environmental design + research studio
Environmental Psychology Society (EPS)
Environmental Psychology Society (EPS) is India's only research working group that focuses on systematically understanding user behaviour in spaces and bridges that knowledge into improving urban spatial design and planning.
At EPS, we address topics related to:
1. Architectural and landscape post-occupancy evaluations
2. Child-friendly spaces - learning, recreation, and home environments
3. Participatory research - design workshops with children and adults, Participatory Action Research (PAR)
4. Sustainable design practices
5. Environmental design theoretical concepts - such as biophilia, affordances, ecological model of human development, and production of space
Our mission is to:
(1) Bridge urban policy with architectural and landscape design practice.
(2) Raise awareness about Environmental Psychology through research publications, certificate courses, and workshops.
Certificate Courses
Dr. Sruthi offers professional development opportunities through courses about environmental psychology, human-centered architectural design, urban design and planning, community development, landscape architecture and children’s environments.
single lecture (online)
our current offerings
certificate course
poe training
our previous offerings
01
Introduction to Environmental Psychology
In-person and web-based
02
Child-centric Design and Planning
In-person and web-based
03
Children's Ecologies
In-person and web-based
04
How to write a research proposal?
Web-based
05
Methodology and Methods in Research
Web-based
06
Mentorship for PhD Candidates
Currently mentoring: (1) Ms. Richa Lamba - landscapes responsive to human well-being (July 2022 – Ongoing) and (2) Ms. Priya R. Khatavkar - children’s play in urban areas (April 2022 – Ongoing).
07
Play Diversity
Workshop on Guidelines for Designing Play Environments for Young Children. (June 2022)
08
Child Psychology and Child Centric Design
Expert speaker and facilitator for faculty of Indian architecture schools at Council of Architecture – Training Research Center’s (COA-TRC) Online Training Program.
Our offerings are taught and facilitated by Dr. Sruthi outside of university based-programs and aim at equipping learners with knowledge beyond their college and training curriculums to build a bridge between industry and academia. They are open to professionals and students.
Write to us at grit@gritdesignresearch.com for more information.
Collaborations
Making positive contributions via scholarship with our network of local and global communities is integral to our work ethic. Check out our world-wide collaborations below and connect with us to improve environments for children, youth, and adults.
Children's Environments Research Group (CERG), New York City
2010 - Ongoing
Given our founder-director’s decade long work-journey with
Dr. Roger Hart, Dr. Pamela Wridt and colleagues at the Children’s Environments Research Group (CERG), Dr. Sruthi Atmakur-Javdekar continues to maintain her professional affiliation with CERG, providing support with new projects related to children’s environments. Here, she connects with scholars and professionals, contributing to CERG’s vision of “a just and inclusive world where children and youth, in partnership with their families, neighbours, and communities, have the opportunity to participate in the creation of environments that support their right to live, learn and play.”
International Play Association (IPA) - India
February 2019 - June 2023
Our founder-director, Dr. Sruthi Atmakur-Javdekar is India country representative for International Play Association (IPA) -World. Along with key IPA-World board members, she was instrumental in the formation of IPA-India in 2019. As country representative, Sruthi ensures transparent communication between IPA-World and IPA-India members, and works in developing, strategising and promoting key projects related to children’s right to play.
Key milestones along our journey to supporting children’s right to play in our communities include:
a. State of Children’s Play in India (Project)
2019 - (Ongoing project)
Pan-India project investigating the state of children’s play in Indian cities in collaboration with Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee (CEO, Action for Children’s Environments- (ACE))
b. Play and Public Place: Making Cities Child-Friendly in the Post Pandemic World
November - December 2020
Six-week international webinar series by IPA-India, IPA-World, ACE and UNICEF. The webinar series brought together 29 experts from 16 countries for a global audience of more than 80 members.
World Resources Institute - India
2022 - Ongoing
Dr. Sruthi Atmakur-Javdekar’s global expertise in Child-Friendly Cities keeps the studio on track with supporting the design and development of toolkits and guidelines related to improving lives of young children and their caregivers in urban settings. Since 2020, Dr. Sruthi been working on a consulting basis with World Resources Institute - India on projects related to Bernard van Leer Foundation's Infant-Toddler Caregiver Neighbourhoods (ITCN) under India’s Smart City Mission and Infant-Toddler Caregiver Mobility plan for Pune city.
National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi
March 2021 (Completed)
In March 2021, Dr. Sruthi from GRIT studio was invited to peer-review questionnaires related to the Knowledge Needs Assessment being undertaken by National Institute of Urban Affairs under Bernard van Leer Foundation's Infant-Toddler Caregiver Neighbourhoods (ITCN) focused Training and Capacity Building Programme.
Protecterra Ecological Foundation, Pune
2021 - 2022
With a keen interest in supporting organisations that work in the field of environmental awareness and change, our Founder is collaborating with Ms. Pooja Bhale (a conservation biologist from Pune, India) who leads Protecterra Ecological Foundation.
The collaboration included the editing of a hand-illustrated manuscript, ‘The Kindness’ that brings readers - compassion, conservation, and awareness - every month. This manuscript is designed as a collector’s item and available in print only.
For a copy of the manuscript, you may write to: Ms. Pooja Bhale (pooja@protecterraef.org)
We are currently working on re-designing the manuscript and request you to enjoy the previous issues in the meantime.
