We believe Form follows Intention. And that’s how we can authentically design from the inside-out.
We are on a quest. Our story.
Moved by a transcendent experience at the temple next door at fifteen in Calcutta, I dreamed of designing everyday spaces as “outer temples” of beauty, grace and dignity to create in each inhabitant an “inner temple” of interconnectedness, belonging and meaning.
I embarked on a quest that took me from Calcutta to Luther College in Iowa where I obtained my B.A. in Physics, Mathematics, and Art and then to the University of Pennsylvania where I graduated with a Masters in Architecture.
I have been practicing architecture for over 21 years in NYC as Principal of Sarika Bajoria Unlimited and as a senior leader in firms including SOM, Perkins & Will & Spacesmith. My work has been recognized with several awards including “BD+C 40 under 40 2014” and “ENR NY Top 20 under 40 2013. Every day, I am humbled by the privilege to further my quest.
As student and teacher of contemplative practice for 15 years, I have learned how synergizing “inner technologies” of contemplation with “outer technologies” of design can not only transform “how” and “what” we design but also profoundly shape “who” we can become as designers.
I deeply empathize with the challenges you navigate everyday as designers. I founded Contemplative Designer to empower you as designers to flourish through training in evidence-based contemplative tools integrated within your design practice. Together we can become intentional instruments, designing a world of flourishing for all. I look forward to meaningfully engaging with you at our workshops and coaching sessions.
Change your design mind. Change your design world.
We are living through what has been called “the Great Disruption” and the epidemic of burnout, loneliness and disconnection. As a design organization or educational institution how can you meet these unprecedented challenges to harness the power of design to promote human flourishing? And ensure that your designers and leaders are flourishing in their day-to-day practices?
Drawing on Einstein’s wisdom: “We cannot solve problems with the same level of thinking that created them”, we clearly need a new level of thinking by illuminating the “blind spot” in our profession and education - the “inner space” of the designer.
The “inner space” of the designer is where creativity, intuition and innovation come from. It’s the place we tap into our deepest reserves of empathy, self-knowledge and intention. When we infuse this dimension into our design process, we profoundly transform how we think, work and imagine and our ability to build environments that embody these essential human dimensions.
Our framework is built upon three foundational pillars
Scientific research is revealing that “human flourishing” is “actively empowered wellbeing” that expands beyond the individual to her community and environment. You can “train in flourishing” and, as a result, positively change your brains, physiology and how you engage with design challenges.
Mastering the new science of human flourishing.
Designing with knowledge of how built environments serve as mediators of human flourishing.
Living the credo that “outer spaces” of flourishing depend on the “inner spaces” flourishing of their designers and teams.
Synergizing “inner technologies” with outer technologies of design
Our goal is to transform the act of design itself into a training ground for flourishing the means to create built environments of flourishing through the intersection of the four allied fields of design and personal experience
Designers have the opportunity and choice to go deeper into their own selves and begin to enact the old induction inscribed in stone at the entry of the Delphi Temple in ancient Greece: “know thyself.”
Contemplative Designer goes to the heart of the matter.”
Dr. Julio Bermudez, Ph.D., Associate AIA. Director of Cultural Studies & Sacred Space, Catholic University of America
Training the mind and rewiring the designer brain to flourish. For designers by designers.
Contemplative
Beyond generalized professional development and mindfulness programs, we deploy an expansive array of design focused contemplative tools.
Complementary
Methods have been carefully constructed to be integrated into daily design practice and 40+ work week of each designer. Not on top of but part of.
Custom-designed
Our framework is specifically designed for designers by designers aligned with how they think, work and imagine and catered to their challenges and expertise.
Unlocking possibilities. Our diverse workshops meet your needs and aspirations. In-person or virtual.
Whether you prefer short sessions, immersive workshops or customized programs, in-person or virtual, our transformative learning journeys blend experiential design practices, interactive group breakouts and practical tools for immediate application to your projects. Rest assured, the change we facilitate will endure.
-
Focus on the Four: Introduction to Contemplative Design Technology
Succint yet comprehensive workshop introducing cutting-edge research in allied fields of design and engagement with practical contemplative design tools to transform design challenges into resources. 60 -90 minutes
-
Foundational Four: Deep-dives into Contemplative Design Technology
Workshops each focused on one of our Contemplative Design technology to drive transformative and sustainable change in design process, culture and project outcomes within your organization. 90 minutes each
-
Customized 1:1/group Contemplative Design Technology
Custom-designed for you, your organization and your projects to give leaders and the next generation of change makers the tools to cultivate sapient Eco-design leadership for Design’s Next Chapter.
Interactive, Insightful, Inspiring, Actionable.
In our Keynotes and Workshops we ignite transformative conversations and experiences. By synergizing learnings from ground-breaking findings from research at the intersection of neuroaesthetics, science of human flourishing, psychology and contemplative practices with engagement in our powerful and interactive Contemplative Design tools, Sarika empowers designers, architects and students to transform challenges and burnout into resources for their flourishing so that they can design “spaces of flourishing” in our built world.