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Ecosystems of Design

Pedagogical Frameworks for Higher Education

An action-oriented intervention by Ethos | Arcause, hosted by Nitte School of Architecture Planning and Design (NSAPD), Bangalore.

What is the “Spot Fix”?

“SpotFix” is an agile, targeted faculty empowerment program built on a simple premise: identify the exact, systemic pain points educators face and provide immediate, actionable support to fix them.Instead of generic lectures, “SpotFix” operates like a diagnostic clinic for design education.

What is this session of spot fix addressing?

Design education today can no longer exist in isolation; preparing students for the real world demands a radically interconnected approach. However, successfully synchronising diverse disciplines into a cohesive pedagogy across different years of study is a major institutional challenge.

Led by renowned academic and architect Prof. Durganand Balsavar, this session of the “SpotFix” Initiative directly tackles these structural silos. The workshop addresses:

  • Dismantling traditional barriers between design departments to foster a collaborative, interconnected teaching ecosystem. 
  • Providing faculty with the exact structural methodologies needed to align cross-disciplinary teachings seamlessly across varying semesters. 
  • Equipping educators with live demonstrations and synchronised teaching pathways that are ready for immediate implementation.

Mentor

Durganand Balsavar

Durganand Balsavar (Goa, Pondicherry) founded the internationally recognised Artes Roots Collaborative, involved in trans-disciplinary praxes, research, and environmental advocacy. ROOTS COLLABORATIVE is involved in urban housing, climate change policy and disaster mitigation, war refugees, pedagogies, heritage and urban development. He has authored several books and contributes to various international forums including DOMUS International, and several national and international universities from Hongkong to Sci-Arc-LA. He has provided policy advocacy to the Master Plan of Chennai. Balsavar was member of RIBA International Awards jury 2024 (Ambassador), jury member IIT-Gandhinagar. As a nominated member of Barcelona AMB – post UN Habitat III, Berlin Climate Policy 2050, and Sessions Chair at Cambridge UK -Future Cities Summit, Balsavar has a seminal role in climate advocacy and resilient future cities. CSE Delhi recognised the role in self-build participatory housing, rural schools. Balsavar has been an invited member of Auroville TDC. As Senior Advisor – United Nations Environment Program, he has directed environmental films with Chess Grandmaster Vishwanath Anand and publications. Balsavar is Design Chair at Avani – Calicut and his project ‘The Primitive Hut” was selected as ten spatial thinkers at Shenzhen Biennale 2026 alongside Suo Fujimoto, Rem Koolhaas and Wangshu. Graduating and faculty at CEPT Ahmedabad and ETH-Zurich, Balsavar has worked at the intersections of ecology, habitat, liberal arts, science and communities – invited to guide several universities in curriculum formulation and member of NEP and International Universities committee by CoA. Balsavar founded and curated the Jaipur Architecture Festival, Confluence Ten and CoA Reads Forum an interdisciplinary forum for artists, architects, environmentalists, academia. 

Day 1

Broad Integration & Cross-Institutional Knowledge Sharing

Date: 2nd July 2026

Who can attend: Open to all Architecture, Planning, and Design faculty from Bangalore and regional southern colleges.

Focus: Macro-level curriculum integration, cross-disciplinary tools, and an interactive regional Q&A session.

Day 2

Deep Dive

Date: 3rd July 2026

Who can attend: NSAPD Faculty only.

Focus:  Internal studio mapping, localised curriculum frameworks, and institutional pathway synchronisation.

Venue & Logistics

  • Venue: NSAPD Campus, Bangalore
  • Registration Fee: Free (Prior registration is mandatory). Limited spots available.

*Please Note for Outstation Faculty: Complimentary accommodation is available on a twin-sharing basis strictly for the night of July 1st, 2026 only. Due to logistical limits, this benefit is restricted to the first 6 outstation faculty members on a first-come, first-served basis.