Today, we continue the conversation with Australia’s most grounded architects. I proclaim this because I can’t imagine another architect firm in Australia who could sit for 40 days in meditation without uttering a word! Not that Vipassana meditators would ever challenge one another to such a feat, I continue to be astounded by how today’s guest Monika Obrist brings “the breath” to her daily mode of operating.
Originating from Austria, Monika and her husband Erhard (Ed) have been practicing Vipassana meditation for the past 15 years and more recently become teachers of the technique. When they started their architectural firm Refresh in 2010, it was only a matter of time before accolades such as ‘House of the Year’ was bestowed upon them for their NSW beachhouse in 2015. Currently, this couple are creating accessibility by providing housing for people with disability. I wanted to showcase Monika and Ed’s life so our community could see how incorporating meditation into business leads to whole other level of success.
Meet Monica:
Monika graduated with a Masters in Architecture from TU Graz, Austria. She studied architectural influences of Spain at Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona and Mexico at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. After that, Monika worked in architecture and visual communications, perfecting her skills as a designer, while working for several design studios in Austria as well as Australia. In 2010 she co-established R* driven by her desire to combine European design with the diversity of the Australian environment and culture.
REFRESH*DESIGN [R*] is an award-winning Brisbane based architectural design studio committed to realising finely crafted contemporary architecture responsive to brief and context. We have completed a diverse range of projects including houses and renovations, townhouses and apartments, commercial and hospitality projects.
The R* team is inspired by how architecture can shape a better society by enhancing the human experience. Our mission is to use design as a tool to surpass our client’s aspiration whilst at the same time balancing their intentions to positively influence the environment.
Our work has a strong focus on sustainability, underlined by its capacity to endure. It is contextual, adaptable, harmonious and well considered in the use of space, light, material and technology. Striving for the most meaningful and sustainable
The Podcast's 7th Season
Welcome to In the Game, a podcast where we aim to touch, move and inspire you to what's possible in life. My name is Sarah Maxwell and I am a self-proclaimed relationship engineer. Ever since I was a little girl, I was curious about how people work and how they interact with one another. With a degree in biopsychology representing my country of Canada in beach volleyball. With a degree in biopsychology representing my country of Canada in beach volleyball, retiring from sport into mindset and purpose coaching, I now spend my days running Chatta-box Media, where we aim to story-tell for brands through the medium of podcasting, all while raising an eight-year-old daughter with my partner of 24 years. We are now in season seven of this podcast, featuring a special series on women called who Knew that Was Work aimed at young women who want to broaden their horizon when it comes to career choosing.
Go deeper into the pod and discover incredible stories of changemakers who manifest their dream lives. Gain tangible tools to apply to your own life by scrolling back to that initial season where we were more workbook focused. Have a laugh when we initially were coined the Nat and Sarah show, when my five-time Olympian partner, natalie Cook, and I bantered and had loads of fun interviewing and discovering our common passion individuals who rise to the occasion in life. Okay, now it's time to dive on in to this episode.
Ge...
