MLMO Architecture + Planning

29/07/2026

30 years of heritage conservation practice didn’t make me feel old this time .. I was happily enthused by the willing fervour of the Tagbilaran LGU to correct what was wrong with the will to move forward . Thank you Mayor Jane Yap, to your councillors, to the Barangay captains , your tourism office, OBO, and your planning office for this opportunity. This is only the beginning of the light that you had found .. keep it burning!!

08/07/2026

HOW DIFFERENT CLIENTS ACTUALLY CHOOSE AN ARCHITECT (AND WHY MOST ARCHITECTS MISS THE MARK)

Most architects assume clients choose based on design quality.
That’s only partially true.
In reality, clients choose based on what they are trying to reduce: cost, risk, uncertainty, or missed opportunity.
And each type of client filters architects very differently.

1️⃣ Private Individual (with Limited Budget)
Mindset: “How do I get the most value without overspending?”
How they choose:
• Heavy reliance on word-of-mouth referrals
• Compare fees first, often before design quality
• Look for someone “easy to talk to” and flexible
• May prioritize contractors who offer design (risky but common)
Decision drivers:
• Affordability
• Trust / relatability
• Perceived “pakikisama”
What wins them:
• Clear, transparent pricing
• Showing how design saves money long-term
• Simple portfolio they can relate to (not too high-end)

2️⃣ Private Individual (with Generous Budget)
Mindset: “I want something unique, well-designed, and worth my investment.”
How they choose:
• Strong focus on portfolio and design identity
• May research architects online (Instagram, websites)
• Often influenced by peer recommendations and status
• Will interview multiple architects
Decision drivers:
• Design quality and uniqueness
• Reputation / brand
• Personal connection with architect
What wins them:
• Strong visual portfolio + storytelling
• Clear design philosophy
• Confidence and professionalism

3️⃣ Small Business Owner
Mindset: “Will this help my business earn more or operate better?”
How they choose:
• Referral-based, often from other business owners
• Looks at relevant project experience (e.g., café, retail)
• Compares cost vs expected return
• May prioritize speed and practicality
Decision drivers:
• ROI (foot traffic, efficiency)
• Timeline
• Budget control
What wins them:
• Demonstrating how design impacts sales or operations
• Case studies (before/after, business impact)
• Fast, decisive communication

4️⃣ Medium-Sized Corporation
Mindset: “We need reliability, compliance, and predictability.”
How they choose:
• More formal process: RFPs, proposals, comparative bids
• Evaluates firm capacity and track record
• Considers team structure, not just the principal architect
• Involves multiple decision-makers
Decision drivers:
• Proven experience
• Risk mitigation
• Ability to deliver on time and within budget
What wins them:
• Organized proposals
• Clear methodology and project management system
• Demonstrated experience with similar scale projects

5️⃣ Large Developers
Mindset: “Who can deliver scale, consistency, and protect our investment?”
How they choose:
• Highly structured: pre-qualification → bidding → negotiation
• Looks at portfolio at scale (not just design, but delivery)
• Often selects based on past working relationships
• May split roles (design architect vs architect-of-record)
Decision drivers:
• Scalability and systems
• Cost efficiency across multiple projects
• Reliability and long-term partnership
What wins them:
• Ability to standardize without losing quality
• Deep bench (team, consultants, systems)
• Understanding of developer economics

⚖️ The Real Pattern (This Is the Key Insight)
Across all client types, selection shifts from:
• Price & trust → (low budget individuals)
• Design & identity → (wealthy individuals)
• ROI & efficiency → (businesses)
• Risk & systems → (corporations & developers)
👉 In short:
The bigger the project, the less they are buying design—and the more they are buying certainty.

🔥 Strategic Takeaway for Architects
If you present yourself the same way to all clients, you’ll lose most of them.
• Talking “design philosophy” to a small business? ❌
• Talking “low fees” to a luxury homeowner? ❌
• Talking “creativity” to a developer? ❌
• You have to match their decision logic.

💬 Final Thought
If you’re presenting the same portfolio, the same pitch, and the same language to all clients…
You’re not positioning yourself.
You’re hoping.
And in this profession, hope is not a strategy.
So the real question is:
Are you designing for buildings… or for how different clients actually decide?

08/07/2026

I’ve always advocated for rain water to go back to the ground . This not only arrests floods but also fill up our aquifers so that we may always have a continuous supply of water .. cebu does not lack water , we lack good water management .. with so much rainfall, we could make more permeable settings . We can start by not cementing our parking lots .. these would make good drainage areas !

08/07/2026

We learn new things everyday , dear architects !

08/07/2026

Aesthetically pleasing , temperature comfort in one ! Love this !

FROM HEAT ISLAND TO URBAN FOREST PARKING

What if parking lots benefitted people, nature, and cities?

