From a home designed for Deaf users to emergency shelters for wildfire evacuees, two Yorkville University Bachelor of Interior Design (BID) students are proving that design can do more than look good – it can change lives.
.
And now, the Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) is recognizing them for it.
.
Salwa Asghar-Merchant, a Class of 2026 BID grad, has won the Award of Excellence in IDC’s Value of Design Awards (VODA): Student Competition for Deaf Connect | When Design Listens Beyond Sound, while current BID student Melika Gheisari earned an honourable mention for Living Layers: A Protective Shelter for Wildfire Displacement.
.
“I’m incredibly proud of Salwa and Melika and of the thoughtfulness, empathy, and evidence-based research approach they brought to their work. These awards are a wonderful recognition of their individual talent and dedication, while also reflecting the strength of Yorkville’s BID program, which encourages students to address real-world challenges while keeping people and the environment at the heart of their design process,” said Reem Habib, Chair of Yorkville’s Bachelor of Interior Design program.
.
“Seeing our students recognized on a national stage by the IDC is truly meaningful and speaks to the calibre of design thinking happening in our program. I’m so excited to see the amazing things they will do in the future.”
.
Created exclusively for Canadian interior design students, IDC’s VODA: Student Competition gives emerging designers a national platform to show how thoughtful, evidence-based design can improve the lives of the people who use a space.
This year’s competition is sponsored by Ciot, with winning projects to be honoured at the IDC VODAs on October 20 in Toronto.
.
Below, Asghar-Merchant and Gheisari share what the IDC recognition means to them – and the research and thinking behind their winning projects – in their own words.
.
.
Award of Excellence for Deaf Connect | When Design Listens Beyond Sound
“Receiving the IDC VODA Student Competition Excellence Award for DeafConnect | When Design Listens Beyond Sound is incredibly meaningful to me. This project was rooted in the belief that interior design can go beyond aesthetics and accessibility requirements to create spaces where people genuinely feel seen, understood, and included. Having the project recognized by the Interior Designers of Canada reinforces the importance of inclusive, human-centred design and is especially meaningful to me as I begin the next chapter of my journey as an interior designer.”
.
About DeafConnect: When Design Listens Beyond Sound
.
DeafConnect is a Deaf-centered community hub designed as a space that listens beyond sound.
.
This project grew out of my desire to explore how interior design can move beyond simply meeting accessibility requirements and instead create spaces that genuinely reflect and support the lived experiences of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
.
Too often, the built environment is designed around hearing-based communication, which can unintentionally create barriers to comfort, inclusion, and connection. That led me to ask an important question: How can interior design better support visual communication, sensory equity, and meaningful community connection for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users?
.
DeafConnect is my response to that question. It reimagines an underutilized building in Markham as a vibrant and inclusive place for gathering, learning, collaboration, and support. Guided by DeafSpace principles, universal design, and sensory awareness, the project explores how design can express care, dignity, and belonging in ways that feel immediate and meaningful.
.
At the heart of the project are DeafSpace principles, developed through Gallaudet University and led by architect Hansel Bauman. These principles offer an architectural framework that responds to the visual, spatial, and tactile needs of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, helping shape spaces that are more intuitive, inclusive, and empowering.
.
More than just a building, DeafConnect is envisioned as a community-centered space that celebrates Deaf culture, encourages connection, and shows how thoughtful design can create real social impact.
.
.
Honourable Mention for Living Layers: A Protective Shelter for Wildfire Displacement
“Living Layers meant a lot to me because every summer we continue to witness the devastating impact of wildfires and the displacement that follows. I wanted to explore how, as interior designers, we can contribute in a meaningful way and use human-centered design to respond not only to people’s immediate physical needs, but also to their emotional well-being during incredibly difficult circumstances. Receiving this recognition from IDC means so much to me. As a young designer, it is incredibly encouraging to see hard work recognized by the industry and to know that there is value in exploring how design can create a positive impact on people’s lives.”
About Living Layers: A Protective Shelter for Wildfire Displacement
.
Living Layers: A Protective Canopy for Recovery is a mobile shelter designed for individuals and families displaced by wildfires in Northwestern Ontario. Inspired by the layered canopies of the surrounding forest, the design translates the feeling of shelter beneath overlapping leaves and branches into a protective, curved form that creates a sense of enclosure, safety, and calm.
.
Designed through a human-centered approach, the shelter considers both the physical realities of emergency displacement and the emotional need for privacy, dignity, comfort, and stability. Its modular system can be transported and assembled quickly while providing essential spaces for sleeping, cooking, storage, and everyday routines. Natural materials, filtered light, organic patterns, and connections to the surrounding landscape help soften the temporary living environment and create a greater sense of home.
.
By bringing together portability, sustainability, and emotional well-being, Living Layers explores how emergency shelter can move beyond simply providing protection and instead become a temporary place of recovery, dignity, and belonging.
