To the dear soul who’s reading this, I extend my heartfelt greetings. My name is Diba, and I invite you to join me on a journey into the realm of design, a journey that began in the innocence of childhood at the age of seven. It was then, amidst the enchanting dance of clouds, that I first felt the stirring of inspiration. Lost in reverie, I watched as shapes waltzed across the sky, each one a whisper of possibility. Through my design, I try to discover a story-telling graphics celebrating various cultures and project scales. From that tender moment, I made a vow to breathe life into those ephemeral forms, to shape them into tangible wonders - first as humble buildings, then as reflections of thoughtful policies, and finally as serene trails and ecological harmonies. This portfolio is more than just a collection of designs; it is a testament to the evolution of my soul’s journey, intertwined with the collective dreams and aspirations of the people of Calgary. So, dear soul, let us embark together on this poetic voyage of creation and discovery.
LIST OF PROJECTS
Proposed Structural Plan
Software used:
PAST AND PROSPECT
“Adding people into the infrastructure equation.” academic
Location:
Area:
Team:
Key Responsibilities:
Section 13, SE Calgary 197 ha
5 Members (Devon Lasigna, Diba Mohebzadeh, Simran Chowdhary, Sushmitha Tenkasalai and Shuo Yu)
- Data Extraction through ArcGIS.
- Collaboration with both the Urban Planning and the Landscape Team.
- Master Plan Drafting and Rendering.
-Badge Creation.
Past & Prospect is a transformative urban development in Calgary’s Section 13, emphasizing diversification, revitalization, and pedestrianoriented design. The 15-minute walkable city integrates distinct quadrants, each with its identity. The Arts District in the southwest celebrates cultural expression, while the Attraction District in the northwest enhances the Calgary Zoo area with underground parking, hotels, and commercial spaces. The Firestone District in the northeast features high-density, pedestrian-focused development with a commercial corridor and green spine. The Recreation District in the southeast maximizes Bow River’s presence for active programs. Overcoming challenges, the project buries a portion of Deerfoot Trail, prioritizing pedestrian pathways. Inspired by indigenous nomadic history, Past & Prospect reconnects Calgary’s landscape districts, creating a People-foot Highway with distinctive characteristics in each district.
Past & Prospect creates a complete 15-minute walkable city at the junction of Deerfoot Trail and Memorial Drive, honouring the area’s character through three foundation principles: diversification, revitalization, and pedestrian-oriented development. Diversification is exemplified through building typologies, distinct community districts, integration of land uses, and the projected demographics.
Concept Diagram
A Typical Day at the Firestone District
As a method of stakeholder engagement, various badges and posters were designed and placed along public transit locations in Calgary to invite the public to the grand opening of Past and Prospect.
To create a diverse user experience, Past and Prospect amalgamate various uses in our built fabric. Incorporating movement, activity, and interactions at all times of the day, the different land uses support the concept and add to the vibrancy of the urban realm.
The Barlow LRT station connects directly to Firestone Tower, a vibrant civic plaza.
The central plaza is the junction between pedestrian-only streets and car oriented development.
The Core Firestone District The Prospect Place
Master Plan Description
Past & Prospect represents a Baukultur transformation (transforming the wheel) of Calgary’s current Deerfoot Highway-dominated landscape back to a pedestriandominated landscape like that which has existed for millennia with the nomadic indigenous peoples of the area (including the Blackfoot Confederacy). An uninterrupted pedestrian path raised above the ground traverses across what were once barriers to connect Calgary’s mosaic of distinctive landscape districts. The People-foot Highway takes on distinctive characteristics as it passes through different districts, including the transformed CP railway, the pedestrian boulevard to Firestone Tower, and the land bridge over buried Deerfoot.
The Past & Prospect master plan was inspired by the elevated network of historic trails of the Root and Revel master plan, the distinct districts of the Mosaic master plan, and the common themes of Baukultur in both projects. The final master plan, Past & Prospect, is also inspired by the nomadic habits of the people that have existed here since the glaciers melted to reveal the landscape underneath.
Software used: Philosophy
THE UNSEEN
Unseen highlights the often overlooked aspects of design, emphasizing the invisible elements in our society, such as the human experience and landscapes. Using 2012 census data for Calgary, where 9.7% of the population had disabilities, including 38.7% categorized as severe or very severe, the current population of 1.3 million has only four parks accessible to all. The site analysis reveals an 85% risk of future floods, informal pathways, lack of signage, amenities, and uneven paving. Unseen’s goal is to forge meaningful community connections along the river, offering amenities like elevated gardens, pathways, braille signage, rest areas, and seasonal experiences for everyone. The project envisions a future where designs prioritize life’s invisible aspects and small gestures that bring joy to the heart in 5 various moments.
