Philosophy

Architecture must first feel comfortable because it is where the spirit resides. Whether it is to relax, inspire, delight, provoke or excite, architecture must cultivate spirit and evoke a sense of place. My creative intuition always tells me that what is most important is a space that brings about clarity of spirit and well-being.

I have a deep affection for Filipino culture. However, I am not as drawn in expressing the nostalgic, literal or decorative iterations of what is Filipino. Instead, I am interested in abstracting familiar forms from the vernacular, hoping to reinvent our past with contemporary translations of simplicity, context, elegance and comfort.

Through the language of light, energy, technology, craft, materiality and a sense of place, I endeavor to create peaceful, harmonious environments that capture soul and radiate spirit.

Architect Miñana’s reductionist philosophy of form, function and detailing reflect his true nature, and that is, to do away with the irrelevant to pursue that which is important. This philosophy extends to his daily life. He believes that one needs to go within in order to better understand the nature of things; and to clearly express architecture that is not for show but for the well-being and serenity of its users.

Ultimately, Miñana’s pursuit is of the spirit as he celebrates the uniqueness and richness of what is Filipino in a relevant, contemporary language.

By Miguel R. Llona
from My Home magazine, 2015

The development of a modern tropical architecture is at the core of Miñana’s endeavors.

By Robert Powell
from Contemporary Houses in the Philippines,
Talisman Publishing Singapore, 2015

Architect Emmanuel Miñana’s residential projects have lately taken on the characteristics of the numinous and the therapeutic.

By Marge Enriquez
from Inquirer Lifestyle, 2019

Profile

EAMA

Emmanuel A Miñana Architects is an architecture/design firm in Manila founded in 1990. It provides a select range of services from architecture design, architectural interiors design, furniture/fixtures/accessories design and conceptual landscape design. Its portfolio includes residential, corporate, commercial, religious and institutional projects located in Bali (Indonesia), Hong Kong (China), Kuantan (Malaysia), Lake Como (Italy), The Philippines, and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

Ongoing projects include a number of custom private residences and vacation homes.

Principal

Architect Emmanuel A Miñana, born in Cebu City, Philippines in 1961, is the design principal of EAMA. He directs the firm’s architecture and interior design projects from conceptual design, documentation and construction stages through turn over and completion.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of the Philippines in 1984.

Distinctions

Architect Miñana was the first recipient of the Beacon Seal of Excellence award from United Architects of the Philippines ( UAP ) given in December 2020. He received the Haligi Ng Dangal special citation for Excellence in Architecture from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts ( NCCA ) in 2018; and the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information award for Excellence in Architecture reflecting East Asian Identity in 2015.

He was he first Filipino architect shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival ( WAF ) held in Singapore on 2014 for EAMA’s project Villa Marina located in Cabuyao, Laguna.