Day 1, Thursday — Beginnings

We kicked off at Gryd with an inspiring opening session mapping the journey of an architect who discovered his niche through simple observation and mindful travel — a powerful reminder of the subtle nudges that shape a creative career. Ar Sai Vivek and Ar Jayashree took us through the program, and Ar Ragul Ravichandran’s session on heritage sites as living laboratories set the tone for thinking beyond the classroom.

But the real highlight of the day was our immersion visit to a specialised cancer hospital site with Ar Siddarth Sankar, alongside the contractors and consultants involved in the project. What resonated most with the faculty was the profound role of empathy required when designing for such sensitive human environments. The visit brought into sharp focus the immense complexity of healthcare architecture and reinforced a vital pedagogical lesson: the power of context-driven, real-world examples in the classroom. One faculty member, preparing to teach first-year students, immediately committed to weaving these contextual frameworks directly into her upcoming lesson plans.

Day 2, Friday — Stepping Ahead

Day 2 saw the cohort shifting focus from personal insights to student enablement. The morning opened with Ar Sindhuja Janakiraman and Ar Sanchana S on architects shaping cities, followed by Ar Ilayaraja’s dive into digital design thinking — from design intent to performance validation — and a tour of Gryd’s co-working space for AEC professionals.

The afternoon moved to Cuboid, where Ar Sai Vivek shared stories from practice and we visited Ar Kamalahasan’s studio. Threaded through the day were conversations centered on:

• Guiding the next generation of architects through real-world challenges
• Navigating internship hurdles and bridge-building between academia and practice
• Candid reflection on personal teaching challenges and collaborative problem-solving

We wrapped up the day brainstorming ways to ensure this isn’t just a one-off event, but the beginning of a sustained faculty cohort built on ongoing collaboration, idea-sharing, and community.

Day 3, Saturday — Looking Forward

The final day brought together a rich cycle of learning, unlearning, and forward-looking discussions. The morning belonged to “Navigating Early Practice” — first a presentation, then a panel moderated by Ar Sivith, with Ar Keshava Narayan, Ar Dinesh Perumal, and Ar Tasneem Vohra sharing candidly from their own paths.

The afternoon turned to alternative career journeys, with Ar Smrithi Devakumar, Ar Matthew Samuel, and Ar Maniyarasan R opening up a discussion that continued well past the formal presentation. The closing session was gracefully led by Prof. Amruta, Director of Nehru College, leaving us on an empowering note about the future of architectural education.

Ar. Jayashree Raman is an architect who sees design as a team effort. She graduated from the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai, and gained experience working with architects in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore. In 1997, she and her husband, Ar. Sai Vivekanand, started their own practice, Studio 29, in Coimbatore – choosing to work in a smaller city they felt connected to.
Since then, they had the opportunity to design a wide range of projects, across different terrains.
A TEDx speaker, Jayashree is also active in architecture education. She has mentored many students & had the opportunity to support faculty, organize workshops, field trips, film screenings and guest lectures for students.