The practice of design: From ideas to reality
With OVER 800 prime architectural developments scattered across 90 cities in 60 countries worldwide, it is no wonder that homegrown architecture and design firm Aidea is constantly at the forefront of Philippine architecture and the contemporary design movement.
Over the years, Aidea Philippines has grown to become one of the largest architectural companies in the world, employing more than 200 professionals with expertise in architecture, interior design, planning, graphic environments and virtual design and construction. Employing a uniquely creative process, the integration of these five disciplines lead to the hundreds of innovative designs seen all over the world.
The firm has also consi stently placed in Building Design’s (BD) annual World Architecture Top 100 Architects, ranking its best this year at 53rd. Aidea is the only Philippine architecture firm to place in the rankings.
Initially established as a local office since 1995 of UK-based firm Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall ( RMJM), it was only when Architect Abelardo Tolentino Jr., CEO, president and founder of Aidea, decided to buy out the company’s operations in 2003 when the firm’s ownership was fully localized and rebranded as Aidea Philippines, Inc.
“RMJM soon felt they had to slow down their operations in Asia and I was given the opportunity to take over the operations and start out fresh as Aidea with an all-Filipino organization,” said Tolentino, who was working as the managing director of RMJM Philippines at the time.
During the firm’s transition period, Tolentino said they had difficulty finding Aidea’s footing as they had less than 40 people employed and were still unsure of what the future had in store. However, they soon realized that operating independently as Aidea soon provided them with numerous opportunities to quickly expand their clientele in the Philippines.
“After starting out doing various projects for local developers, our big break here in the country was when we received a major design competition award for developing The Columns along Ayala Avenue in Makati,” he said. “The Columns really established us as a firm capable of producing big, quality projects.”
Among some of the firm’s other notable works in the country are Park Terraces in Makati City and Arya Residences, Ascott Residences and The Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
Tolentino added that Aidea really started to develop its niche in the industry when they started working with international clients and projects. “We soon found out that working with a good mix of international and local developments really helped spur the growth of the company. We could apply what we learned in local environment and utilize it internationally and vice versa,” he said. With projects situated all over Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and the United States, Aidea has started establishing international offices in key cities, this year opening their branch in Abu Dhabi. As a firm that emphasizes local and international presence, Tolentino said they are working towards creating an alliange of design firms in the ASEAN region, allowing Aidea to work together with partner groups on a global scale.
A true visionary
Growing up, Tolentino admitted that if he had his way, he would have decided to pursue a degree in computer engineering instead.
“I was design oriented as a child but I was also inclined to technology,” he said. “But, during the time, computer engineering was a very new profession and I felt it would have taken me a long time to finish if I took the course.”
Instead, Tolentino opted to follow his passion for architecture, having often been exposed to the building industry from a very young age.
“My father owned a small construction company and while I was not involved with the business myself, I was able to visit the job sites and meet influential people in the industry,” he said.
He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas ( UST) with a degree in Architecture in 1987 and soon after passed the Architecture board exams.
However, the Philippines was still recuperating after the EDSA Revolution and architects were having difficulty finding jobs or big projects.
“There weren’t many opportunities for architects in the Philippines yet so I decided it would be best to expose myself to architecture abroad,” Tolentino said. “I told myself I wouldn’t stay abroad too long though. I really wanted to practice Architecture in my own country.”
He soon found a job in Hong Kong at John Lei Architects Ltd., a small 20- man firm which focused on various high-rise projects in the city. It was here where Tolentino really honed his skills in architectural management and design.
Few years later, he was fortunate enough to land a job at the prestigious American firm HOK Asia Pacific where he was surrounded by young and talented architects.
“I was given plenty of opportunities to grow and soon enough, they started making me the project architect for some Philippine clients, which I really wanted to do,” he said.
After a decade of invaluable practice in Hong Kong, Tolentino returned to the Philippines in 1998 after he received an offer to lead the local unit of RMJM Philippines.
Years later, Tolentino founded Aidea, an all-Filipino design firm that he envisioned would lead and inspire the industry through its designs, relationships and global thinking.
Aidea has gone on to win numerous accolades including: the Philippine Property Awards, International Property Awards, South East Asia Property Awards and even Build Qatar Live and Build London Live, both prominent design competitions among architectural companies.
Due to his various achievements in the field, Tolentino has ranked as one of the Top 10 Architects of BCI Asia since 2011.
In 2007, Tolentino was named Innovation Entrepreneur during the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Later, he also became the recipient of Ani ng Dangal for Architecture and Allied Arts by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in 2013.
“As owner of the firm, it’s really producing quality work through your people is the hardest part of the job. That’s why we find ways to challenge our people by giving them exciting projects and opportunities to develop their careers with us,” Tolentino said.
Last year, he established an in-house University with curriculums and a fulltime dedicated staff to help employees develop their skill and better prepare them for practice.
We really value the importance of education and we even send young, talented architects to school so they can become better managers and leaders in the firm,” he said.
Apart from nurturing potential architects, Aidea also heavily invests on the latest technology and infrastructure as it sets them apart from their competitors.
“Two years ago, we established our own software writing division to develop programs that will completely optimize our workflow,” Tolentino said. “It’s a big investment but it will allow us to be much more efficient in the way we do work as we can do our projects better and faster.”
For aspiring architects, Tolentino always reminds them that the practice of Architecture always needs a lot of time to mature and you need to be patient and constantly learning more and more of the industry.
“Architects should be experts in their craft. Being an expert is a slow process but very rewarding in the end, especially when you finally get to see the buildings you’ve worked on and people enjoying your designs,” Tolentino said. “Architecture is a continuous learning process and you need to stay updated with the latest trends, fashions, designs etc. You have to be a facilitator of ideas; learn how to draw ideas from people you meet so that you can translate them into magnificent designs,” he concluded.