Full-Circle Moment: NIS Graduate contributes to the design of school’s new building

12-03-2025

As the CEO and design director of maklad design, an interior design company she founded in 2020, Ayah contributed to designing the interiors of Nibras International School’s new building.

That was how Ayah Maklad described her experience of returning to the school that had shaped her. As the CEO and Design Director of Maklad Design, an Interior Design company she founded in 2020, Ayah contributed to designing the interiors of Nibras International School’s new administrative building.

As a young girl wandering around the school’s hallways, Ayah witnessed the school’s growth from its earliest days.

“I’ve been at this school for as long as I can remember, and I recall sitting in the waiting lounge after school hours, waiting for my parents,” she shared.

Ayah is from the class of 2016. She went on to study Interior Design at the American University Dubai with a scholarship she obtained because of her time at Nibras. She graduated at the top of her class from the University with a ‘Summa Cum Laude’ honor roll.

For her, Interior Design is more than just the decor. It is about shaping a space and sending a message through design.

“Interior Design is about helping the user feel exactly how they want a space to make them feel, through the design,” she mentioned in a previous interview when she was still a university student. To this day, she is a firm believer that Interior Design is similar to telling a story.

As Nibras International School continues to grow, a new administration building was constructed to better serve our families. One of the new features is a parent lounge that provides a comfortable space for our parents to meet.

Ayah’s company was one of many that submitted a proposal for this job. Her aim was to create a warm and welcoming space for both parents and our administrative staff.

When asked about her concept for the new administrative building, she said that she wanted to create a space that is efficient, accessible, and holds a sense of community.

“The idea was to have one centralized space for parents and staff to enjoy, recognizing the previous challenge of having scattered offices around school,” she explained.

“We integrated the school’s branding and logo colors into the furniture selection to give it a lighter theme. We used a light color palette to give a more vibrant and calmer mood to the space,” she added.

Ayah said that the idea came from mere observation.

“Having grown up in the school, I noticed how parents and staff members had to move from one place to another because the offices were scattered,” she shared. “It inspired me to come up with an idea of creating a centralized building that would house all services in one place. Now, you can go to Admissions, Finance, Transportation, and Registration all in one visit.”

When the news arrived that her proposal had been accepted, she could hardly believe it.

“It felt incredibly fulfilling to come back to the school that shaped me. Graduating from NIS and coming back to contribute through design gave me a full-circle moment,” she quipped. “I am very proud and very grateful to NIS and iSP for the experience. I hope all the staff members and parents will enjoy this new space.”