Royal Pineda


Royal Christopher Lopez Pineda is a Filipino architect.

Education

Royal Christopher Lopez Pineda obtained his bachelor's degree in architecture at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He was a beneficiary of the Japan–Philippines cooperation university program. Pineda has worked with Leandro Locsin who was recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines.

Career

Pineda initially collaborated with Budji Layug to form the Budji + Royal Architecture + Design where he was a lead architect. Layug is an interior designer and landscaper known for incorporating Philippine indigenous materials in his design.
Pineda later went solo and formed Royal Pineda+ which advocated for "Filipino modern architecture" designs for its projects.
Among his notable projects are the Clark International Airport terminal 2 building, as well as the New Clark [City Sports Hub], specifically its Athletics Stadium which was based on the Pinatubo volcano. He also made the Bangkota Philippines pavilion at the Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates from 2021 to 2022. He is also the consultant for the new Pasig City hall complex project launched during the administration of mayor Vico Sotto.

Style and method

Royal Pineda is a proponent of Filipino modern architecture. He seeks to challenge the notion of Filipino architecture as being "temporary" as exhibited in the bahay kubo and the Spanish-influenced bahay na bato. He advocates for the usage of local materials along with non-Filipino elements which are most suitable in the Philippines' humid and tropical climate. Pineda coined the philosophy of "practical luxury" in 2010, which he surmise achieving "luxury by design at a reasonable cost" for a project in a developing country such as the Philippines using locally sourced materials.

Personal life

Pineda's full name is Royal Christopher Pineda. The younger Pineda was given that name by his father Reynaldo wanted his son to bare a royalty themed name. The elder Pineda decided against naming Royal as a "junior". He also hails from Pasig where he grew up.

List of architectural works