Rommel Olaes

Principal

Originally from the Philippines and raised in San Diego, Rommel did not grow up wanting to become an architect. As a child, he first dreamed of becoming an astronaut after reading about the moon missions, and becoming an artist − as drawing and painting was a big part of his upbringing. The path to architecture started after being inspired by his older brother’s technical drawings, along with the “cool” tools used to create them, such as the drafting table, T-square, scales and pencils. His interest grew in high school as he excelled in drafting class and further defined at the university under the tutelage of two influential professors, which led to Rommel joining RNT Architects. Beyond the office, Rommel loves traveling, photography, painting, billiards, poker, snowboarding and especially spending time with his wife and son.