When Robbie Antonio started Antonio Development in New York City, he did so with a bold idea: a collaboration with Pei Partnership on what would become the architect’s only homegrown residential project. That idea took shape in The Centurion, a boutique limestone tower in Midtown Manhattan.For Antonio, it wasn’t just a career milestone. It was a design education, a crash course in timeless execution, and the start of a lifelong conviction: that architecture and business can be fused to create lasting value.
More than a decade later, Antonio has set up a private family office, and the same design-first, strategy-aligned mindset is visible across these future ventures. What began as a developer’s instinct has matured into a more holistic approach to investing, branding, and scaling across industries.
A Philosophy becomes a platform
The Centurion, completed in 2008, was a formative project. Its precise geometry, clean lines, and restrained luxury reflected Pei’s philosophy: that good design is not about spectacle, but permanence. Antonio, then a first-time developer, led the site assembly and execution, working closely with I.M. Pei and his son, Sandi.
A major factor in making the collaboration possible was Century Properties founder Ambassador Jose E.B. Antonio, whose longstanding relationship with I.M. Pei helped pave the way. Even after his retirement, I.M PEI returned to play a key role in both The Centurion and the Qatar Museum projects, at the request of Ambassador Antonio.
That early success wasn’t just about location. It was about differentiation; the kind that comes from choosing collaborators carefully, managing details rigorously, and designing with intent.
Today, those same principles guide how the private family office will operate. While the group has grown far beyond its real estate roots, its current projects carry echoes of that original DNA.
Building with clarity, to stand the test of time
Across all of these initiatives, a pattern emerges: bold partnerships, disciplined execution, and a belief in long-term value over short-term hype.
“There are easier ways to build,” Antonio says. “But I’ve seen what happens when you start with clarity. When you work with people at the top of their field, and design something that can stand the test of time.”
That clarity now defines the private family office’s edge. It isn’t just about luxury towers or big-name collaborators. It’s about using design and brand credibility not as decorations but as levers for serious value creation. For Antonio, the Pei partnership wasn’t just a collaboration; it was a model of how principle and performance can coexist.
“The Centurion taught me that great design is quiet,” Antonio reflects. “It doesn’t need to scream. It just needs to last.”
ADVT.
This article is brought to you by JAGI.
Source: https://business.inquirer.net/538823/design-as-strategy-robbie-antonio-on-building-with-purpose
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