Arcause Awards 2026
The Arcause Awards 2026 initiative has been conceived to recognise and celebrate individuals and institutions that are actively advancing responsible practices within design education and student-led action. While conversations around sustainability, social responsibility, and climate responsiveness are becoming increasingly visible, there remains a need to acknowledge the people who are embedding these values into everyday teaching, learning, practice and institutional culture. Through recognitions such as the Design Educators Award and the Arcause Impact Catalyst Award, along with community and repository recognitions, the initiative acknowledges excellence in teaching, mentorship, student leadership, institutional impact, participatory practices, knowledge-sharing, environmental & ecological stewardship and socially responsible design.
Time and starting point will be shared with you after registration
Electives – Chennai
The workshop is envisioned as a practice-led learning module that exposes architecture students to Universal Design, Accessibility, and Inclusive Practice through direct engagement with experts, institutions, and lived realities. The elective balances sensitisation, skill-building and applied workshops, ensuring students move from awareness to action. The elective travels across colleges to expose students to multiple institutional cultures and to understand accessibility.
The Travelling Elective successfully completed its first chapter in Bengaluru in 2026.
Building on the insights and experiences gained there, the initiative now continues its journey to explore new cities, cultures, and learning opportunities through immersive, place-based education.
Walkable Malleswaram : The city has stories. Are you ready to walk them?
Discover the rich layers of Malleswaram through its architecture, culture, traditions, and everyday life. Walk with us on 3rd July 2026 and uncover a side of Bengaluru that few get to experience.
Date: 3rd July, 2026
Who is this for?
- For Educators: If you are tired of teaching urban planning out of Western textbooks and want to know how to build a curriculum rooted in Indian realities, local friction, and genuine community co-design.
- For Students & Citizens: If you want to move past being a detached observer of your city and learn how to use data, history, and advocacy to reclaim leftover urban spaces in your own neighborhoods.
How Spaces Store Stories: Mapping Memory Through Architecture –
SNS 23.0
Ar. Shreyas Srivatsa, through his work in place-based research and community-academia collaborations, explores how memory is embedded within landscapes, settlements, and everyday lived experiences. His practice focuses on understanding places through the stories, knowledge systems, and relationships that communities build over time, offering perspectives on how architecture and human settlements become vessels of collective memory, identity, and belonging.
Dr Simin Patel, through her research on Bombay’s social and built history, examines how cities preserve stories through everyday spaces. Her work uncovers the layered narratives hidden within urban environments, revealing how spaces function as a living archive of cultural memory, social change, and collective experience, shaping the identity of places across generations.
An exclusive 2-to-3-day professional immersion experience designed for architectural educators with firsthand, conscious exposure to the dynamic world of architecture, material innovation, technology, and alternate practice models.
As the built environment evolves at an unprecedented pace, the classroom must keep rhythm with the field. Pedagogy Meets Practice is a curated initiative designed to take educators out of the lecture hall and into the world of contemporary practice. By exposing faculty to real-world material innovations, structural technologies, and alternative practices, we aim to bring live industry insights directly into your curriculum.
Spot Fix!
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.
Arcause Social Internships – 3
Following an overwhelming response to the earlier phases, Arcause Social Internship Program – Phase 3 is now open, offering architecture and design students an opportunity to engage with meaningful, real-world contexts of design.
This new application window creates another chance for students to work on projects rooted in community needs and social impact, while gaining direct, hands-on exposure through collaboration with organisations working in this space.
With flexible internship formats and stipends provided, the program supports both learning and practical experience.
If you’re looking to explore how design can create impact beyond the classroom, this is your chance. Applications close on 31st May 2026.
Arcause Spotlight 2.0 : Kochi Edition
Cities are living systems, and how we build, adapt, and inhabit them determines whether they survive. Arcause Spotlight 2.0 is where that conversation begins, in the city itself, with a focus on sustainability.
Through on-ground walks, interactions, and shared experiences, the city becomes a space to question, understand, and reimagine how design can respond to evolving urban challenges.
The Master Speaker: Series 4 – “Studio to Scopus”
Designed to empower design educators, this session unpacks the journey from practice to publication by reframing studio work and pedagogical experiments as credible research. It offers a clear roadmap to developing rigorous academic papers, while demystifying the expectations of high-impact journals. Combining conceptual insights with practical guidance on submissions, peer review, and research metrics, the session enables faculty to approach publishing with greater clarity, structure, and confidence.
