- Dec 15, 2022
- 4 min read

Future Perfect: Ar. Normandy Canlas On Designing The Future

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Green Architect

Ar. Normandy N. Canlas is a champion of sustainable architecture. He formed his firm, Normandy Architects, to service clients who believe that in a world of limited resources, paring down to the essentials can bring value and style to homes, the community, and the environment.

For three decades now, his firm has been providing technical expertise and architectural design on numerous commercial, residential, institutional and industrial projects, and carving its own identity at the top of sustainable architecture in the north.

Ar. Normandy, as he is fondly called by his peers and clients, believes that green and sustainable buildings undo the damages brought about by people’s mindless living and careless architecture and design.

“It’s about time that people realize that architecture is essential in saving and improving lives, alleviating stress and tensions, and more importantly, addressing present challenges like pollution and waste disposal problems.”

He believes that it is possible to build infrastructures that are not only aesthetically pleasing, they’re also able to adapt to the changing environment. He’s the kind of person who backs up his claims with data. In one interview, he explains the correlation of climate and the evolution of architecture, noting that

“it [climate] adjusts according to every change of atmosphere, change of weather, and natural calamities like global warming, typhoons, and earthquakes.”

Up and Beyond

Architect Normandy believes that the modern way of life calls for more aggressive endeavors towards green architecture.

“Being an architect in this day and age means you have to know new trends that are innovative and advanced. More than that, you have to be guided by a new kind of thinking, one that employs design in revolutionary ways and elevates the role of buildings far beyond their primary purpose as shelter,”

He is also making his firm ready to the challenge of globalization, by keeping themselves abreast to new methods and technology and being exposed to buildings and design works in and out of the country.

Milestones

These are some of the secrets to his success, one that led him to qualify in the roster of exemplary architects in the ASEAN region when he was recognized and deemed fit by the ASEAN Monitoring Committee on Architectural Services of the Philippine as one of the most enviable ASEAN architects in the country.

In the same month, he bagged the Most Outstanding Professional 2018 in the Field of Architecture award at the 17th Annual Gawad Amerika Award. His very recent feat also includes having been conferred as a Fellow to the prestigious Royal Institute of Architects of Singapore.

He is also one of the few Filipino architects to be recognizes as an International Associate of the American Institute of Architects.

Partnerships

In the past 20 years, his firm has been collaborating and working with architects from foreign principals of automotive companies. They’ve successfully formed a strong alliance where technology and material derived from the respective country of origin is adapted locally to suit local building laws and material substitution to local availability.

Other collaborative works include designing Industrial Complex of foreign locators inside Clark and Subic Freeport Zones, taking into major considerations\ the operations of such entities, and considering its impact on the environment.

These we successfully addressed by converting their technologies and materials they introduce from their country of origins to suit substitute materials and in compliance with local climate and existing building laws.

Future Perfect

Normandy Architects, for its part, will continue to uphold its philosophy that represents Kapampangans and elevates the stature of Filipino architecture.

It knows the value of forging relationships—with clients, colleagues, and most especially the environment. It stays true to its commitment to maintain quality service through hands-on principal involvement, open line communication, attention to budgets and schedules, state-of-the- art technology, and the highest standard of design.

It’ll continue to adhere to the priorities of the client and maintain that client relationship frames the process by which Normandy Architects functions.

“We will continue to design buildings that are not only awe-inspiring but also functional, economical, and sustainable,” Ar. Canlas proudly enthuses.

He concluded that indeed, his main goal is to “pave the way for well-designed and livable spaces that have humane quality and always take into consideration its impacts on its beneficiaries and the environment.”