Gita Balakrishnan

Gita Balakrishnan is a graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. She completed practical training at the Centre for Building Performance and Diagnostics at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. She underwent a training programme on Stabilized Mud Blocks and other alternative methods of construction at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. She has designed and constructed buildings using alternative methods of construction in Bangalore where she also worked with an NGO, AVAS – as a shelter coordinator in the slums. She moved to Kolkata in 2001 and started Ethos with the intention of making the architectural and civil engineering community alive to the changes happening globally and in our country in the field of architecture and construction. The flagship events of Ethos are Archumen, a quiz on architecture and Bending Moment, a quiz on civil engineering. Ethos also organizes design competitions such as Transparence, SAVE AS YOU BUILD and IGBC Green Design Competition. Gita is currently the Chairperson of the West Bengal Chapter of Indian Institute of Architects.