Inside DS Studio: An Architecture and Interior Design Practice in Ottawa and Toronto
DS Studio Inc. is a full-service architecture and interior design practice based in Ottawa and Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2017 by architect Dina Sarhane, the studio is an all-female, cross-functional design team that includes architects, urban designers, interior designers and experience designers.
DS Studio provides architecture and interior design services for projects across Ontario and elsewhere in Canada, as well as select projects in the United States and internationally. The firm is based at 378 Booth Street in Ottawa and 171 East Liberty Street in Toronto. DS Studio is licensed to practise architecture in Ontario and New Brunswick and collaborates with local architects where required for projects in other jurisdictions such as British Columbia, Calgary, and other provinces and the US.
Architecture & Interiors, In Sync
DS Studio provides an integrated approach to architecture and interior design. Architectural design, interior design and FF&E direction are developed within the same team, providing clients with a single studio for their spatial design needs.
Our services include pre-design, architecture, interior design, municipal approvals, visualization and construction administration. This integrated structure allows the team to coordinate decisions across architecture and interiors from early planning and concept design through construction.
DS Studio has particular experience working with existing buildings, including complex renovations, adaptive reuse and projects with accelerated timelines. Our work is focused on creating functional, well-designed spaces while increasing the long-term value and usability of our clients' properties.
Eight Sectors, One Studio
No two briefs look quite the same. DS Studio works across eight primary sectors: Hospitality, Healthcare, Office, Public Art & Spaces, Retail, Heritage Renovation, Experience Design and Asset Upgrades. Working across disciplines keeps our practice agile and brings a broader perspective to every project.
In Toronto, Kasa Moto transforms hospitality into an immersive dining experience. In Arnprior, Dr. Kirk Orthodontics considers how thoughtful design can change the experience of a healthcare environment. In Naples, the Henri Noel Flagship gives a longstanding family business a new physical expression. Elsewhere, our work moves from the WoodGate public art installation in Hamilton to the renovation of the Royal Society of Canada headquarters in Ottawa.
A restaurant and an orthodontist's office may have little in common—and that's precisely the point. Each asks different questions of architecture and interior design. Moving between sectors allows us to challenge familiar solutions, transfer ideas between disciplines and approach each new brief without a predetermined answer.
Local Roots, Broader Reach
DS Studio's all-female team works through a cloud-based model that allows team members to collaborate across locations and respond efficiently to projects in different markets. This structure supports a flexible practice with experience across multiple project types, sectors and geographic locations.
Clients work directly with the people designing and managing their projects. The studio prioritizes accessibility and responsiveness throughout the design and construction process, with a team that is available to answer questions, address issues and make decisions as projects progress.
Our cross-sector experience also allows knowledge from architecture, interiors, urban design and experience design to inform each project. Rather than treating architecture, interiors and FF&E as separate disciplines, DS Studio considers them together as part of one design process.
Designing for What Comes Next
DS Studio is particularly interested in projects where design can strengthen an existing place, business, community or legacy. This includes projects that introduce new programs and uses, as well as projects that build on the history of an established organization or family business.
Projects such as The Willow Play Cafe demonstrate the studio's interest in creating spaces around distinctive programs and ways of gathering around the next generation. Retail projects such as Henri Noel Flagship demonstrate how architecture and interior design can support the evolution of a family business while respecting its existing identity and legacy.
From hospitality and retail environments to healthcare, workplaces, heritage renovations and public spaces, DS Studio approaches architecture and interior design as a coordinated service focused on creating useful, enduring and valuable places.
[LINK TO DS STUDIO PROJECTS]
[LINK TO ARCHITECTURE SERVICES]
[LINK TO INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES]