Today we’d like to introduce you to Noura Bishay.
Hi Noura, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
7 years ago, I was an architect in one of the top architecture firms in Egypt with a portfolio of more than 90 international projects. I was in my comfort zone and didn’t understand my potential. I saw an email about a new scholarship for my master’s degree in architecture and I jumped on it but in reality, I applied to be rejected. To my shock, I got accepted to both the school I wanted and not one scholarship but 3 scholarships before coming to the USA and 2 after coming. After I moved by 6 months my family moved from Egypt, we only had one income, 2 members were disabled, no credit reports, I was studying and working in a school, and Hemorrhaging money on rent. We decided to buy a house, which was a miracle but still, we had a mortgage to pay, and nobody can see our suffering. The only hope we had was my architecture skills. We decided to convert our garage to a studio (Junior Additional dwelling unit). We rented our studio to pay our mortgage. This little studio was the reason we survived; it was like a secure float to a family doomed to be homeless. when our neighbors saw our studio design. they hired us to convert their garage. we realized we can help plenty of people. Out of suffering Came the birth of our firm NPB Design Studio. We design spaces that heal, inspire, and empower our community and planet. I am living proof that Additional dwelling units (ADU) Or granny flats are a great solution for our housing crisis, and they help low-medium income, new immigrant homeowners to get out of poverty and start building wealth at the same time add housing to a starving market. After 2 years of converting our garage, we were able to refinance and add an attached 2-bedroom ADU apartment which we now rent to a single mom with 2 kids. Our house now generates income rather than choking us financially.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a fresh graduate and international student, I struggled to find myself, my career, and establish roots in the community. I faced the typical drama of acquiring a work visa. It seemed impossible to find work that would sponsor my visa, and pay me more than the market rate. On the other side, I came from Egypt with no credit report living in California was financially stressful in terms of doubling my rent deposit, not having a credit card, and not qualifying for anything on a payment plan. Add to this the challenge of currency conversion and inflation, when I moved from Egypt, 1$ was equal to 6 Egyptian Pounds now 1$ is equal to about 19 Egyptian Pounds. Although I had 5 scholarships and I was lucky to have no student loans and work as a teacher assistant in school, it was still expensive to live in California.
One of the struggles along the way was believing in myself that I can open my own business and I can reach the sky and ask for a star. I couldn’t see myself as a business owner, I wanted a secure 9 to 5 job that doesn’t have risks till I got then got laid off. For the first time in my life, I discovered the illusion of job security. I went back to school to study for a master’s in social innovation and I met a woman at the business incubator (the blink) she invited me to attend the entrepreneur training. Every time I will go and they teach us about something, I discover that it’s easy and I can do it. The only things that I didn’t have to start my business were a client and startup funds. My neighbor saw my design and hired me at the same time I qualified for my first credit card for $5000. it was then that I decided to open my social impact design firm NPB Design Studio.
During the pandemic, I helped transform a food desert in my new home in San Diego into a food oasis by starting a food-giving table called “The Table of Hope.” Anyone could take, give, or exchange food for free & no questions were asked at any time of the day or night. The table quickly grew into four tables and two fridges that rescued food from more than 10 food pantries. Families did not have to drive far and wait in line for hours to get the food. Instead of adding to the problem of families trapped in food deserts traveling long distances for healthy food, we brought the food to their doorstep. We served many single moms & reached more than 1000 families through social media. https://youtu.be/nO1vgbdWp4I we also had the vision to plant our own food near us so we don’t worry about the supply chain the neighbors donated their backyard and we designed, built, and took the products to the table of hope. We created 2 community gardens in San Diego. Here is one of them https://youtu.be/rjMVgv09Wh0
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about NPB Design Studio?
NPB Design Studio is an Urban social impact design and drafting firm that focuses on housing especially adding economic additional dwelling units (ADU/granny flat) for loved ones or as a rental property. we guide homeowners through every step, we listen to our client’s dreams, translate them into a design, & draft the permit documents. As a social enterprise, we aim to solve the housing crisis one granny flat at a time, while thinking about the aesthetic, function, and environment sequential impact. At the same time, offer a low investment project that generates fast and steady income, high return on investment, and adds property value. We offer three types of ADUs; Garage conversion (JADU), Attached ADU, and Detached ADU.
According to HUD California have 161,548 homeless persons. Nothing is more critical to California other than adding housing, and nothing destroys businesses and communities more than homelessness. Most organizations try to solve the homeless problem symptoms by feeding, clothing, and educating because they cannot solve the core problem by adding more homes. CBS reported that we must build 2.5m houses by 2030
The quality of life that I offer with my ADU design is the first step to giving people their dignity and pride back. I help low-medium income, new immigrant homeowners to get out of poverty, and start building wealth while at the same time adding housing to a starving market. I am tripling my impact by working on connecting single mothers with kids as tenants to the ADUs which is a forgotten category of our broken system. if only15% of California’s houses added 1ADU, that’s 2.4m homes. We end the housing and homelessness crisis, balance rental prices, and add prosperity.
What makes NPB stand out is the practice of social impact design (SID). SID is the design based on investigating the social impact cycle and finding the root problem. The innovation in SID starts with one solution that solves multiple problems over a period of time like a domino effect. It is a design thinking process that fosters community cohesiveness. Unlike traditional design methods, SID doesn’t only look at an ADU’s aesthetic only but also at the function, health, community, economy, and environment sequential impact of adding this ADU to this location. we have a holistic approach to housing in terms of inclusive, sustainable, healthy, passive, and authentic design that heals, inspires, and empowers the community. we want to solve the housing crisis without creating more problems that could be avoided so we take our time to research, observe and honestly advise the client on the best community investment.
NPB Design Studio is a dedicated community activist and a change maker. we 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 us for 2021 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, 2019 Inclusive and Diverse Leadership in Action Award, and the Irvine Leadership Award 2020. we are proud to be selected out of almost 3000 applications as the top 10% for J.M.K Innovative Award (round 1).
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Here are 3 ways you can help us
1- consider hiring us to design your granny flats or ADU
2-recommend power partners like contractors, mortgage loan agents, and realtors
3- refer us to a friend or family member who needs a passive income.
So simply, use your land, invest in your home, and help your community by adding housing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nourapb.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/npbdesignstudio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/npbdesignstudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjhpYD4DNgNUZIc_fglYy2w
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/npb-design-studio-lemon-grove-2?osq=npb+design+studio
Image Credits
NPB Design Studio