This vision transforms a traditional parking lot into a nature inclusive, parking lot shaded with mature Narra and Acacia trees, grass pavers, and nature based stormwater management solutions.

The transformation creates a cooler parking lot, less stormwater runoff, better biodiversity, and a drastically improved parking lot experience.

Sometimes the most sustainable solution is transforming an existing parking lot into a shaded parking lot, rather than building a completely new parking lot.

07/07/2026

My mentor once told me that graduating from architecture does not make one an architect . We graduate learning the discipline of architecture . There is much more to learn after that before we can truly practice responsible architecture . Guard your integrity very well .

This is not meant to attack, shame, or make fun of anyone looking for affordable design services. It is simply an effort to educate the public and advocate for the proper practice of architecture.

Only a Registered and Licensed Architect (RLA) can legally prepare, sign, and take professional responsibility for architectural plans in collaboration with the appropriate allied professionals when required. Saying, "I only need an architecture student because I don't have the budget," or "It will help build their portfolio," may sound harmless, but it unintentionally encourages the illegal practice of architecture.

For architecture students, these opportunities can be tempting, especially when they are just starting and eager to gain experience. However, there is a right time and a proper way to practice the profession. Students should learn, explore, and develop their design skills under the guidance and supervision of a mentor architect and not independently offer professional architectural services that require a licensed architect.

Remember the proper path to becoming an architect:

- Complete the 5-year Bachelor of Architecture program.
- Finish the required 2-year apprenticeship under a Registered and Licensed Architect.
- Pass the Licensure Examination for Architects.
- Take the Architect's Oath.

Only then can you legally and ethically practice architecture.

Taking shortcuts today may have serious consequences tomorrow. Encouraging students to engage in unauthorized professional practice could put their future at risk, including possible issues that may affect their path toward licensure if legal concerns arise.

To all architecture students: be patient, keep learning, and protect the profession you aspire to join. Build your portfolio through academic work, internships, competitions, and supervised professional experience. Your license is worth waiting for.

"Architecture is not just about creating beautiful designs—it is about protecting lives, serving the public, and upholding professional accountability. Respect the process. Respect the profession."

No license. No legal practice. No exceptions.

01/07/2026

Planting trees wherever possible in urban areas gives us so much benefits ! Let’s go!!

YES: Mamdani plans to cover 30% of NYC in trees by 2040 — starting with the neighborhoods that need it most.

New York City released its first-ever Urban Forest Plan, and the way it's structured tells you everything about who this administration is governing for.

Instead of planting trees wherever someone calls 311 or makes a big donation — which is how it used to work — Mamdani's plan starts with the neighborhoods getting hit hardest by extreme heat.

Low-income communities of color currently have just 19% tree canopy coverage, compared to 26% in wealthier areas.

That gap isn't aesthetic. It's a matter of life and death.

Heat kills more than 500 New Yorkers every summer. Black New Yorkers die at twice the rate of white New Yorkers. And the neighborhoods with the least shade are almost always the same neighborhoods with the least wealth, the least air conditioning, and the least political power. Mamdani is starting there on purpose.

The plan divides the city into more than 400 zones and commits to hitting every viable planting spot in the highest heat-risk neighborhoods first — with the goal of completing the most vulnerable areas by the end of 2027. Every community board district gets serviced on a regular rotation after that. No neighborhood gets skipped. No donation required.

NYC's 7 million trees already provide $260 million in annual benefits — removing over 1,100 tons of air pollution, saving energy equivalent to 8,000 homes, and reducing stormwater runoff by 69 million cubic feet. A tree planted today does more work in 20 years than it does now. This is infrastructure that gets better with time.

THANK YOU, Mayor Mamdani!

01/07/2026

Housing …..

30/06/2026

We can do this … let’s have the best standards for ourselves !

29/06/2026

Nature always has the most efficient solutions !!

This 3,000-year-old water system is smarter than most we build today.

3,000 years ago, in Persia, people built the qanat — a way to carry water across the desert.

Without pumps, without pipes — and zero electricity.

They dug deep wells in the hills, down to the groundwater.
They carved long tunnels, sloped so gently that the water flows on its own.
They added vertical shafts the whole way, for air and access.

Moved by gravity alone, with almost nothing lost to the sun.

With this, they brought cool, clean water to their villages.

One qanat in Gonabad is 2,700 years old and 33 km long. It still serves 40,000 people today.

They understood something modern architecture has forgotten - water already wants to move.
You don't need to pump it. You just have to guide it.

Today, we move water with electric pumps. The moment the power fails, the water stops with it.

At Biotonomy, we bring this ancient wisdom back.

Through Nature Based Architecture, we design buildings and cities that move and store water using gravity, shade, and the landscape itself - not just machines.

👉 Comment Academy if you want to see how these systems work today.

Follow us for more lessons from ancient solutions we can use to fix the future.

Biotonomy - Nature Based Architecture