Architect, designer Lor Calma, 97

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine architecture and interior design communities are mourning the passing of architect Lor Calma, a quiet pillar whose career became a cornerstone of Philippine interior design.

Calma died on Jan. 27 at the age of 97, his firm Lor Calma & Partners announced.

“A pioneering Filipino architect and designer, he leaves behind an enduring legacy that helped shape modern Philippine architecture,” the firm said in a statement.

The Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), for its part, also paid tribute, describing Calma as a visionary whose influence helped elevate the profession.

“We mourn the passing of architect Lor Calma – a visionary, mentor and one of the quiet pillars who helped shape the soul of Philippine interior design. At a time when interiors were often seen as mere ornamentation, Lor Calma stood firm in his belief that design is a discipline rooted in space, integrity, culture and human experience,” PIID said. Through his work with the institute, PIID said Calma played a key role in elevating interior design as a principled discipline rooted in ethics, education and responsibility, inseparable from architecture.

“His legacy lives in the values he championed: restraint over excess, meaning over trends, craftsmanship over convenience. He taught us that design is not about spectacle, but about clarity, purpose and respect – for materials, for context and for people. Beyond titles and institutions, he was a quiet guide whose philosophy continues to influence generations of designers,” it said.

“We grieve deeply, but we are grateful. His vision remains embedded in PIID and in every space shaped with thoughtfulness and cultural grounding. His work endures, not as memory alone, but as living practice,” it added.

Calma’s children, designer Lorena Calma and architect Eduardo Calma, said in a social media post that he will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered for his generosity of spirit, his belief in others and the quiet warmth and calm he brought to everyone he met.