Faculty

Profile

Sarika Bajoria founded Contemplative Designer, an educational and research organization, and her design practice Sarika Bajoria Unlimited with the singular vision to create a built world that fosters human flourishing. She developed the Contemplative Designer framework, a research-driven pedagogical approach integrating the science of human flourishing, neuroaesthetics, psychology and her study and teaching of diverse contemplative practices into the design process to empower designers to cultivate an “inner space” flourishing to design meaningful “outer spaces” of flourishing.

With over 23 years of architectural experience at firms including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Perkins & Will and her own practice, Sarika also brings insights from her professional practice to her teaching and research.  As an adjunct professor at the Parsons School of Design and the University of New Haven, she brings her framework to seminar and studio courses. She is currently leading a multidisciplinary research study with co-investigators to evaluate the impact of this novel pedagogy on students' design processes, project outcomes and spaces, and perceived well-being.

Furthermore, she brings this Contemplative Design Technology into professional practice through workshops and keynotes at design firms, academic institutions and conferences, equipping designers with resources of empathic imagination and meaning to imbue into their designed environments. She has presented the Contemplative Design research at Environmental Design & Research Association conference and delivered keynotes and workshops at many forums including AIA Connecticut conference, AIAS Leadership Conference, AIA Aspire Conference, Conscious Cities Global Festival, Architecture, Culture and Spirituality Symposia.

At fifteen, moved by a transcendent architectural experience at a temple in her hometown Calcutta, Sarika chose architecture as a vocation when she realized the potential of design to deeply connect people to their environments, to others, to themselves, and to something larger than themselves. She embarked on a journey that took from Calcutta to Luther College where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Physics, Mathematics, and Art and then to the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated with a Masters in Architecture.

Sarika has been recognized with several awards including Building Design+Construction 40 Under 40 and Engineering News Record New York Top 20 Under 40. She served as the Founding Director of Architecture for Humanity New York designing pro-bono projects for underserved communities. She currently serves as a Lighthouse Fellow at the Center for Conscious Design and a member of the Board of Directors for Architecture, Culture, Spirituality Forum.

Degrees Held

Masters in Architecture, University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor of Arts, Luther College, Iowa

Majors: Mathematics, Physics and Art  Minor: Computer Science

Research Interests

Studying and evaluating how contemplative design pedagogy and methods embedded within the design process can lead to quantifiable and sustainable change in design processes, design outcomes and spaces and perceived well-being and flourishing of the designer.

Contemplative Design, pedagogy, multi-sensory design, purpose & meaning, belonging & connection, creativity and exploration, empathic imagination

Awards And Honors

• Lighthouse Fellow at the Center for Conscious Design 

• Board of Directors Member at the Architecture, Culture,Spirtiuality Forum

• Building Design+Construction “Top 40 under 40” honoree

• Engineering News Record “New York Top 20 under 40” honoree