Casa Lumo, an architect and interior design studio with offices in Dubai, Singapore, Toronto, and Hyderabad, has moved into a wider role in the built space market. The firm now runs design-led co-working spaces while continuing its work in homes, offices, hotels, and restaurants. The company says its team brings more than 55 years of combined leadership experience across design, technology, and project delivery. That mix shapes a model that covers workspace design, build, and operate, along with full-service interior projects for homes and commercial sites.
From Serial Founder to a New Venture
The studio is led by founder Faiq Zishan, a serial entrepreneur and principal designer with experience in information technology, artificial intelligence, and interior design. After running two companies in the IT and interior sectors, Zishan launched Casa Lumo to bring both tracks under one roof. The aim, according to people close to the project, is to keep work practical, easy to use, and simple to maintain, while staying focused on how people live and work inside these spaces. The leadership team says the firm is not chasing fast scale but is focused on steady delivery and clear outcomes.
Why Co-Working Is Now Part of the Plan
The move into co-working comes as firms look for flexible offices that can grow or shrink with team size. Casa Lumo’s spaces focus on dedicated desks, private cabins, and shared work areas that are ready to use. The company manages these sites and offers flexible plans with clear pricing. The idea is to reduce setup time for startups and small teams that want to focus on work instead of fit-outs and long leases. Each site is designed and curated by the studio’s own team, with attention on calm layouts, simple movement, and dependable infrastructure.
Workspace Design, Build, and Operate Under One Roof
Beyond co-working, Casa Lumo runs a full design and build practice. Its services cover concept design and master planning, technical drawings, furniture and fixture selection, and turnkey delivery. The studio also handles bespoke furniture and joinery, along with lighting and MEP coordination. By keeping planning, execution, and operation within one structure, the firm aims to reduce gaps between design intent and site results. For clients, this often means fewer handovers and clearer timelines. For the studio, it means tighter control over cost, quality, and delivery schedules.
Projects That Show a Wide Map
The firm’s recent portfolio spans four countries and several types of spaces. In Canada, Casa Lumo delivered a 35,000-square-foot workplace for an international advertising company. The project focused on flexible layouts and areas that support team work and day-to-day movement. In Dubai, the studio completed a 20,000-square-foot hotel lobby named “Kinship,” which draws from Old Cairo’s streets and markets and uses circular seating to keep the space open and social. Also in Dubai, the team worked on a 15,500-square-foot residential villa that blends marble, wood, and custom lighting in a clean and controlled layout. In Singapore, a 4,500-square-foot restaurant project used custom wooden shutters as both a service pass-through and a brand feature.
What These Projects Say About the Studio
Across these sites, a clear pattern shows up. The studio favors direct layouts, simple circulation, and materials that hold up over time. The work avoids heavy themes and instead stays focused on use. In the office project, the aim was to support team flow and easy changes in layout. In the hotel lobby, the brief was to create a place where guests can sit, meet, and move with ease. In the restaurant, the focus stayed on service flow and brand identity. In the villa, the design leaned toward quiet luxury without excess detail.
A Global Footprint With Local Fit
Casa Lumo works across markets by keeping one core method and adjusting details to suit each place. In Dubai, that often means hospitality and high-end homes. In Singapore, it means tight sites and strong food and beverage concepts. In Canada, the focus has been on large office spaces. In India, the firm handles both residential and commercial work. The studio reports more than 40 projects completed across five countries and over 15 million square feet designed. It also points to high client repeat rates, which it links to clear scope and steady site control.
Partnerships and On-Site Delivery
Large projects depend on teams that can work across disciplines. Casa Lumo collaborates with a network of architects, designers, and industry partners. The studio says these partnerships have led to more than 200 joint projects and several industry awards. While awards help build profile, the firm’s managers place more weight on delivery results, such as meeting handover dates, staying close to budgets, and keeping spaces functional after opening. This matters even more in co-working, where the operator remains responsible for the space long after the build phase ends.
The Business Case for Design-Led Workspaces
In many cities, co-working supply has grown fast, and basic fit-outs have become common. Casa Lumo’s approach is built on the idea that design-led spaces can keep users longer if they are simple to use and simple to maintain. That means fewer complex systems, durable finishes, and layouts that can change without major work. The firm’s background in technology and process planning shows up in how it tracks space use and plans upkeep, which can help small teams avoid sudden costs.
What Comes Next for Casa Lumo
Under the leadership of Faiq Zishan, the company plans to add more co-working sites while continuing its project work in homes, offices, and hospitality spaces. The focus remains on Dubai, Singapore, Toronto, and Hyderabad, with new work in each market. The pipeline includes more mixed-use and office projects that blend private rooms and shared areas. The firm has not shared revenue targets, but it says growth will stay linked to delivery capacity rather than rapid expansion.
A Measured Path in a Crowded Market
The design and co-working sectors both face pressure from rising costs and changing demand. Casa Lumo’s strategy stays measured. It keeps services in one system, uses a clear process, and adjusts it by location. The company’s story is less about bold claims and more about steady work across borders. If the model holds, the studio could sit in a useful middle space as both designer and operator, with enough control to keep projects on track and spaces in use.
