Natcon Directory | Page 52

United Architects of the Philippines 40th National Convention 9-12 April 2014 50 Speakers ’ Profile SMX Convention Center Metro Manila The design profession is constantly going through an interesting period of rapid change. Changes driven by technology, global economy, customer expectations and project execution challenge architects to rethink their business approaches in order to remain competitive and relevant in an everchanging business landscape. The power of innovation and technology creates design capabilities and operational efficiencies that can upgrade the practice and business of architecture. Due to resistance to change, architects, engineers and construction professionals are still unsure about the success of transitioning to a more advanced design platform. Difficulties may arise during earlier stages of transitioning, but considering its guaranteed positive outcome to the whole project delivery process, it will be definitely worth implementing. A mind-set that is open to new ways of production, coordination and presentation is what a growing industry needs. The presentation will focus on a major driver — Technology. It will discuss the business impact of leveraging technology, from design, project delivery, and the development of new business models that will best prepare an architectural practice for the future. SEMINAR O4 Architecture as a Platform for Nation Building John Ian Lee Fulgar, UAP, LEED AP BD+C Arch. John Ian Lee Fulgar is a licensed and registered Philippine Architect and an active member of the United Architects of the Philippines. He is an Accredited Professional with the United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design with specialty on Building Design and Construction (USGBC LEED AP BD+C), and a certified expert on Building Information Modelling (BIM) with two vendor certifications from Autodesk as Revit for Architecture Associate and Professional and has successfully completed the Certification Course in BIM Management with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Academy in Singapore. He was recently involved with a LEED and Greenmark mixed development megaproject in Singapore working under the mentorship of Architects61 with industry consultants such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill of New York, Arup, Meinhardt, Cicada, Wilson Associates, and Davis Langdon & Seah. SEMINAR O5 Architecture and Innovation: Harnessing Untapped Resources William G. Padolina As a National Science Development Board scholar from 1963-1968, William G. Padolina finished BS Agricultural Chemistry (Magna Cum Laude) in 1968 from the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) and became a licensed Chemist in 1969. He enrolled in a straight PhD program (no MS) and obtained PhD in Botany/Phytochemistry in 1973 from the University of Texas at Austin as a Fulbright-Hays scholar. In 1976, he pursued postdoctoral studies at the worldfamous carotenoid chemistry laboratories of Prof. Synnove Liaaen-Jensen, Norwegian Institute of Technology (now the Norwegian University of Science and Technology), in Trondheim, Norway. As an academician of the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology and formerly Full Professor of Chemistry at the UPLB, Dr. Padolina was appointed Secretary (Minister) of Science and Technology by former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos from July 1994 to June 1998 and was retained by former President Joseph Estrada until the end of January 1999. At the UPLB, he was first hired as a research assistant and as instructor in Chemistry in 1968. He r esumed his teaching duties upon return to the Philippines in 1973 and became full professor of Chemistry in 1985. He has held various positions in the UPLB and in the Philippine government’s Department of Science of Technology and he has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the De La Salle University System, the Philippine Rice Research Institute, and the Philippine Institute of Development Studies. He currently serves as the President of the National Academy of Science and Technology. With at least 50 publications and numerous awards, Dr. Padolina’s research interests include: Chemistry of the Coconut; Medicinal Plants; Biogas Production; Science Policy; and Food Security.