LES ATELIERS DE DESIGN
Experiential & Immersive Design
What creates a space of transcendental release?
Can environments become catalysts for perceptual transformation? This was the question we explored at L'Enclos—where everyday spaces were reimagined as conduits for direct experience, inner stillness, and altered perception. Rooted in the Design for Nothing method, our immersive environments sought to dissolve conventional boundaries between self, space, and sensation.
Rather than designing for outcome or utility, these experiments became a kind of spiritual dialogue—a choreography of space and awareness. Each installation was treated as a portal, inviting attention to move beyond the material and into the field of consciousness.
What began as an aesthetic inquiry grew into a contemplative design language. Whether as personal practice, philosophical experiment, or a way to question perception itself, these works infused the ordinary with a quiet sanctity—reframing space as an ally in awakening.
Influenced by nondual philosophies such as Advaita Vedanta, Daoism, Zen, and A Course in Miracles, these explorations wove spiritual principles into the physical world. The aim was never to preach, but to invite—moments where the illusion of separation fades, and one’s deeper nature briefly shines through.
Each design—whether immersive installation, soundscape, or ritual object—was treated as a Self-Questioning Device:
→ A chair that asks you what you're waiting for.
→ A lamp that lights up only when you stop thinking.
→ A quiet room where the mantra Piece of Mind guides you home.
In this spirit, space became a kind of mirror—not to reflect who we are, but to help us remember what we are.
Can design do that? We weren’t certain.
That’s why we explored it.
Can designed spaces serve as experiential pathways—guiding us back to our fundamental nature and awakening us to deeper awareness?
Window Display
High-Level
Eye Level
Eye-Level Installations: Designed to capture immediate attention within the viewer's line of sight, these displays inspire direct, personal engagement, subtly stimulating spiritual curiosity and inquiry.
High-Level Installations: Offering a broader, more expansive view, these displays invite viewers to perceive the bigger picture, fostering an understanding of interconnectedness and the transcendence of the material world.
Both types of installations stir dialogue and introspection, seamlessly blending with their environment to invite observers into a fresh, experiential encounter with spiritual concepts.
Multi-Stage Installation
Staged Apartments: Consciously arranged spaces that spark introspection and consciousness expansion, utilizing minimalist and conceptual interior design elements.
Apparent Staging: Emphasizing the interplay of design elements, including light, shadow, spatial binaural soundscapes, and guided meditations, to ease mental activity and foster detachment from form.
More than just spaces, these installations are tools designed to nourish consciousness and peace, facilitating engagement and providing spiritual explorers with pathways to deeper self-awareness.
Staged Apartments
Apparent Staging
Meditation Space
The Temporary
The Timeless
The Temporary: An adaptive architectural feature that swiftly transforms workspaces into tranquil corners of introspection.
The Timeless: A more enduring installation that modifies existing layouts, flooring, and lighting to produce a perennial sanctuary suitable for personal properties.
These universal havens of tranquility, crafted through the Design for Nothing method, transform common areas into pockets of calm, offering visitors a glimpse of serenity amidst bustling environments and stimulating a deeper connection with one's true nature.
Event Booth
The Collection Booth serves as a platform for disseminating L'Enclos' unique spiritual design, rooted in nondualistic philosophy and the Design for Nothing method. It's about creating environments where diverse audiences can interact with self-questioning devices, igniting curiosity and encouraging introspection. Whether at tradeshows, public exhibitions, or specialized design salons, these settings allow the collection to confront the material world with a different perspective, challenging conventional understandings of form, aesthetics, and functionality.
At the 2022 ICFF, the Paradox of the Typical Atypical Chair sparked conversation and questions about its functionality, even though it was designed to support anyone. Watch video.
Experiential Design as Perceptual Inquiry
Before founding L’Enclos, Martin Lenclos co-created a perceptual exploration of the New York cityscape through immersive design.
In this real-time, 3D-projected installation at the Museum of the Moving Image in NYC, familiar urban forms dissolved into dynamic flows of color and movement. Rather than simply presenting an artistic abstraction, the installation served as an interactive self-questioning experience—challenging habitual perception and prompting viewers to reconsider their relationship to familiar environments.
Our experiential design practice continues to explore how immersive environments and spatial experiences can become active tools for shifting perception, awakening curiosity, and deepening self-inquiry.