MICHAEL LOJO
professional bio
Profile
MICHAEL LOJO
Architect, Interior Designer, Green Building Consultant
About Me
I earned my B.S. Degree in Architecture from Mapua Institute of Technology, Manila in 1992 and became a registered architect of the Philippines in 1994. From then until now, that is about twenty-five years of my professional work experience with which almost of the last two decades was spent abroad. Most of the projects I’ve handled or had made significant contribution are high-end residential buildings situated in upscale neighborhoods across California. But the coolest thing about designing these projects is that they come in a variety of architectural styles…Modern, Contemporary, Craftsman, Mediterranean, Tudor, Tropical, and a lot more. It was a valuable learning experience as it not only help me enhanced my design skills but it also made me better appreciate the different cultures from which the styles came from. More importantly though, I have also learned the value of having a high level of integrity and professionalism. As such, I have an unwavering commitment to serve morally and ethically my duties as an architect and contribute productively to society’s progress.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
— Leonardo da Vinci —
Experience
Position
Brief Background
Primary Duties
Vice-President for Design
Point Blue, Inc.
Metro Manila Philippines
Aug 2018 – present
With the growing demand for solutions to eliminate long hours of commute for students, employees and working professionals, Point Blue is focus on developing convenient, private and secured dormitory-style housing within short distances from business centers such as Makati Financial District and BGC. As the first VP for Planning and Design, I was tasked to create and manage an in-house design team that will be responsible for all Architectural works and services for all Point Blue projects.
Planning and Design
- Formulates strategies and policies to meet company goals and targets
- Heads the Planning and Design Department and reports directly to the President
- Manages the architectural design and the design process of the proposed projects
- Serves as the official company architect (Architect-of-Record for Building Permit Applications)
Project Manager
TRG Architecture + Interior Design
San Mateo, CA
April 2000 – April 2017
TRG Architects was a small architectural design firm when I joined the company as a drafter in early 2000. Back then, it had only four employees, including me. But through the years, the company grew and I along with it. I became a Project Manager after about seven years and was handling every facet of the design practice. With the quality of our work, we gained more clients as projects got bigger and more complex. More employees were hired and the firm expanded to include an Interior Design Department due to client demand. Aside from being a project manager, my advance knowledge of CAD led me to set up our own office standards of CAD templates and detail libraries. This resulted in more detailed, more accurate and yet more manageable drawings and documents thus increasing efficiency in the design process.
Planning and Design
- Manages the architectural design process from pre-design to construction documents
- Assembles and supervises design and drafting teams based on project parameters; Creates schedules, checklist and periodic targets
- Studies and researches applicable codes, zoning regulations, ordinances and other compliance measures
- Analyzes and formulates design solutions usually supplemented with virtual illustrations and 3d models
- Coordinates with other design consultants, tradesperson, construction managers and other parties during project development
- Conducts site inspections to ensure substantial conformance to plans and specifications and generate solutions to conflicts that might arise during construction
Drawing / CAD Management
- Produces Architectural drawing sets for Bidding, Planning/Building permits, and construction purposes; Periodically maintains and tracks revisions, addenda, bulletins, etc.
- Creates and maintains a database of office standards, applications, details, drawings, templates and libraries
- Conducts research on latest applications and tech trends with regards to architecture
Project Architect
Bridge Development, LLC
November 1999 – March 2000
Bridge Development was a residential developer founded by a realtor whose business venture was to flip properties in upscale locations around San Francisco. As part of a design team of three, with the other two being engineers, we were tasked to produce the design and drawings for planning approvals and permits. Although, there were third party architects, interior designers and engineering consultants on board, all the final drawings for permits and construction were produced in-house.
Planning and Design
- Produces the architectural drawing set necessary to secure planning and building permits
- Produces the construction documents set
- Coordinates with city officials and other design consultants
Project Architect
Crown Asia Properties
Metro Manila, Philippines
October 1996 – January 1999
Crown Asia Properties is one of the biggest real estate developers in the country producing dynamic residential, multi-family and mixed-used properties across the nation. As a member of the Planning and Design department, my task was focused on the design development of residential houses as well neighborhood amenities such as village commercial centers, clubhouses and recreational parks.
Planning and Design
- Prepares design concepts for residential housing development
- Produces the architectural drawing set necessary to secure planning and building permits
- Produces the construction documents set
- Coordinates with city officials and other design consultants
- Performs occassional site inspections during construction
Intermediate Architect
Empire East Land Holdings, Inc.
Metro Manila, Philippines
October 1994 – October 1996
EELHI was at the time a newly established real estate housing developer that focused on producing affordable to mid-level single-family detached homes. As part of the Planning department, our main responsibilities was to produce the subdivision plans that identifies residential lot cuts and sizes, road networks, recreational parks, open spaces, utility areas and commercial zones.
Planning and Design
- Prepares subdivision plan design concepts for residential housing development
- Prepares final subdivision plans for engineering
Skills
Professional Skills
Architecture and Interior Design
20+ years
Architectural Detailing
15+ years
Construction Drawings
20+ years
Residential Design
10+ years
Sustainable Design
10+ years
Building Technology
10+ years
Site Planning
3+ years
Graphic Design and Illustration
5+ years
Practical Skills
AutoCAD
Revit
Sketchup (3D modeling)
Vray (3d rendering)
Lumion (3d rendering)
Enscape (3d rendering)
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Acrobat
MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
MS One Note
Digital Photography
Digital Video Editing
English Language
Tagalog (Filipino) Language
Education, Licensure and Training
Education
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
Mapua Institute of Technology
April 1992
Licensure
Active Registered Architect
License # 11758
Philippines, October 1994
Certification
Certified Green Building Professional
Build-It-Green, California, USA
November 2014
Affiliation
United Architects of the Philippines
Member since November 1994
“True education is concerned not only with practical goals but also with values. Our aims assure us of material life, our values make possible our spiritual life.”
— Ludwig Mies van der Rohe —
Contact
Address:
U.P.S. 2, Paranaque City
Metro Manila, Philippines, 1713
Email:
michael.lojo@gmail.com
michael@mlojo.com
Phone:
+63 917 634 1651 – mobile (Phils.)
+63 2 8821 9535 – landline (Phils.)
+1 818 478 8112 – mobile (US)
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