United Architects of the Philippines
40th National Convention
9-12 April 2014
54
SMX Convention Center
Metro Manila
SEMINAR 12
Managing an Architectural Office
Abelardo M. Tolentino, UAP
Effective management
is important in any
architectural practice.
Managing
clients,
operations,
finances,
and
talents
are
among the challenges
all
architects
face,
regardless of a firm’s
size. Over the past
generations, firms have
been searching for
effective management
methods
that
can
improve
operational
efficiency
and
streamline processes. In a span of 19 years, Aidea
Philippines Inc., an all-filipino firm has grown from
a 25-man operation to 180 design professionals
with projects in 40 countries. Aidea’s ability
to manage growth and change became its key
attributes in achieving an integrated practice.
The process of developing and expanding a firm
entails a continuous evolution of management
styles that involves the design, technical, noncore and business aspects of the profession.
The seamless interplay of these 4 main aspects
results in high professional competence and high
managerial capability that are essential to any
sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation.
The presentation focuses on the most important
aspects and components of a firm which is the
catalyst for efficient management capabilities. A
management method that is based on a foundation
of an impeccable leadership, culture and process
is an implicit indication of success and continuous
progress.
Arch. Abelardo M. Tolentino is the President and
CEO of Aidea Philippines, Inc. A graduate of the
University of Santo Tomas in 1987 with a Bachelor
of Science Degree in Architecture, he spent
nine years in Hong Kong working in prestigious
architectural firms such as HOK Asia Pacific and
John Lei Architects, Ltd. He was awarded as the
Ernst and Young Innovation Entrepreneur of 2007
and the Thomasian Outstanding Alumnus of 2008.
His firm Aidea has consistently ranked for the past
4 years among the top 100 Architectural Practices
in the World - coming in 80th in 2013. Aidea
recently won several international competitions
that includes Build Qatar Live 2012, Build London
Live 2012 and BIM Buzz Singapore 2011.
Aidea has over 500 projects ranging from corporate
offices to commercial centers, industrial complexes,
residential buildings and leisure facilities. With 170
professionals and support staff, Aidea’s practice
now spans over 5 continents, in 40 countries and
90 cities worldwide.
Speakers ’ Profile
SEMINAR 13
Climate Change and
Survival Architecture
Roberto B.
Guevara
Climate
Change
and
Survival Architecture aims
to provide an update on
conclusions and scientificbased
predictions
contained in the 2013
report from the United
Nations Panel on Climate
Change. This presentation would also present human
responses to climate change: mitigation, adaptation,
and resiliency. Along these lines, measures for
quantifying the impact of energy savings will be
discussed as well as prospects for Green Architecture.
His interest in the environment began during his
student days in the University of the Philippines,
Diliman, where he finished Bachelor of Landscape
Architecture in 1979. His direct involvement in solid
waste management began when he was elected
Punong Barangay (Barangay Captain) of Barangay
Sun Valley, Paranaque City, in1994, which lasted until
2007. During those 13 years, his barangay became a
model in recycling and composting on the community
level. As an active environmental NGO member,
he became president of the Zero Waste Recycling
Movement of the Philippines in 1999. At present,
he is the President-elect. In 2011 until the present,
he is the President and Chairman and Country
Coordinator of Earth Day Network Philippines. Aside
from managing the annual celebration of Earth
Day, this NGO handles the Zero Basura Olympics
for business, barangays and LGUs. It also manages
tree planting operations (Odette Alcantara Legacy
Trees) as part of the National Greening Program. It
also handles the AGOS Ram Pump grant project for
Coca Cola Foundation, which hopes to complete 66
installations all over the Philippines by 2014.
When R.A. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act) became a law in 2001,he became
a member of the Technical Committee which drafted
the I.R.R. (Implementing Rules and Regulations)
and later became a member of the National Solid
Waste Management Commission from 2002 until
2007. In 2013, his new concept entitled “Full
Waste Recovery Program for Metro Manila” was
approved for adoption by the National Solid Waste
Management Commission. It led to the formation of
a multi-sectoral Alliance for Recycling in 2014, to put
this concept into action. As a waste management
professional, he was Vice-President of Corinthian
Trucking, the private garbage hauling contractor
of Parañaque City from 2004 to2013. During those
years, he briefly managed a junkshop operation and
a medium-sized plastic flaking and baling plant,
both in Parañaque. He also served as solid waste
consultant for Bacoor City and Mabini, Batangas.
At present, he is connected with WARM (Waste and
Resources Management, Inc.), a member of the Lina
Group of Companies, a company involved in the
recycling of commercial and industrial wastes.