NATURAL DESIGN
&
CONTEMPLATIVE ARCHITECTURE
A one-year residential course providing a rare opportunity to conduct a deep and transformative exploration of natural design, the power of space and form, the creative process, and our relationship with these. The course will lead us through the birth of a life-affirming space from the initial site studies to design to construction, with meaningful participation in each stage of the process.
February 7, 2022 through February 4, 2023
AT A GLANCE
Location: Dharmalaya Institute, India
Dates: Feb 7, 2022 until Feb 4, 2023, with option to stay longer
Duration: This course is structured around cycles of approximately one year, which is the minimum period for a well-rounded experience and completion of the whole course syllabus. For those who wish to gain further experience and deepen learning, it is possible to stay longer. And in certain cases it may be possible to participate for a shorter period as well, so applicants are encouraged to contact us with any questions or concerns about duration.
Program type: Immersive residential
Modular structure: Four intensive workshop-retreats, with practicums and breaks in between
Cost: Sliding scale (see course info page for details)
Prerequisites: None for the first module. It is possible that there may be prerequisites for later modules (such as completion of prior modules).
COURSE SYNOPSIS
The course will integrate theory and practice: a spacious and in-depth design studio process and hands-on building work, supported by a rich syllabus structured to support the interdisciplinary breadth of the course, exploring nature’s geometry, design principles, a contemplative approach to the creative process, and one’s growth as a designer, as a builder, and as a caring and empowered human.
One of the greatest and rarest benefits of this particular course is the opportunity to live on the site you’re designing for, to have a chance to become much more intimate with the land and thus to achieve a new level of site-responsive design, and to have an uncommonly spacious period of time to develop a project from pre-concept to completion.
Nourished by daily meditation and yoga practice, this is a holistic and embodied course that seeks to engage the whole of us in the exploration of nature in space and form.
This course is for anyone with a deep interest in the arts and crafts of nature-inspired design and working with sacred space, whether or not you have formal training in design or architecture or other relevant prior experience.
For details, see the course information page at the website of Dharmalaya Institute, our sister school in the Himalayas.