Gender Realities of Everyday Urban Spaces – Sense N Sensibility 22.0
The 22nd edition of Sense N Sensibility (SNS 22.0), held on 12th March 2026, brought together an engaged and diverse audience of students, practitioners, and educators for a session. Titled “Gendered Realities of Everyday Urban Spaces,” the discussion opened up questions that are often present in our lived environments but rarely articulated within architectural discourse.
Master Speaker Series
The Master Speaker Series is a curated initiative by Ethos Foundation, supported by Rainmatter Foundation, addressing pathways that are critical to educators, leading to meaningful conversations on teaching, research, and practice. Each session is led by a Master Speaker who brings depth and experience of a specific theme – blending insight, dialogue, and reflection. The series builds on learnings from ongoing faculty interactions, creating a shared space for growth and exchange within the academic community. These engagements are planned for Educators in the design realm across the country that expose them to best practices leading, them to curate their future journey in academics with a holistic approach.
Arcause Writers Collective
Architecture does not end when a building is completed. It continues in documentation, discourse, critique, translation, and public engagement.
The Arcause Writers Collective (AWC) is an initiative under the Ethos Foundation that seeks to build a sustained culture of architectural writing rooted in research, responsibility, and real-world narratives.
In an era where architecture is often reduced to imagery and surface-level appreciation, the Writers Collective attempts to re-centre writing as a critical tool, one that documents labour, material realities, sustainability, regional knowledge systems, accessibility, and the lived experiences embedded within built environments.
Arcause Spotlight 1.0 : Delhi Edition
Indian cities today stand at a critical intersection, rapid urbanisation, climate vulnerability, social inequities and fragmented governance systems are shaping everyday life. While policies, plans and pilot projects exist, there remains a significant gap between intent and lived reality.
Arcause Spotlight at Municipalika, positions itself as a platform that bridges this gap, bringing together design, policy, community action and lived experience to reimagine cities that are safe, smart, inclusive and sustainable.
This flagship Arcause event for 2026 foregrounds socially responsible design as an active tool for change rather than a peripheral discourse.
Spot Fix! Architectural sites as gendered domains
This initiative is a crucial two-part engagement—comprising an online roundtable discussion and a sensitisation activity —designed to critically examine and address the challenges women, both educators and students, face on architectural project sites. This initiative will unite educators and professionals to move beyond identifying common issues and focus on applicable change.
Career Pathways – Immersive Conversations 2.0
The Immersive Conversations 2.0 series extends the learnings from Immersive Conversations 1.0, which explored pedagogical frameworks, to now focus on the transitional spaces between education and practice in architecture and design.
As students graduate into professionals, are employed and young firms evolve into established practices, this shift is often characterized by uncertainty, knowledge gaps, and a lack of structured mentorship. The Career Dialogues initiative seeks to create a shared space for reflection, exchange, and learning, bridging educators, emerging practitioners, and established professionals.
The aim is to understand how architecture graduates navigate the professional ecosystem, how young practices sustain themselves and build capacity, and what institutional or collective efforts could help shape a more inclusive, responsible, and future-ready profession. These conversations will later extend into the realm of design beyond architecture.
Educator’s Insight – Immersive Conversations
We’re bringing together 16 educators from design and architecture colleges across India for an in-depth conversation on the pedagogical frameworks shaping education today. This four-day discussion aims to gather diverse insights and lived experiences from educators, helping us identify gaps, opportunities, and directions for new initiatives that strengthen academic practice and support faculty development.
The conversations will unfold over four key themes — Curriculum and Pedagogy, Professional Preparedness and Industrial Connections, Collaborative and Community Learning, and Faculty Development and Empowerment.
Through these dialogues, we hope to build a deeper understanding of how teaching methods, institutional structures, and community linkages can together foster more inclusive, future-ready educational environments.
Rainmatter X Ethos
Engage in Rainmatter Initiatives from Ethos Foundation
We are excited to inform you that we are being supported by Rainmatter Foundation (backed by Zerodha) in our initiatives through Ethos Foundation I Arcause through which we focus on building a shift to bring design centre stage as a solving tool for societal and ecological problems, challenges.
We are planning a series of efforts to empower educators, nurture future changemakers, and amplify student-led social impact within the architectural and design education community.
