My name is Maha Asif, Interior Design undergraduate (B.ID)
I am a Canadian Interior Design graduate from the School of Interior Design at Toronto Metropolitan University. At the core of my design philosophy is the belief that interiors should not only reflect the personality and lifestyle of their occupants but also inspire and uplift them. I am committed to creating environments that evoke emotion, spark creativity, and foster a sense of well-being. Whether it’s transforming a small apartment into a cozy retreat or reimagining a corporate office for maximum productivity, I approach each project with enthusiasm, empathy, and a dedication to excellence.
ADAPTI-STUDIO: Studio Apartment Design
Daniels on Parliament Student Design Competition: Group Design Project
Interior Design Studio IV: Individual Academic Project
Nexus: Modular Office Furniture
Interior Design Studio VI: Group Academic Project
Japanese Canadian Culture Centre Case Study
Interior Design Studio IV: Group Academic Project
Personal Explorations
Interdisciplanary Arts & Creative Writing
ADAPTI-STUDIO Studio Apartment Design
Daniels on Parliament Student Design Competition | May 2024 | Month Long Group Design Project | AutoCAD, Rhino & Enscape
Adapti-Studio is a proposed redesign of the McConnell studio suite in Daniels on Parliament, Daniels newest addition to the Regent Park revitalization in Toronto. As the Greater Toronto Area’s average unit sizes continue to decrease, it is more crucial than ever for interior designers to innovatively design spaces that display flexibility. Our design intends to do just that by focusing on programming flexible spaces within the studio suite that maximizes small areas by utilizing contemporary modular furniture solutions. These modular furniture pieces not only improve functionality but also offer adjustable spacing solutions that can be modified to the inhabitant’s comfort generating a completely adaptable studio apartment. The design also encourages to rethink traditional studio condo living by creating a luxurious interior space that explores sustainable materials and also prioritizes the use of locally sourced materials, supporting local artisans and reducing environmental impact.
Group Members: Kelsey Sassi & Muhammad Bin Usman
Laundry Room Elevation Entrance Hallway Closet Elevation North Living Room Elevation
This retail project focused on designing a woman’s bikini & lingerie store, decorated in a luxe black, white & gold aesthetic which draws inspiration from art deco luxury stores. The goal was to design a store that empowers women and to create an environment where they feel can comfortable. The design features multiple custom display cases for the store merchandise, capitalizing off of the 9ft windows to draw customers in through curb appeal. A custom mannequin display box was designed where the mannequins were suspended using a rod to create a floating appearance. This is finished with a lustrous gold glass product on the inside and a black laquer finish on the exterior of the box. Similarly, a bikini display case was designed to show featured bikini sets pieces where both tops and bottoms can be shown together. This was accompanied by smaller display boxes for accessory items. The clothing racks have also been elevated to acheive an industrial look by using stainless steal rods with a brass finish mounted assymetrically to both the ground and ceiling. To increase exposure, there is a photo op wall with ceiling mounted swings, a faux green wall, and LED angel wings. A display wall was also curated to display lotions and bottles to the left of the checkout. Team Members: Megan Pachnosky & Brooklynn Hamilton
West Display Wall Elevation
Window Mannequin Display Detail
Bikini Display Storage Unit Section
Bikini Display Storage Unit Front Elevation
SPEAKEASY BAR The Roaring Twenties Resurgence
Interior Design Studio IV | Prof. Catherine Dowling | Fall 2023 | Month Long Individual Academic Project | AutoCAD, Photoshop & SketchUp
The Back Door is a 1920’s art deco themed bar which aims to encapsulate a one-hundred-year-old time period into today’s world. By incorporating the rich culture of speakeasies and its ties to the emerging jazz scene, this design aims to create a space that captures the essence of the Prohibition era and the glamorous, rebellious spirit of the Roaring Twenties. The programming facilitates both a lively bar and social scene on the lower floor, and a more private and exclusive experience on the mezzanine level. The barrel vaulted ceiling design above the bar creates an intimate feel for patrons to be immersed in the art of mixology. The design includes custom light fixtures which have been developed based off of a light fixture which were once hung in the office space of the Birkbeck Building. Drawing from the flowering sunray motif found on this fixture, I was able to develop two new fixtures to incorporate into the space. One being a pendant light with fan like blades that extrude from a rounded base, finished with hammered brass and green detailing on the fans. These hang above the booth tables to bring a soft warm light to the space. The second fixture is a wall sconce, which is fastened on the columns around the booths and in the bar area. The sconce has a brass and silver finish and has upward and downward lighting.
Mezzanine Floor Plan
Section AA
Birkbeck Building National Historic Site of Canada Four-Storey Office Building
Fireplace Lounge Render
Bar Material Study
Private Creation Room Interior Elevation
Partial Bar & Wainscotting Section
Typical Wainscotting Elevation
Section CC
Modularity Axonometric & Plan Diagram
NEXUS
Modular Office Furniture
Functionality Plan Diagram
Front Elevation
Section Detail
Interior Design Studio VI | Prof. Michael Fohring | Winter 2023 | Semester Long Group Academic Project | AutoCAD, Rhino & Photoshop
The Nexus Modular Furniture is a super furniture piece that centres around this duality of public and private with the use of a ‘U’ shape that creates two subspaces - the “inside” and the “outside - with a single gesture. On the inside is a curved couch with space for a coffee table, and on the outside there are desks with both a standard desk height and a standing/bar height. The couch and desks are cantilevered off of a base structure that has a rotating slat partition which provides further flexibility in the varying degrees of public and private space. The Nexus Furniture Office takes this super furniture design further, developing it into an office space that merges the relationship between public and private on a larger spatial scale. By experimenting with the duality of partitions, the office design reimagines the concept to fit the practicalities each program requires. Using subtle boundaries and curves, we were able to develop a refined office space that allows workers to have a variation in workspaces that caters to their comfort levels and work habits. The right side of the office is more client focused whereas the left side is more employee focused, with the centre portion creating a merge of both - creating a gradient from public to private programming.
