In many ways, Italy and the Philippines are extremely similar. This is one of the reasons why I feel at home here and why I love working with Filipinos. I feel lucky to have found a place that allows me to feel like I am home.
The Italians and the Filipinos are both fun loving and family oriented, but I think one of the best Filipino traits is their ability to make light of stressful situations. Without taking things too seriously, they are able to face problems in a professional manner. This ability, I believe, helps to make life easier. It also creates fantastic working relations — it’s always great to work with a group that can perform well even during stressful times.
And so I am in the Philippines working mostly with Filipino experts about 60% of the time. I spend the other 40% working in Rome to develop the market there for Filipinos who wish to invest their hard-earned money back in the Philippines. Aside from that, I meet with Italian service providers who are developing videos, graphics, and other concepts for Italpinas.
But aside from work, my time in Italy is also spent taking inspiration from the beautiful art and architecture and all the historical places like museums, ruins, monuments, and so on. I go around and immerse myself in this unique atmosphere. It’s true that in my younger years, I was very much influenced by all the architectural wonders — growing up in Rome was like being in an outdoor museum all the time! But the main reason I got into architecture was my love for cars.
I initially wanted to become a car designer and have, in fact, taken part in some competitions for BMW, Mitsubishi, Peugeot. I was able to bring home some awards, but when I was in the university at the Sapienza Universita de Roma, I simply fell in love with architecture and it then became my primary objective and dream to become an architect. The discipline of architecture involves both theoretical study and actual practice, which is great for me because I love both and I have always liked to work.
Fast forward to several years later, I find myself in the Philippines as the Executive Chairman and CEO of Italpinas and in my work here I have observed that Filipino architects–and the Filipino artists, in general–have started looking “inward” for inspiration. This pertains to the rediscovery of one’s unique culture, which is necessary to be able to create the Filipino architectural vocabulary and to define a style that is not influenced by external design but is truly, wholly one’s own.
There are many things here that architects and artists can take inspiration from; there is really no need to look elsewhere. I do believe that unless a country and its artists are able to rediscover their own roots, improve on it and enhance it, then they cannot create a masterpiece.
About Architect Romolo Nati
Romolo Valentino Benedetto Nati known as Romolo Nati or RVN, is a multi-awarded Italian architect and businessman with interest in sustainable development (energy and real estate). He is the current Executive Chairman and CEO of Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC), an Italian-Filipino real estate development firm that specializes in the design and development of sustainable buildings. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Philippine renewable energy company Constellation Energy Corporation (CEC) that focuses in acquiring, financing and developing small to medium-scale renewable energy projects across the Philippines. Follow Architect Nati on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.