Gita Balakrishnan

We aim at sensitising students of architecture to the culture and the ethos that their designs would need to respond to.

Ethos /ˈēTHäs/ – “the ‘genius’, of a people, characteristic spirit of a time and place,” according to 1851 (Palgrave) from Greek ēthos. Envisioning the power of stimulated genius of the student fraternity in making a difference, prompted the formation of Ethos in 2002 by Gita Balakrishnan. An architect and entrepreneur she believes “Knowledge is Power” and Ethos aims at arming the architectural fraternity with knowledge.

Having survived an attempt on her life at the tender age of 16 and battling a court case over the next decade, she developed a firm resolution and belief that youth have the power to be agents of change, to lead and not just follow, to contribute towards building of a harmonious society. We aim at sensitising students of architecture to the culture and the ethos that their designs would need to respond to. It started with the flagship events – Archumen and Bending Moment- National Quizzes on Architecture and Civil Engineering respectively for the student fraternity which provided students with a healthy platform to assess their intellect along with an opportunity to interact at the Regional and National level.

To further enhance their awareness on emerging trends and to also bring their focus on issues of the built environment, Ethos launched design competitions such as – Transparence, IGBC Green Design competition and Viraasat that empowered and changed many a student’s life, helped infuse confidence and started a genre of its own. Ethos has also launched Scholarship Programmes that furthered the promise it made to empower students by giving wings to many interesting ideas.

Working for the student community since 2002, Ethos recognized a pressing need to make outside- the-classroom-learning accessible to all, thus was born ACEDGE. Through Ethos and its initiatives like ACEDGE, Connect, Bridge Scholarship and Foundation, we have positively influenced the lives of more than 50,000 designers across the country and some more globally.

South Asian trends in Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Design. Its uniqueness lies not in making learning accessible to students but to anybody yearning for knowledge and seeking to hone their skills.

ACEDGE is a step towards ensuring that architects and designers of this country’s destiny are better- equipped to face the challenges of an ever-changing AEC industry. It is the country’s first and only E-Learning platform focusing exclusively on the South Asian trends in Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Design. Its uniqueness lies not in making learning accessible to students but to anybody yearning for knowledge and seeking to hone their skills. It aims to empower, equip and inspire the lifelong student in us.

ACEDGE with a combination of Pre-recorded, Self-Paced and Live Courses, Studios, Talks and Workshops, aims to bridge the gap between the fraternity and Industry. These are designed to equip students across ages and stages of life, covering subjects that range beyond core architecture into digital domain, to art, economy and psychology. ACEGATE was launched specifically keeping in mind the needs of the students appearing for GATE exam – the entrance exam for Post Graduate studies in the domain. Winter Schools and Summer Schools are conducted to hone skill-sets, keeping in mind current trends and needs. Whereas, ACEDTalks is a monthly edition to spread stories of young Architects and academicians who inspire and impact. Similarly the South Asian Collaborative studio is a path-breaking endeavour to go beyond boundaries and to create an ethos of shared learning across countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The Sense N Sensibility Lecture series is another such initiative that reinforces the main agenda to democratise education, provide equal learning opportunities and to make knowledge easily accessible and affordable. Since its inception in August 2018, we have facilitated 35 Lectures, 16 live studios, 9 Ask-Me-Anything sessions, numerous self-paced courses, 2 College Electives, 1 Assisted Studio.We have hosted our lectures to over 35 colleges of architecture in India, 3 in Nepal, 2 in Sri Lanka, 1 in Pakistan, 3 in Bangladesh and 1 in Dubai. Mentors have joined us from all parts of India as well as from Bristol, Queensland, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Cambridge and Toronto and we have had 6500+ unique learners exploring their strengths and weaknesses to bolster their understanding of design processes.

To carry forward this idea, Ethos Connect is being set up as an attempt to fill the void existing in the field of architecture and construction.

Ethos believes in evolving with the needs of the fraternity, keeping committed to the long-drawn objective to build a support system of like-minded people who will contribute towards revolutionizing and sustaining the different components of AEC fraternity, generating a larger collateral impact. For the future, we want to harness and amalgamate the energy directed through Ethos in ensuring an exponential outreach that will be timeless in its impact and the difference it creates. To carry forward this idea, Ethos Connect is being set up as an attempt to fill the void existing in the field of architecture and construction.

Through this service from Ethos, firms looking to recruit architects, designers and engineers at different levels will be able to access quality talent. Young and mid-level architects, designers and engineers looking for job opportunities will be able to showcase their abilities and Ethos will make the same available to interested firms. IndustREAL is another such initiative, which Ethos intends to take up in order to connect the architectural fraternity with the industry partners.

The motivation being, marketing collaterals and communication created by many vendor-partners of the construction industry are by non-technical agencies who often do not understand the information that the architect requires to make informed decisions. The ultimate realization of all these initiatives will result in a Foundation – that will channelize energies from all invested stakeholders for larger social impact.

Ethos Foundation will commit to facilitate a self-sustaining network of professionals, student fraternity, Industry and Non-profit Organisations broadening our outreach to rural areas in need of technical assistance. For example, students will be connected with them working on the ground as part of short internships, sponsored under CSR activities of relevant companies/organisations. Through all its initiatives and ventures, Ethos has and will strive to be the wind beneath the wings of young minds and empower them to be agents of change in shaping a better tomorrow.