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Today, we continue the conversation with Australia\\u2019s most grounded architects.\\xa0 I proclaim this because I can\\u2019t imagine another architect firm in Australia who could sit for 40 days in meditation without uttering a word!\\xa0 Not that Vipassana meditators would ever challenge one another to such a feat, I continue to be astounded by how today\\u2019s guest Monika Obrist brings \\u201cthe breath\\u201d 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.\\xa0 When they started their architectural firm Refresh in 2010, it was only a matter of time before accolades such as \\u2018House of the Year\\u2019 was bestowed upon them for their NSW beachhouse in 2015.\\xa0 Currently, this couple are creating accessibility by providing housing for people with disability.\\xa0 I wanted to showcase Monika and Ed\\u2019s 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 Aut\\xf3noma de M\\xe9xico. 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\\u2019s 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 solutions, from concept to delivery, in every phase we continue to improve and refine the design until the project is complete.

Our collaborative approach revolves around input from all stakeholders involved, our clients, collaborators and craftsmen. With extensive experience in urban infill developments, the R* team thrives in working on complex challenges. Difficult sites or planning controls motivate us to find alternative solutions to achieve better outcomes, and in doing so to question the conventional.

European and Australian experience as architects and developers has given us an advantage to appreciate the fundamental importance of a project\\u2019s economic viability.

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Contact Monica @Refresh Design:
refreshdesign.com.au
facebook.com/like.refreshdesign/
twitter.com/_RefreshDesign

Go to http://www.bit.ly/thenatandsarahshow to catch this week\\u2019s livestream!