With Gharib Studio, architectural designer Nora Gharib is helping digital-first brands, such as Little Words Project and Basquet, move beyond the screen, creating immersive third spaces that invite people to linger, connect, and experience brands on a deeper level.
The word on the street lately is that digital-first brands dominate, so the idea of opening a physical storefront might seem like a throwback. Nora Gharib, founder of Miami-based Gharib Studio, thinks otherwise though.
She doesn’t see brick-and-mortar as a relic; instead, she is looking at its potential for the future. Her work reimagines physical retail as a “third space”: a gathering point between home and work, where brand identity meets human connection.
Nora, an Egyptian-Ecuadorian architectural designer, has carved out a niche helping online retailers transition into the real world. Brands like Little Words Project and Basquet have turned to her to create environments that aren’t just retail spaces but living extensions of their ethos.
“My grad school thesis explored third spaces and how architecture can support our biological need for connection – we’re social beings by design,” she explains. This early exploration planted the seed for her current work. Nora noticed that digital-native brands weren’t just selling products; they were building communities online, with customers following founders, sharing stories, and engaging beyond the transactional level.
“I saw an opportunity to translate that kind of intimacy into physical space,” she says. “It’s less about traditional retail and more about creating spaces that reflect the emotional life of a brand.”
For Nora, a successful third space is about the atmosphere, not about aggressive selling tactics or overstimulating design. “A successful third space invites people to linger – to feel something, to connect,” she says. Drawing inspiration from her roots in Egypt and Ecuador, where social life often spills into plazas, courtyards, and cafes, she brings that sense of presence and community to every project.
Her ethos is evident in the work produced by Gharib Studio. The Little Words Project, known for its beaded bracelets and uplifting messages, was transformed into a physical experience designed to reflect the brand’s playful, nostalgic spirit. For Basquet – a design-led, wellness-focused grocery store that recently opened in Miami’s Coconut Grove – Nora created a completely different atmosphere, one rooted in calmness and mindfulness, reflecting the brand’s focus on considered healthy living.
“I approach design from the inside out,” she says. “That means rooting every decision in the brand’s story, not just what’s trending visually.”
By starting with the emotional tone of the brand—whether playful, sensual, or minimal—and mapping out how people move through a space, she ensures that every project tells a distinct story. “I like to think in narrative terms: how does someone move through the space, and what are the emotional beats along the way?”
This narrative-driven approach means no two Gharib Studio spaces feel alike, and it’s what helps her avoid the cut-and-paste aesthetic that plagues so much of contemporary retail design. From material choices and spatial rhythm to lighting, everything is intentional and designed to elicit an emotional response rather than just admiration.
“Materiality sets the emotional temperature,” she says. “Is it soft and comforting, or raw and expressive? I think of the space as choreography – where do people pause, what draws them forward, what creates delight?”
Although Gharib Studio’s projects are rooted in architecture, Nora’s perspective extends far beyond bricks and mortar. She sees herself as a “spatial storyteller”, who blends design, branding, and emotional intelligence to create environments that resonate deeply with audiences.
“I speak architecture, but I also speak brand, emotion, and cultural nuance,” she explains. “I’m not just thinking about how something looks or functions, but how it feels and what it communicates.”
For digital-first brands entering the physical space, the transition can be significant. Online, brands curate their presence down to the pixel, whereas, in person, things are more fluid and uncontrolled. Nora sees this as an opportunity rather than a limitation.
“We choreograph the space like a story: what’s the first impression? Where’s the ‘Aha!’ moment?” she says. Her team often incorporates activations, like make-your-own-beaded bracelets or wellness workshops, to encourage interaction. “It’s about designing interaction, not just transaction.”
As many headlines predict the decline of retail, Nora offers a different view: it’s not retail that’s failing, but retail that lacks meaning. “People are still craving physical experiences, but they want them to feel intentional, immersive, and emotionally resonant,” she says. “The brands that thrive are the ones willing to use space to express values, invite community, and offer something people can’t get through a screen.”
Looking at Gharib Studio’s growing portfolio, it’s clear that Nora is quietly helping define this new era. Whether it’s transforming an online jewellery brand into a space where people can craft, connect and reflect or turning a grocery store into a sanctuary for mindful shopping, she’s creating environments where architecture becomes a conduit for human connection.
“I hope they leave people feeling connected to themselves, to others, to a story,” she says. “For the brands, I want the space to be a physical affirmation of who they are and what they stand for. And for the people walking through, I want it to be more than just a shopping trip. I want it to be a memory – something that lingers, even in a quiet way.”
In a world where digital fatigue is real and attention is fleeting, Nora’s spaces offer something increasingly rare: a reason to slow down, stay a while, and feel part of something bigger.