And A Half

The Seeds Of Innovation Thrive In Times Of Danger Without Danger, There Is No Risk. Without Risk, There Is No Need To Change.

- Jojo Tolentino

Without the need to change, there is no need to innovate. The story of our company is one of risk-taking, of change, and of innovation.

Imagine the Philippine peso devaluing from 54 today to 85 to the dollar within three months’ time. That would be the equivalent of what happened during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997—a 57% devaluation of our currency. From 26 pesos to the dollar in May 1997, it plummeted to 41 to the dollar in July. And the worst was yet to come. That was the environment I came home to from Hong Kong in 1998.

Aidea is the largest architecture firm in the Philippines— largest in square meters of built projects and dollar revenues, the metrics by which UK-based BD Online ranks the world’s top 100 architecture firms in their annual survey, the WA100. Aidea is the only Filipino firm on that list. From 91st place in 2010, Aidea has been climbing up the rankings to 47th place in 2018.

Aidea is one of Asia’s most tech advanced and innovative practices. It is no longer only an architecture firm but is transforming into a global integrated service provider for development projects. Currently, Aidea is pushing the envelope in Virtual Design and Construction and BIM in Asia and is leading an international alliance of property development experts to provide services relevant to a development’s full lifecycle, from pre-design to post-construction. Aidea president and CEO Jojo Tolentino describes himself as easily bored, always looking forward to the next strategic innovation. But while he gets his thrills from being a first mover or early adapter, what Aidea is today has everything to do with remembering the past and the company’s rocky beginnings.