Key components of our initiatives include:
- Empowering Educators through workshops, teaching resources, and collaborative platforms.
- Internship Opportunities that place students in socially impactful projects.
- Social career paths including finishing schools to help students bridge the gap between academics and practice.
- Recognition and Awards for Arcause Clubs that take initiative in promoting social and environmental responsibility.
- Introduction of new activities, events, and engagement formats within clubs to keep the spirit of change alive.
- Creating a national platform to amplify outstanding student work and encourage cross-institutional collaboration.
Saint-Gobain Grants
25-26
GET 1 LAKH RUPEES TO MAKE YOUR INNOVATIVE IDEA A REALITY
The Saint-Gobain Grants are back, and this time with a call to action—’A vision for 2047’—to think deeply and dream responsibly. And to innovate and design something that matters – one that defines Saint-Gobain’s purpose of Making the World a Better Home !
Inspired by the power of design to catalyse urban and cultural revival, this is a call to propose a solution that is feasible, scalable and inspiring. Your idea could take shape as a small but powerful intervention, inclusive, resilient, or sustainable: a tech-enabled prototype, a material innovation, a social design initiative, or a hands-on toolkit that sparks real change.
This is your moment to be that someone. Are you ready to design for a new India?
Arcause Bridge Scholarships
The Ethos Foundation is more than a platform — it’s a collective initiative that recognises the power of Architects, Designers, Engineers, and others in the construction field (the ACED community) to shape not just buildings, but the social fabric around them. Arcause (Our Cause) stands for both the causes – the community champions and the ecosystem coming together in support of greater good. It’s a space for reflection, responsibility, and real action.
Each year, we come together to support young changemakers through the Arcause Bridge Scholarship — a unique effort that connects potential with opportunity. It’s not just a scholarship; it’s a celebration of ambition, resilience, and purpose. It exists to bridge the gap between talent and access, helping students overcome barriers and continue their journey with confidence and clarity.
WFA has entered Kerala!
KL100 – WFA 5.0: A 100-kilometre Journey Through Kerala!
With Walk For Arcause (WFA 5.0), titled KL100, Ar. Gita Balakrishnan is all set to connect with the landscape, stories, and spaces of Kerala. The 100-kilometre walk, stretching from Kannur Lighthouse to Freedom Square in Kozhikode, is set to unfold over five days. Joining this journey are key academic institutions and organisations, including IIA Kerala Chapter, NIT Calicut, Avani Institute of Design, CET Payyannur and a young architect Varun Javalekar from Pune.
Saint-Gobain Grants
24-25 Winners Announced!
The Saint-Gobain Grants winners for the year 2024–25 were announced during the Transparence Finale held on 7th March in Chennai. Out of 10 shortlisted teams who were interviewed, 4 outstanding proposals were selected as this year’s winners!
UK100: A Journey on foot from Pauri – Kotdwar
In March 2025, during the vibrant festival of Holi, Ar.Gita Balakrishnan completed a remarkable 100-kilometre journey through Uttarakhand, immersing herself in the region’s stunning natural landscapes and serene altitudes. As she engaged with locals along the way, she gained deep insights into their daily lives, traditions, and concerns. The conversations also revealed the challenges faced by remote villages – limited facilities and a growing trend of migration to urban areas. Despite the hardships, the integrity of local life and heritage remains beautifully intact.
What we did in January 2025 at Ethos Foundation
A journey of reflection, action, and collaboration. Our founder “Ar.Gita Balakrishnan” shares insights, experiences, and the road ahead. Read the February 2025 letter for a glimpse into the vision shaping our path forward below.
Design Legally: Enrol with Project UDita!
Are you designing against the law? According to the Rights of Persons with Disability Act (2016) (Section 44), it is now against the law to build public buildings that are not inclusive or Universal Design compliant. But fear not – Project UDita’s self-paced online course on ‘Universal Design for the Built Environment: Beyond Ramps and Railings’ has got you covered! Tailored for students, teachers, architects, and professionals in the ACED community, this course dives deep into the legal landscape while equipping you with practical insights into Universal Design Principles. Don’t miss your chance to design for inclusivity.
Empower learners with Universal Design
The course “Universal Design for the Built Environment: A Teacher’s Guide” is ideal for educators, and professionals within the ACED community, providing valuable insights for educators to guide learners at all levels in applying Universal Design to their design and research endeavors. Join us now, and play a pivotal role in driving accessibility as a leading principle for an inclusive built environment!
