The bustling streets of Manhattan hardly evoke mindfulness, but Carla Hammond, a local nonprofit employee, aims to change that. Hammond commissioned Aidia Studio, with the help of Miami firm McKenzie, to design serene digs on wheels for Be Time, New York City’s first upscale mobile meditation studio. Located in a converted Temsa TS35 coach bus, the 300-square-foot Be Time space lets 14 students find much-needed R&R, a rarity in the city that never sleeps. Participants perch on Cali Bamboo vinyl planks set atop two quarter-inch layers of cork that reduce vibrations and aid acoustics. “We built Rockwool insulated walls for temperature and noise control to maintain a serene environment,” says Jose Angel Ortez, design officer at McKenzie. Low-wattage color-changing LEDs installed behind laser-cut wall panels set the mood, and a glowing Plexiglas halo, serving as an infinity mirror, elongates the studio’s abbreviated footprint. Aromatherapy scent diffusers and soothing music emanating from 8-inch ceiling speakers by Pro Audio Nerds ensure each half-hour session satisfies all five senses.
Be Time by McKenzie and Aidia Studio. Photography by Matt Roy.Be Time by McKenzie and Aidia Studio. Photography by Matt Roy.Be Time by McKenzie and Aidia Studio. Photography by Matt Roy.Be Time by McKenzie and Aidia Studio. Photography by Matt Roy.