A Cebu-based design firm established 18 years ago to stem the loss of local creative talent is gaining international recognition after expanding its footprint across the Philippines and neighboring countries.

ArchiGlobal Inc., an architectural firm based in Mandaue City, Cebu, has developed a portfolio of multimillion-peso projects across the province, the Philippines, and international markets since its founding in July 2008.

Architect Michael Torres, current president and chief executive officer, founded the firm with a vision to nurture local talent and prevent a brain drain of designers seeking better opportunities abroad, according to chief operating officer Jonas R. Suan.

“His dream evolved,” Suan said. “He kept repeating it, he wanted to nurture and prevent brain drain from talents here and from going abroad to look for better opportunities.”

The firm began with fewer than 20 creative employees focused primarily on residential designs. As operations expanded, productivity was challenged by a lack of upgraded hardware needed to transition from two-dimensional modeling to three-dimensional design.

“The challenge before was when we analyze plans — structural, mechanical, plumbing, sanitary works, electrical — we were imagining the 3D plan while only looking at a 2D paper,” Suan said.

To address the bottleneck, ArchiGlobal received P2.6 million in funding assistance in September 2022 from the Department of Science and Technology through its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program.

The funds were used to procure multiple computers and devices, enabling a shift to 3D modeling and streamlining design production.

The intervention reduced drawing production time for a standard 10,000-square-meter project by more than half.

The increased efficiency allowed the firm to take on at least three additional 10,000-square-meter projects annually, bringing its capacity to about five such projects per year and generating an estimated P15 million in revenue — representing up to 30 percent annual growth.

ArchiGlobal now employs 120 creatives and has completed 200 design and structure projects covering 1,350 hectares of land and 2.9 million square meters of space.

“I asked him, ‘Mike, did you foresee that you’ll grow this big?’ And he said, ‘Yes,’” Suan said. “But not this fast.”

Major projects include the renovation of Ayala Center Cebu in 2024, the construction of Mahi Mactan in 2026, the design of Caniaw Peak in Ilocos, commercial spaces in Japan and Indonesia, and projects across Mindanao and South Luzon.

The firm also oversaw the reconstruction of Tops Cebu, a popular scenic viewpoint in Busay, Cebu.

“We preserved that because it has sentimental value. People knew it before,” Suan said, noting that the design retained the character of the site where local students historically gathered while expanding its facilities.

ArchiGlobal holds seven spots on the ARC Icon list by Arch Circle Collectives, which spotlights 100 top iconic Filipino architectural works. The firm was recognized as one of the top 10 architectural firms in the Philippines by BCI Central in 2023 and 2024, and received the Ani ng Dangal award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2025.