Who the f@#% is Bob Schimel?

Growing up in Washington D.C. was exciting with all the history there, and I had friends from different countries. Acceptance into the Rhode Island School of Design culminated in a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture in 1961. Then I studied Architecture and Design at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan and received a Master of Fine Arts Degree. Those schools set the foundation for a continual probing into the Arts and Sciences. In the summer of 1973, I worked at the M.I.T. Architecture Machine with Nicholas Negroponte. You know, it’s interesting that when the early 70’s rolled in, a major-spiritual movement was gaining momentum and spreading throughout the U.S.A., and as a creative artist and designer, I was influenced and inspired by comparative theology and metaphysics.

Eventually, this led to my first trip, in 1976, to India. This was a very powerful experience of doing research and investigations into the evolution of consciousness at the Shri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. At that time, I also helped in the physical construction of the major Matrimandir Temple in Auroville, India. This is a new city which is being built. Naropa Institute is a Buddhist school in Colorado, and in 1977, I went there to study sub-atomic physics, Mahayana Buddhism, and Zen. This was a very inspirational time.

My apprenticeship with visionary architect, Paolo Soleri, in Arizona, was a true growth experience. He is a very warm person to work with, and we all used to sit around and discuss philosophy after the day’s work was finished. I continued to keep in touch with the building program in Auroville, India, and went there to work in 1986 and 1994. The temple is almost finished now. They hope to complete it in 2000 and send out the international press releases. In 1997 I was traveling around Tibet to see the major temples, shrines, and art. The Himalayas were breathtaking at 18,000 feet above sea level.

My studio work has been controversial, and a number of international magazines have published the work. Some of these are Domus, Architectural Design, L’ Architecture D’ Aujourd’Hui, Bauen und Wohnen, Future Life, Leonardo, Lightworks, and Testube. There are two videos that show the creative work. “Just Passing Through” video was exhibited at the 1984 Tokyo and Toronto video festivals. This was chosen for the special effects created by a video synthesizer. Poland is very tuned into Spiritual Art, and as a result, I was fortunate to participate in major shows. “Now and Beyond Time” was in Warsaw in 1986, and in 1993, Wroclaw hosted the first MoMia Conference on meditation and art.

Ongoing work continues into the aspects of consciousness, and how it may influence the way humans will live in Astrotecture in free space off the surface of this planet.

We are living in a very interesting transitional time. I really do feel fortunate and humbled to be involved in such spiritual work.

Bob