Traversing a journey beyond blueprints and cityscapes, architect Gita Balakrishnan walked the vast canvas of India with a purpose far beyond the confines of her profession. With each step, she wove a narrative of empowerment and inspiration for the myriad communities across the country. In an interview with SheThePeople, Balakrishnan, the founder of Ethos Foundation, spoke about the goal of her journey and the profound impact that design and architecture can have on society.

The 56-year-old Kolkata-based architect and social worker also described how the remarkable feat of walking thousands of kilometres was a physically and emotionally transformative experience. It was a chance to marry her different passions– architecture, social work, running, and nurturing her health.

Understanding The Impact Of Architecture

As a child, Gita Balakrishnan found herself fascinated by bricks and mud, often building small structures in her backyard. However, stepping into the world of architecture was an unexpected turn from her aspirations of becoming a doctor. A traumatic incident just days before her Class 12 examinations challenged her trajectory, yet, amid adversity, she found solace and purpose in architecture.

Balakrishnan realised the deep impact of architecture when she started working with a non-profit organisation as a shelter coordinator. “Working there opened my eyes to the way we can make a difference in people’s lives. So I thought, instead of it just being me, I could influence more people to make choices with responsibility. And that’s how Ethos happened,” she described.

Balakrishnan spoke about how design and architecture can bring communities together and empower them. She explained that while rural or underprivileged communities have been already building by themselves for years, experts like architects and designers can introduce them to contemporary advancements and materials.

Over the years, the sense of community in rural places is being lost because features like the courtyards, chabutras and verandas are no more there, and people are not able to talk across the road. Hence that collectiveness and that feeling of community is lost. Architecture and design impact how you live, how you interact, how you as a community are, how your craft can thrive, or how your financial status can improve or deplete.

Walk For Arcause

In 2017, Balakrishnan, who also holds a strong passion for marathon running, read an article about politician Priya Dutt and her father actor Sunil Dutt’s 1987 journey on foot from Mumbai (then Bombay) to Amritsar. This ignited a spark in her to set out on a similar expedition of her own to interact with people across the country. That’s how the campaign Walk For Arcause was born.

When I read about this I was very excited that someone could even think of walking the length and breadth of India for a cause. I started imagining how my profession and this passion for walking or running could come together. While the objective of the campaign was to showcase how design can empower lives, the purpose is also to nudge architects and designers to work with communities and make a difference.

What The Walk Meant For Balakrishnan

The Walk For Arcause journey started in November 2022, five years after Balakrishnan’s initial inspiration. She described the way it not only helped her connect with people and raise awareness about design but also had a drastic impact on her physical and mental health. Despite the intensive challenge she took on, Balakrishnan said that the journey only made her fitter than ever.

This journey took care of my health in some ways because I had serious health issues before. I’ve had four surgeries; if you see my scars, you will be quite amazed. I was strongly advised to go in for a hysterectomy quite a few times during my life, particularly in 2014, when I was bleeding incessantly because I was reaching peri-menopause at 45. That’s when I started getting into running and I found that it somehow started healing me. It was like a pill for me. So exercise for me is like a religion because of that,” Balakrishnan said, describing how the walk influenced her health. 

Balakrishnan’s walk was also a dive into self-discovery, she said, expressing that it helped her find confidence in herself. “I realised I can be extremely accepting of all situations. When I was interacting with people I realised that I have a good ability to connect with people at all levels, be it adults or children. I also lost a lot of inhibitions” she described.

Balakrishnan continued, “There was one point in the journey where I fell and injured myself in Gwalior and a couple of doctors who said I would not be able to continue the journey. It meant that I might have to come back maybe a couple of months later. But I found great solace in this saying ‘The journey is the destination’, from which I learnt that there will be hard times but you will find ways of tidying through it.”