The architect’s trail

With Spider-Man back in the spotlight through Tom Holland’s blockbuster films, Uncle Ben’s familiar words take on new meaning when seen through the lens of architecture: “Don’t just follow the path, make your own trail.”

For architect Jose Pedro “Bong” Recio, the line is more than a superhero lesson. It reflects his own approach to design and the responsibility that comes with being an architect. His journey, which brought him from Hong Kong to the Philippines, has been influenced by the ambition to determine his own path, challenge the status quo, and establish environments that cater to individuals and their surroundings.

Recio mentioned the Spider-Man reference while addressing a fresh generation of architects. His message was clear: With young designers constantly exposed to spectacular buildings online, architecture should not become an exercise in imitation.

Like Peter Parker learning what it means to carry a responsibility greater than himself, architects also need to understand the impact of what they create on the communities they serve.

“Don’t forget, you’re still here in the Philippines and this is what the Philippines needs,” he told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Finding the trail

Recio’s own trail began with drawing. He said: “I’ve always liked drawing ever since I was a kid.”

His love for art grew through school and the influence of an uncle who painted as a pastime. Architecture seemed like a natural choice. After graduating and becoming licensed, however, Recio quickly learned that the profession was about much more than putting lines on paper.

He moved to Hong Kong, where he worked with established architectural firms, eventually becoming a partner at M. Moser Associates and co-founding RECIO+CASAS in 1988.

When he returned to the Philippines in 1992, he began another chapter of his career, working on projects including Shangri-La Boracay, the Cebu Temple, the Church of the Gesù and the New Rizal Library. He later established RCHITECTS, Inc.

His career has been defined by movement, adaptation and, ultimately, creating a direction of his own.

For Recio, vice president for Administration of the Philippine Institute of Architects, good architecture has no single definition.

He stated, “What is pleasing to the eye, what has good proportions, what will stand the test of time.”

A building must respond to its site, client, community and purpose. Good architecture does not always have to be the loudest or most spectacular. Sometimes, it is simply the one that belongs.

The same thinking shapes his approach to sustainability. Recio began practicing before sustainability became a major part of architectural conversations. Today, he favors practical, passive strategies, including the orientation of buildings.

“So passive ways of trying to achieve green buildings,” Recio explained.

When the trail gets complicated

For Recio, some of architecture’s biggest challenges exist outside the design studio.

He points to the Philippine building code, which he believes needs to be modernized, as well as differences in municipal regulations that can make the approval process difficult.

“The two biggest stumbling blocks is number one, when you’re getting a building permit. Number two is when you’re getting the occupancy permit.”

Improving architecture, then, also means improving the systems that allow buildings to happen. Sometimes, making your own trail means challenging outdated processes, not simply creating unconventional designs.

‘Surviving dinosaur’

Now, another trail is taking shape through artificial intelligence.

Recio accepts that AI is here to stay. He sees it as both disruptive and useful, depending on how architects choose to use it. But he also raises a question that technology cannot easily answer: “Where is the passion? Where is the heart there for the architect?”

Recio continues to create by hand, considering himself one of the “surviving dinosaurs.”

His dedication to freehand drawing demonstrates his conviction that technology ought to assist the architect rather than take the place of the human thought involved in the creation.

AI can create options, but the architect must ultimately determine the reasons for constructing something. That is the point where the path stays human.

For young architects, Recio offers one last piece of advice: Don’t let the allure of stunning architecture make you overlook the nation you’re designing for as, he ended, “This is what the Philippines needs.”