Growing up in numerous countries has greatly influenced Santiago’s personality and design style. Although his academic start was in Chemical Engineering his creative passion led him to complete his studies in Interior Design. Santiago views design as the link between logic, creativity and functionality and is particularly interested in the physical and emotional influence that shaping a space can have on its end users.
Upon graduating from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Santiago had the pleasure of becoming a part of the diverse and talented team at SSDG - one of BC’s leading design firms. For over 5 years, he honed his design and technical skills and gained an immense amount of experience in Commercial and Office design.
In 2017 Santiago took the opportunity to increase his involvement as an Instructor in the Interior Design program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and to achieve his dream of opening his own design studio; O|NINE Design + Photography.
These new ventures have allowed Santiago to reinforce his diverse set of skills and to face exciting design and business challenges.
Santiago’s passion for education goes beyond the classroom doors. He has been an active member of NEWH (The Hospitality Industry Network) since being the recipient of their Icon of Industry Scholarship back in 2011 and currently sits as the Scholarship and Education Chair for the Vancouver Chapter. He believes in the power of knowledge and the value of education and is extremely excited to be involved with both NEWH + BCIT. It is these types of organizations which inspire students; the future of our industry.