Group Project Members: Patty Lin, Isabella Bos & Shirelle Belmont.
Interior Axonometric Diagram
401 Richmond Heritage-Designated Building Four-Story Arts and Culture Hub
Overall Office Section
JAPANESE CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE/NOOR CULTURAL CENTRE
Moriyama Teshima Architects, 1963
This building at 123 Wynford Drive in Toronto was designed and built by Moriyama Teshima Architects in 1963 as a cultural centre and community place for Japanese Canadians. The building serves as a monument to the struggle of the Japanese pioneers evacuated from the West Coast after WWII. The site lies atop the Don Valley and is surrounded by lush greenery and sloping ravine landscape, providing a peaceful and reflective context for the institution. Moriyama Teshimaʼs bold design is a hybrid of both European modernism and traditional Japanese proportions. As such, the design of the centre is neither typically Japanese or Canadian, but a unique blend of both, rooted in land and subtly powerful in its form. Moriyama and Teshima's own life experiences inspire the design which references the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II. When the JCCC moved into another facility, the Lakhani family hired Moriyama & Teshima Architects to handle the subtle changes needed to transform the space into the Noor Cultural Centre.
"The Ismaili culture was facing hardship at the time, and the story kind of played over again, so there's this interesting story of how the building and the site responded to the cultural societal situations" Ronen Bauer Moriyama Teshima Architect
JAPANESE CANADIAN CULTURE CENTRE Case Study
Interior Design Studio IV | Prof. Catherine Dowling | Fall 2023 | Month Long Group Academic Project | AutoCAD & Illustrator
This building was designed and built by Moriyama Teshima Architects in 1963 as a cultural centre and community place for Japanese Canadians amd served as a monument to the struggle of the Japanese pioneers evacuated from the West Coast after WWII. After the JCCC moved into another facility, the Islamic group relocating into the building hired Moriyama & Teshima Architects to handle the subtle changes needed to transform the space into the Noor Cultural Centre in a manner that was repspectful to both cultures. The following diagrams depict the evolution in the building’s design: The Lantern Evolution Diagram depicts the original symbol of the Shinmei Torii now replaced with a rectangular enclosure of Arabic calligraphy translating to “Allah” (God) and “Noor” (spiritual light). Similarly, the word “Noor” is inscribed in Arabic in the Door Pull Evolution Diagram too. Noor is an important word in the Quran and has a similar meaning as the Shinmei Torii by symbolizing a gateway into a sacred space.The Shoji Screen Parti Diagram highlights the lattice design which is remniscent of jail cell bars, expressing the hardships experienced by Japanese-Canadians incarcerated in WWII. A rain chain or “kusari-doi” is used to channel rainwater off the roof, away from the building to the ground in a visually aesthetic manner. The Rain Chain Parti Diagram depicts this traditional Japanese architectural design feature that evokes a connection to the natural environment. Group Member: Balreet Dhatt
Lantern Evolution Diagram
Door Pull Evolution Diagram
Shoji Screen Detail Elevation
Shoji Screen Parti Diagram
Rain Chain Parti Diagram
PERSONAL EXPLORATIONS
Analogue/Digital Drawings & Creative Writing
Miscellaneous School Projects & Personal Explorations | 2020-2024 | Rhino, Illustrator, Graphite, Pastel & AutoCAD
This collection of personal explorations demonstrates my love for analogue art mediums, variety in graphic design, and passion for creative writing. The left diagram focuses on Glenn Murcutt’s Ball Eastaway Residence where in depth research was conducted narrowing in on the methodology behind the design and innovations made to tailor the house to the client’s desire. The rendering was part of an explorative process of reimagining and highlighting key features within the design by pushing traditional drawing standards and exploring a colour palette that is evocative of the environment. The above sketches are a light analysis of my apartment lobby corridor in the Merchandise Building Lofts designed by architect Paul Northgrave. They draw attention to the unique ribbed ceiling that created a soft light effect while guiding visitors through the lobby space. The right drawing employs the use of white pastel on black paper and is a realist depiction of “The Winged Victory of Samothrace”. The far right digital drawing draws attention to the increase in home office spaces due to the pandemic and analyzes the spatial and temporal aspects of “home” work. This drawing depicts my apartment’s work space in my den, overlayed with a graph depicting my personal and school acitivities inspired by OMA’s Yokohama Masterplan.
Chasing Sunbeams
Sunflower bold, in golden gown, Your face, a marvel, the sun's crown, At dawn, you wake, in eastward glance, To greet the light, in a rhythmic dance.
Your petals stretch, a vibrant embrace, Capturing sunbeams, in radiant grace, A symphony of hues, in yellow’s song, You follow daylight, all day long.
Tall and proud, your stature beams, As if chasing dreams in sunlit streams, Each bloom, a compass to the sun, In fields, a sight for everyone.
You sway and turn, in sun’s embrace, A dance of life, poised with grace, With each hour’s passing, your stance unfurled, You track the sun, around the world.
Sunflower, in your upward flight, A portrait of joy, a stunning sight, Your bloom, a tale of summer’s story, A testament to nature’s glory.
