Although the decorative wooden molding and fresh paint was duly noted and admired, the star attraction at the recent College of Professional Studies’ open house seemed to be the office of David Robinson, S.J., director of educational mission and spirituality of learning at CPS. Half a dozen interested visitors fit themselves inside his small office or “grotto” as he calls it, where an electric fountain spewing mist, soft light, and several stuffed teddy bears were on display.
When CPS moved into its new home in July, Fr. Robinson’s first task was to make his office comfortable, he said. Using the five senses as his guides, he endeavored to make a space pleasing to the eye, the nose (scent can be added to the fountain for a dose of aromatherapy), the ear (soft classical music issued from a nearby CD player,) touch (the teddy bears), and the palate (green tea is available.) All the objects, bought at flea markets or 99-cent stores, “cost dirt,” he said. A point of integrity with his brand of interior décor.
“I think [surroundings] are very important,” said John Lo Schiavo, S.J., chancellor and former USF president, who was present at the open house and visited the “grotto.” “I was in Florence for one year and with its statues and bas reliefs, it must have an effect upon people’s souls.”
While it’s hard to say if misting fountains would please Michelangelo, according to Fr. Robinson they do help our brains. “From cognitive brain studies we know how people operate,” he said. “You process information from multiple vantage points. If you generate an environment where you don’t have retinal burns from stark lighting, you can go into a state where multiple brain states are operating—so you’re calm and you like it and you work better.
“I call it a cognitive microcosm of spiritual learning,” Fr. Robinson said, as a small silver chime near the door let off a musical pealing, causing him to stop in his tracks. “Did you feel the change in energy when that happened?” he asked.
While the rest of the building boasted custom-matched carpeting and a new sprinkler system, Fr. Robinson was praising paper shoji screens and area rugs.
“Each workspace is a way of generating good feelings,” Fr. Robinson said. “It’s a way of matching our environment to our educational practices.”
Fr. Robinson’s touch can be seen throughout the school, which moved into the 90-year-old building at the corner of Turk and Masonic last summer. Infant bamboo in decorative pots thrive in corners and on countertops. In the lobby a small, covered table, replete with fake flowers and a table lamp, invites visitors to sit and chat. In a corner of the Ramos meeting room, a trickling fountain and candles soften the room’s formality.
Ultimately, Fr. Robinson said, he envisions a subtle transformation of the university into a nesting bed of inner peace as staff and faculty follow his lead.
“My hope is that people take that inner creativity and just do it. Do what brings you joy so you can do your work with integrity and creativity. It makes people more productive. That’s the point.”
