TOP ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS IN THE

PHILIPPINES

While architectural firms face some of the bigger challenges in local real estate in
terms of competition, several have managed to stand out and lead the industry in
design both locally and internationally

While certain limits apply to foreign investment and

ownership of real estate in the Philippines, fewer
restrictions apply to the architectural firms tasked in its
design and development. This makes it a little more
challenging for local firms to contribute and subsequently
benefit from the industrys slow but steady growth of
around 6 percent per year.
Despite the competition, a number of locally based
architectural firms have managed to stand out and be
locally and globally competitive. These firms continue to
be recognized by BCI Media Group, a leading provider of
building and construction information across the Asia
Pacific region, based on the aggregate value of each
project during the prior full calendar year weighted by the

extent of their sustainability and confirmed green building

ratings.
While several have made the list since the awards
inception in 2005, a couple of firms have stood out by
constantly making the list, and upon scrutiny of the
projects they complete, makes it easy to understand why.
1. AIDEA Philippines, Inc.
An architectural firm that originated in England in 1995
but ultimately evolved into an all-Filipino firm by 2003,
AIDEA is one of the Philippines largest design practices
and has been included in BCI Media Groups Top 10
Architectural Firms for the last three consecutive years,
and ranked 62 among the WA (World Architecture) 100 for
2015.
Recent projects by AIDEA include the Ascott Residences,
Kidzania Philippines, High Street South Corporate Plaza
Tower 2, and Woodside Greentown Twin Towers, among
others. The project it has recently gotten the most
acclaim for has been the Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global
City, as it is now one of the most praised and desired
office buildings in Metro Manila.

Globe Tower. Photo via AIDEA Philippines

2. ASYA Design Partner

Asya Design Partner has constantly been in BCIs Top 10
architectural firms since the recognition started being
awarded in 2005. Headed by Architect Albert Yu, the firm
is widely recognized for its holistic services that help
owners develop properties from the ground up. ASYA is
also the only local firm with its very own 12-story
Platinum-certified green office building.
Working with as many as 65 developers so far, ASYA has
completed design for a bevy of structures both locally and
abroad. The most recognizable include the Mactan-Cebu
International Airport, the Fo Guang Shan Temple in
Malate, and the City of Dreams Manila.

City of Dreams. Photo via Shutterstock

3. Edward Co Tan & Architects

With a passion for sustainability, Edward Co Tan &
Architects (ECTA) has established itself among the top
architectural firms in the Philippines by embracing
advancements and methodologies that complement the
systems developed by environmental institutions like the
Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC), the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
A five-time entrant in the BCI Top 10, ECTA continues to
embark on several high-profile projects in the country,
bringing as much of their commitment to sustainability as
possible to each one. Some of the most recognizable
projects of the firm include the cylindrical Del Rosario
Building in BGC, The Sanctuarium in Quezon City, and the
upcoming World Hotel and Residences in Quezon City.

The Sancturium. Photo via ECT Architects

4. Jonathan O. Gan + Associates

Known in the industry for institutional architecture
projects like the Xavier School Sports Complex in Manila
and the Southville Foreign College in Las Pias, Jonathan
O. Gan + Associates has been a BCI Asia Top 10 awardee
on numerous occasions. The firms other projects like the
A. Venue Mall and Jonathan O. Gan + Associates have
gone as far as be featured in the award-giving bodys
magazine.
The firms more recent projects include the Chimes
Condominiums in Greenhills, Robinsons Tagum in the
Tagum City, and the Midori Clark & Casino in Mabalacat,
Pampanga. The project in Pampanga is one of great
anticipation, as it is set to stand in a city classifies as the
new business frontier.

5. Jose Siao Ling & Associates

Established in 1983 with only three office staff in San Juan
City, Jose Siao Ling & Associates exemplifies building
something from the ground up. Fast forward to more than
three decades, and the architectural firm stands as one of
the most decorated in the country. The firm has been in
the BCI Asia Top 10 eight times, with members of the firm
recognized as top ASEAN or APEC Architects.
Undoubtedly, the most recognizable project designed by
the firm is the Mall of Asia Arena, the leading venue for
large-scale events in the Philippines. Notable residential
projects embarked on by the firm on the other hand
include Luxe Residences in Taguig, and H Hotel by Harolds
in both Cebu and in Quezon City.

Mall of Asia Arena. Photo via Jose Siao Ling & Associates

6. Pimentel Rodriguez Simbulan & Partners

An architectural firm founded by three partners who had
great success as sole proprietors, Pimentel Rodriguez
Simbulan & Partners is the team behind a number of very
recognizable structures in Metro Manila and the

Philippines. These include the series of Ayala LifeFGU

Centers in Makati, Alabang, and Cebu.
Some of the more recent projects that the multi-awarded
firm has designed and will soon change the Metro Manila
skyline include Edades Tower and Garden Villas in
Rockwell Center, Shang Salcedo Place in Makati, and The
Grove by Rockwell in Pasig City, among others.
7. R. Villarosa Architects Partner & Associates
Established in 1972 and grown into a partnership with
personnel of over 40 individuals, R. Villarosa Architects
Partner & Associates is one of the most established and
experienced architectural firms in the Philippines. The
firm had been in the BCI Asia Top 10 for the Philippines for
the past three consecutive years, and is the team behind
the Gramercy Residences, the Philippines tallest
residential towers. R. Villarosa Architects current projects
Acqua Private Residences, a six-tower residential condo
project by Century Properties.

Acqua Private Residences. Photo courtesy Century Properties

8. Visionary Architecture, Inc.

Established in 2001, Visionary Architecture is one of the
younger architectural firms in the Philippines, but in a
short span of time, the firm has established itself as one
of the best in the industry, being recognized with several
awards and being the key design team in a number of
high-profile projects.

Its projects include the Circuit Events Pavilion in Circuit

Makati, Xavier School in Bonifacio Global City, and Avida
Towers Serin East in Tagaytay. Perhaps the biggest
projects of the firm to date are several projects/sections
of Arca South in Taguig, a sprawling mixed-use estate
currently being developed by Ayala Land.

Concept for Arca South by Visionary Architecture, Inc.

9. WTA Architecture + Design Studio

Cited for the first time in 2015 by BCI Asia for its Top 10 in
the Philippines, WTA Architecture + Design Studio
markets itself as a multidisciplinary group of young and
idealistic architects and interior designers, and urban
planners and engineers. Established in 2007, the firm
has made large strides in a short time, resulting in their
receipt of the Archstoyanie Nikolas Belvedere First Prize.
While sporting a comparatively smaller project portfolio,
WTA is already behind a handful of notable structures that
in the Philippines. This includes Portal Mall along Ongpin
Street in Binondo, Manila, The One Mall in Valenzuela
City, and the upcoming Inoza Tower in Bonifacio Global
City.

Concept art for Inoza Center by WTA Architecture + Design Studio

10. H1 Architecture and Design

While a new inclusion in the BCI Asia Top 10, H1
Architecture and Design is already a well- established fullservice architecture, master-planning, urban design, and
interior architecture firm. The group has one of the largest
portfolios of high-profile projects in the country, a
testament to the trust it has earned from investors and
property owners.
H1s key projects include Fora Mall in Tagaytay, Parkway
Corporate Center in Alabang, Soltana Nature Residence in
Cebu, Panglao Oasis in Taguig, and Six Senses Resort in
Pasay City, among numerous others.

Six Senses Resort. Photo via Federal Land