36 Colleges Win
Rs. 20,000 each!
Guess what? 36 colleges just hit the jackpot! They’ve bagged FREE incentives worth Rs. 20,000 from Saint-Gobain for their stellar participation in Transparence 18.0. From Acedge Membership to Collaborative Studio Access and Faculty Development Programs, these incentives are all about turbocharging growth and innovation in architectural education. Ready to level up your institution’s educational experience? Join the excitement and grab your share of these amazing opportunities
Spotlights!!
Skill Upgradation workshop in Lucknow!
In May 2024, Ethos Foundation, in partnership with the Lucknow Architects Association and AKTU’s Faculty of Architecture and Planning, hosted a transformative workshop on Lime Restoration for construction workers. The event featured an enlightening seminar and hands-on demonstrations at Qaiserbagh, immersing participants in traditional restoration techniques. To engage the shramiks from various parts of Lucknow and India, an interactive exhibition on the ShramA Project pilot was displayed. This was followed by ShramA-Q, a lively quiz testing participants’ knowledge. The workshop concluded with a certificate ceremony, enhancing technical skills and fostering a deeper appreciation for heritage conservation.
Empowerment Workshops in Mumbai and Pune
Empowerment workshops in Mumbai and Pune were designed for construction workers, covering financial management, budgeting, savings, and reading architectural drawings. An interactive display presented data on migration, amenities access, working hours, gender disparity, accident awareness, income, and resource rights, based on the Inclusion Survey. Collaborations with Jan Sahas, Basera, and Learn NGOs ensured impactful, informative sessions, leaving participants empowered and informed.
Get Inspired!!
Feature of the Month!!
SUSTAINABLE PUCCA HOME:
SG Grant Winner
Kapil Mahadik and Amol Deshmukh, recipients of the SG Grants 2024–25, are demonstrating a sincere commitment to improving the lives of people in the rural regions of Western Maharashtra. Their design intervention presents a model prototype of a single-unit home, developed in accordance with the guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin.
This well designed, climate-responsive dwelling is thoughtfully crafted with consideration for both cost-effectiveness and regional climatic conditions. It also offers potential for future expansion and supports the concept of clustered housing units, thereby reducing overall construction costs. The design emphasizes the use of locally sourced materials, ensuring sustainability and relevance to the local context.
What our Fellows are saying
“It is important for us to understand who we are working for. just like that it is more important to understand who is working for us, on our sites- our construction workers. learned a lot through the ShramA Fellowship.”
Bhavana Bhat
ShramA 2023
“I thoroughly enjoyed working on the course, which also brought in a lot of learning for me. Thank you again for the opportunity to contribute to this meaningful project. Hoping that the impact of Project UDita would ripple through the AEC Industry and beyond, to make the dream of inclusive public spaces a reality in our built environment. ”
Rama Raghavan
UDita Fellowship
“It was a truly wonderful journey, and to be honest, I was a little scared about the fellowship and how I would manage it. However, our mentors were incredibly supportive. This fellowship has helped me connect with numerous people from our construction community, including different architects, construction workers, and site visits. Prior to the fellowship, I didn’t have any contacts with Ferrocement contractors, but now I have 10-15 people who work with Ferrocement, which will greatly benefit me in the future. Overall, it has been a fantastic experience. Thank you very much for this opportunity, Ethos team. I truly hope to work with you again in the future !”
Swapnil Karad
ShramA Fellowship 2024
I participated in the Walk for Arcause Fellowship, where I walked for a cause for four days along with Ar. Gita Balakrishnan. “My fellowship experience pushed my boundaries, and allowed me to connect with the different human stories that stay behind the scenes of the elements and structures we see and spaces we live in.”
Dhanushya
Walk for Arcause 2023
Ignite your Mind!!
From the hands
that build
In this video series, “Learning from the hands that build,” we explore a wide range of building techniques, from traditional masonry to modern Mivan Aluminium Formwork. Watch the videos as our shramiks share insights on various construction systems and materials
Universal Design for the Built Environment
Learn how to make spaces accessible for all. Check out our UDita course playlist on YouTube. Discover practical tips and insights on creating inclusive environments for everyone, regardless of ability or age. Join us on this journey to build a more accessible and equitable world.