STUDIO ALMERA is a full-service, multidisciplinary, global design studio that specializes in Spatial Design, Branding, Ephemerals, Creative Direction & Consulting services.

We believe in the value of creating wonderfully unique emotion-driven design that serves a purpose and resonates with their audience.

StudioAlmera starts each project by understanding the user, their culture, and the holistic & empathic DNA they exude.

The key to having a good design - no matter what scale or discipline - is through an emotional design process driven by purpose.

Studio Almera Manifesto

Meet the team

We are storytellers influenced by our passion to augment lifestyles through wonderful experiences, nonlinear narratives, and an original design point of view.

  • Founder, Principal Designer & Creative Director

    PJ Almera is a contemporary multidisciplinary designer born and raised in Manila, Philippines. A licensed architect by profession, he has studied different design & creative disciplines during his practice. His collective experiences as an architect ignited his passion to influence and augment the lifestyle and knowledge of his clients—which led him to pursue his own studio, Studio Almera in 2015, which then got established in 2017.

    In 2018, Almera flew to Milan, Italy and took his Master’s Degree in Contemporary Interior Design at Istituto Marangoni - Milano Design School. His exposure to Italian design and culture gave him inspiration to branch out his practice in various arts, new media, & design fields.

    His experience in Marangoni and Italy opened many doors for him, one of which led him to design products with a fresh approach that incorporates both Philippine and European cultures. In 2020, Almera launched ACIIID, a trend forecasting company which focuses on design research, working hand in hand with Studio Almera’s interdisciplinary design process.

    PJ Almera’s manifesto is focused on creating a contemporary approach in design, infusing cultures, and expressing emotions. His unconventional approach to the design process is a combination of intensive research, brainstorming, and an emotional release of creative explorations.

 
 
 
  • Design & Managing Director

    With more than 14 years of experience in the interior design and construction industry, IDr. Denise Ayado is currently the Design and Managing Director of Studio Almera, president of ARKonst Construction Corp, Senior Project Manager of GlobalReach Design Inc, and the Director for Business Strategies at ACIIID, Inc .

    She took her Master’s Degree in Interior Design at the Florence Institute of Design International in Florence, Italy and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

    An active advocate for transforming the landscape of design education in the country, she was the former Academic Chairperson at SoFA Design Institute and is currently the Deputy Chair and one of the Philippine representatives of the Educational Policy Committee at the Asia Pacific Space Designer’s Association (APSDA).

    She is also a recipient of the “50 Edutech Leaders” award during the World Education Congress in 2019 and has conducted numerous public speaking engagements in the country and abroad.

    Denise Ayado’s design manifesto is focused on creating holistic and experiential environments and solutions to address more than just the requirements of function and aesthetics. Her methodology is an amalgamation of theoretical, technical, and intuitive approaches, stemming from her years of experience in the field and in the academe, combined with esoteric approaches.

  • Nina Rito

    Junior Interior & Multi-disciplinary Designer

    Nina Rito is a Junior Interior Designer of Studio Almera she mainly focuses on spatial & conceptual design. She graduated from SoFA Design Institute with a Degree in BS Interior Design in 2022. Her experiences as a designer started out with exploring different types of media which led her to do graphic design and interior styling. This gave her an opportunity to venture out more of her skills and to not just focus on designing.

    She is versatile, someone who thinks outside the box, and is not afraid of trying new things, as she said with her mantra "Always have a curious and open mind because from there you will always have a new perspective and you will never be afraid of change." She enjoys experimenting with her style of contemporary meets surrealist design. Recently she is more curious about colors that impact spaces, visual brand design and sustainability.

    Nina's interests are traveling, photography, outdoor activities and being a barista (occasionally).

  • Diane Go

    Junior Architect & Multi-disciplinary Designer

    Diane Go is a Junior Architect of Studio Almera who focuses on spatial and experiential designs. She graduated cum laude with a degree in BS of Architecture in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in 2020. Being interested in design led her to explore different disciplines dabbling in graphic and interior design after college. Exposing herself to various fields has helped hone her skills in visualization, conceptualization, design direction, problem-solving, and user experience. She loves designing with negative spaces and balancing the elements of space regardless of the style. Her work usually roots from deep or experimental concepts finessed in order for her audience to digest and understand easily. She values the idea of empathic design- creating things that tap into people’s emotions.

    Lately, she has developed a curiosity for sustainability, regeneration, and conservation concepts that could be incorporated to design. In Diane’s free time, she enjoys traveling and outdoor activities lending herself to the natural environment. She also loves drinking coffee, binge-watching tv shows, and experiencing new things.

  • Mitzi Arrojo

    Multi-disicpiinary Design Apprentice

    Mitzi Arrojo is an Interior Design student and a Design Apprentice of Studio Almera, leaning in the direction of conceptual and ephemeral design - a discipline that offers infinite possibilities, as many as a space can encompass. She loves the temporality for it allows her to have more freedom and experimentation and it taps her creativity and strategic thinking.

    Growing up she was exposed to print design, layout, and photography. But it is during her study that added yet another layer to her understanding of design. Mitzi is adaptive and always open to learning, experiencing new things, and using different tools and techniques to create. This allowed her to explore design challenges in a variety of disciplines. Her love of the creative space has led her to immerse herself in various forms of art and design like music, sculpture, object design, and visual communication design. She’s a little bit of this and that, rolled into one convenient sushi.

    Outside of work, Mitzi loves to watch French New Wave films, reads classic literature, does film photography, and listens to jazz-pop and neo-soul.

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