of Hope program illustrates resilience through its ability to grow and evolve. What started as a small effort to distribute leftover produce has now grown into a much larger initiative, with multiple tables, pantry shelves, and fridges. This growth and expansion show how the program has adapted to meet the needs of the community it serves and how it has been able to continue to provide support and hope to those who need it most.

Finally, the Table of Hope program illustrates resilience through the strength and resilience of the community it has built. The program has brought together a diverse group of people who have come together to support each other during difficult times. This sense of community and support has allowed the program to continue to grow and thrive, even in the face of challenges and setbacks.

Overall, the Table of Hope program demonstrates how resilience can be a powerful force for change and how it can bring people together to support each other and create a stronger, more resilient community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nourapb.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/npbdesignstudio
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/npbdesignstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/npbd/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@npbdesignstudio
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/npbdesignstudio

Image Credits
NPB Design Studio