About Me

DOUGLAS TOLAINE, Brazilian, Architect Designer and Urban Planner, 52 years old, CDO (Chief Design Officer), Director Design Perkins&Will São Paulo, Sector leader in C.O.M., married, father of 3 daughters, loved swimming, passionate about nature and swimming in the sea. Born in Vila Madalena, São Paulo, a neighborhood that reflects all the power of the cultural and bohemian life of the capital of São Paulo. Body and soul of an architect, this is how I define myself and how I perceive my passions for architecture, design and life. I am interested in human relations and have more than 29 years of experience working in various sectors. As my architect and businessman lead a busy life and this aligns with their restless nature. As design director and creative director of one of the largest and most important architecture and design studios in the world, Perkins&Will, present in 32 studios around the world and on 4 continents and with around 2700 architects, leads the Brazilian studio design Together there is a team of 100 associated architects. All passion, effort and dedication translates into relevant and important 38 international awards that we have received in the last 5 years. Always seeking learning and knowledge, I dedicate myself and delve deeply into the universe of our projects. For me, architecture is a way to make a positive difference and influence people's lives. I fill my soul when I can transform people's lives. I forged my character, values ​​and principles through my family values ​​and my history in sport. I was an athlete for over 13 years and today I understand how important it was for my life, where I learned and perfected my skills and explored my limits and possibilities. Resilience, predicting movements, creating strategies, playing as a team, overcoming your limits and training hard are still part of my daily life today. I have a great ability to capture client needs and reflect their expectations in projects. The maxim we use in our daily lives is “we do what the customer needs, not what they ask”, as we have the ability to understand the needs of our customers who are not always able to translate them into words. We build dreams through excellence in design with a lot of innovation and creativity. For some years now, my mission in life has been to share the knowledge acquired throughout my journey inside the studio and outside it through lectures, expository classes, MBAs and courses for professionals, thus sharing my knowledge and my stories. Above all, I approach my work with dedication and passion.

Corpo, mente e alma de arquiteto, é assim que me defino e percebo as minhas paixões pela arquitetura, design e pela vida. Estou interessado em relações humanas e carrego mais de 26 anos de experiência de atuação em diversos segmentos de atuação. Como arquiteto e empresário levo uma vida agitada e isso se alinha a minha natureza inquieta.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Growing up next to a club in São Paulo, Douglas began to participate in team sports still as a kid and, at eleven years old, he gave his first steps towards a career in basketball.  Representing Brazil’s national confederation, Douglas travelled to many countries, which woke his curiosity towards new places, constructions and cultures.
Being a basketball player helped build both his willingness as a team player and sharpened his understanding of the interaction between people and spaces. Long story short, Douglas’ passion for sports helped developing the designer he is today.
His grandparent’s love for painting and music also had its fair share in this story, flourishing Douglas’ interest in arts and making him take painting lessons as a child. Family influences his work until this day. His two daughters inspire him to design better, more nature-connected spaces, in order to improve lives in the communities as a whole. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
TEACHER GUEST TO TEACH CLASSES IN POSTGRADUATE AND MBA
LOVE IT
LECTURES, SYMPOSIUMS AND CONFERENCES
“Seing the difference designers can make in people’s lives is what moves me forward. I believe in the reconnection to natural elements - to our roots - as a tool to regain life-quality and I try to bring it as much as I can into my creations. This is one of my ways of trying to provide more happiness to people through design”.
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