Architect and master-planner Cathy Saldaña on creativity, life, and a building industry with stronger female voices— by design.



Naturally Inspired

“Creativity is the guiding spirit in all my pursuits,” says pdp Architects CEO and Managing Director Cathy Saldaña, whose life blueprint involves crafting better living spaces, townships, and cities. “It is with creative intent that I design, master plan sites, and envision architecture.”

What serve as testaments to Cathy’s creativity are her projects, both built and unbuilt. The architect always designs with nature in mind—drawing inspiration from rice planting for a northern resort’s design, alluding to the patterns of sand created by tides for a project in Bohol, and visualizing the sinews of a banana stalk’s cross section for the architectural details of the Damosa Diamond Tower in Davao. “I am also inspired by people and their activities,” she adds, recalling how Damosa Diamond Tower earned Best Architecture Design for an Office Tower from the 2019 Philippine Property Awards. “It helped that their real estate leader is a young visionary himself, Mr. Cary Lagdameo.” Cathy has collaborated with various architects, engineers, developers, and clients with diverse principles and beliefs, allowing her to learn that who one chooses to work with really matters. While this rings true, she believes that the person anybody must always be able to rely on is one’s self. 

All in a Day’s Worth

Every day is an experience for Cathy. “I start before 7 AM to maximize my day,” she says, “I regularly attend Jesuit mass at 8am, or the Manila Cathedral mass at 12 noon.” Her days involve working through phone calls, attending online meetings, conducting site visits, and going to a few face-to-face meetings. She reinforces her busy weekly schedule with regular exercise for at least 3 times a week, regularly seen brisk walking with her dogs in their village. With work taking up most of her time, the architect makes an effort to prioritize her wellbeing.

“I also take vitamin supplements in these uncertain times and try to eat as much healthy food as I can, she shares, adding that she allows herself the occasional indulgence of truffle lechon and white rice. Her days usually end with her in spontaneous prayer with her husband Alex, targeting at least 6-8 hours of sleep. “A good night’s rest, a book and a drink together in tandem by the beach, being at home, basking in a comfort spot in prayer and solitude, enjoying a good meal and spending time with loved ones” is how Cathy defines her downtime. This is how she refills her emotional and mental reserves for design work, always allotting time for breaks not only for herself but also for her team.

Sustainable. Filipino. Women.

With over three decades in the industry, the  work-from-home setup brought by COVID-19 has given Cathy time to ponder on her chosen calling and her contribution towards it.

“We see much promise in 2022. I see our industry recovering as there is a need for better planning and rebuilding of homes and communities where people spend more of their time.”

For Cathy, this recovery means a shift in ways of thinking and policy. She believes that professional and personal interactions must be mediated by adequate space, an ample amount of fresh air, and natural ventilation. “These are the new elements of luxury,” she shares, adding that “technology will intervene so quickly so as to make virtual meetings more engaging.”

The architect underscores how the pandemic has taught people the value of better resource management, as well as sustainable design. “Respect for the sites we build, our esteem for our Philippine islands, and value for the people must always be part of our work,” she enumerates. She also adds that what excites her these days is her advocacy for a stronger Philippine design vocabulary.

Cathy consistently engages in events and groups that encourage better design thinking and higher standards for developments. “We recognize that being global and local can co-exist in our designs, in our collaborations, in our dreams for the future of Architecture and Planning in the country.”

In all the roads and roles she takes, Cathy always remembers to carry a certain personal advocacy. She recalls an online conference for Manila Fame in 2020, where the topic was breaking the glass ceiling, focusing on women in design. “I felt it was my task to nudge and awaken the spirit of women in the creative industries. I hope to continue being a voice for the female architects, designers, and planners in a field still recognized to be dominated by men.”

Cathy recognizes the famous Zaha Hadid as an inspiration for women creatives, saying that the late architect “rolled out the carpet for female designers all over the world through her commanding strength, uniqueness in design vision and a legacy for her associates.” Cathy hopes that she will embody all the beautiful qualities of her inspirations, carrying her mental and spiritual growth in order to further her sustainable, Filipino, and gender-neutral advocacies.

As someone experienced enough to know what she wants yet young enough to still dream, one can only await what next life-monolith Cathy Saldaña reveals. “Maybe creative writing, oil painting, or culinary pursuits,” she answers when asked about hobbies she would want to further explore. For now, the architect is in no rush, proceeding as planned, on time, and content with tracing back the merits of her work while continuously walking along the lines.

Get in touch with Cathy through mlcsaldana@gmail.com.

—alike.com.ph


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