2024-05-10T05:53:32-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150299013/architect-gita-balakrishnan-embarks-on-1-000-mile-walk-to-spread-awareness-on-importance-of-design Nathaniel Bahadursingh 2022-02-15T16:39:00-05:00 >2022-02-15T16:39:35-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/cb/cbb986407b7e76e69894dded7dd9cc51.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Kolkata-based architect Gita Balakrishnan has embarked upon a 1,700-km walk from Kolkata to New Delhi on Sunday to spread awareness on how good design can play a substantial role in changing lives. Doing 30-35km per day, she plans to reach Delhi in two months on April 16.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The walk aims to shed light on the role the architecture and design industry plays in society and the issues it seeks to address. The initiative was conceptualized by the Ethos Foundation, which Balakrishnan founded in 2002 as a means to connect students and professionals in the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1249767/aec" target="_blank">AEC</a> industry, in collaboration with the Council of Architecture (CoA) and the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA).&nbsp;</p> <p>Balakrishnan will travel through West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. She is a graduate of the <a href="https://archinect.com/spadelhi" target="_blank">School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi</a>, and she completed her practical training at the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics at <a href="https://archinect.com/cmusoa" target="_blank">Carnegie Mellon University</a>. </p>