Post Event Note

The “Spot Fix” Initiative, an action-oriented faculty empowerment program by Ethos | Arcause and hosted by Nitte School of Architecture Planning and Design (NSAPD), concluded as a resounding success, leaving participating educators deeply inspired and equipped with practical tools. Faculty members found the two-day workshop highly immersive, with Day 1’s cross-institutional discussions sparking a wealth of ideas and providing crucial insights into the pedagogical nuances of different regional colleges. The sessions were so engaging that several attendees requested future iterations to be extended over multiple days to allow for deeper knowledge transfer and synthesis. Day 2, exclusive to NSAPD faculty, proved exceptionally fruitful; under the guidance of Prof. Durganand Balsavar, educators tackled the complexities of open-ended syllabi, learning how to formulate integrated assignments and structured assessments. This cross-disciplinary integration not only aims to significantly reduce the academic load on students but also ensures that core course and program outcomes are effectively achieved. Ultimately, Prof. Balsavar’s vast experience and wisdom provided massive, actionable takeaways, empowering faculty to confidently dismantle traditional silos and implement a seamless, interconnected design curriculum.

    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.