FUNCTIONS ACTIVATE
ACCESSIBILITY FAMILY FRIENDLY
PARKS AND OPEN SPACES PURPOSE
MOMENTS OF PAUSE AND RELAXATION
DESIGNATED LINES FOR USERS CHILD SAFETY
OPEN PLAN FUNCTIONS FIRE PIT LOCAL SHOPS
PUBLIC FACILITIES SUCH AS NEUTRAL WASHROOMS
SIGNAGE TACTICAL ARCHITECTURE BETTER LIGHTING
FAST PATH
MEDIUM PATH
SLOW PATH
MEMORIAL DRV.
Calgart
THE PHRONTISTERY
“Where Connections and Thoughts Meet.”
Location:
Area: Team: Inglewood, 17 Street SE 0.55 ha Individual
The land one lives on is a grainline of norms, beliefs and values, fabricating the building blocks and what one calls as “identity”. While looking at the world, to some, the earth shapes as a round wild and mysterious location separated by water and land, with each angle marking its own identity and culture. At times, these cultures seem different and an adventure to discover, while one dives into it, they realize, how much every angle of this world is co-related and connected to each other. This root in similarities is not far from the reader of this paragraph, in fact, you as a reader, are a connection to the universe, you carry your culture by the way you perceive, comprehend, speak of and value. In a smaller scale, these building blocks are present every community and neighbourhood, and as designers we bring these identities into reality to spread a message.
Phrontistery is a noun for a thinking place, where the phrontistes (the thinker/ visitor) explores physical, spiritual, sensory and path connections through landscape and architectural elements. The scale, choice of site geometry and the colours are influenced by the Indigenous cultures in Canada and around the world, to portray a message and a phroneein (thought). As humans we believe that we are the centre of the universe, while we forget that our identity has been marked by the landscape and the nature around us. By using large scaled architectural elements influenced from the medicine wheels from around the world, the phrontistes will experience hierarchy, preservation, circulation and culture within one site shaped as a Tipi to not only feel safe in an unindentified land,but also look closer for a connection within themselves and the around above us, just by looking down into the fountain. This is exactly how I felt in the site, safe and connected to my inner self.
Abacus
RETROFITTING NOSTALGIA
“Reviving the Past: A Journey Through Retro Fitted Memories” academic
Location: Area: Team: Coleman, Crowsnest Pass 25.27 ha Individual
In the heart of southwestern Alberta lie many iconic prairie buildings such as churches, town halls, schools, fire halls, and mining company offices. These structures form the backbone of the towns, shaping their rich history. The municipality of Crowsnest Pass is especially notable, with its roots deeply embedded in the coal mining industry. Towns like Coleman flourished around this concept. However, with the decline of coal mining, the job market became unstable, leading many residents to leave the Pass. Today, Crowsnest Pass, with a population of 5,589, remains a beautiful tourist destination. Its unique natural habitat draws visitors, though 27.9% of the population is now aged 65 and older. Many of the town’s entertainment venues and grocery stores have closed, making life challenging for the remaining residents. The once-bustling buildings now stand abandoned, shrouded in mystery, often becoming sites for vandalism and curiosity. Retrofitting Nostalgia aims to breathe new life into these historic structures. By identifying, re-evaluating, and repurposing them with innovative solutions like introducing gardens and fused architecture, this initiative seeks to restore the heritage and identity of Crowsnest Pass. These efforts promise to rejuvenate the town, transforming its forgotten buildings into vibrant community spaces once again.
Key Responsibilities: - Data Extraction and analysis through ArcGIS.
- Collaboration with the Architecture, Urban Planning and Landscape Team.
- Landscape and Pathway Adivising.
Symbio City is a transformational, mixed-use development in southwest downtown Oakland that fosters diversity, neighborhood cohesion, and economic opportunity. Symbio City embraces the concept of regenerative urban development to achieve equity, resiliency, and community. Symbio City aims to enhance a restorative relationship between an urbanizing humanity and the ecosystems from which we draw resources for our sustenance. Weaving nature through the built environment amplifies the cooperative relationship between them, the necessary symbiosis between humans and the Earth.
Through out the span of three months, an existing project would be remodeled through Revit geometrical and massing commands and re imagined through the designer’s choice of artistic style.
DETAILING
diba mohebzadeh architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture
