Carlos grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his father worked as a builder. From an early age he spent time on job sites, helping with remodels of investment properties and client projects, and developed an early appreciation for the craft behind a well-made home.

Returning to San Francisco after his studies, he contributed to the restoration of a historic Joseph Esherick home, an Eichler remodel in Sea Cliff, and a Zaha Hadid residence in San Diego — the only single-family home she designed in North America. Working across these projects gave him a lasting respect for design history and radical geometry, along with a clear sense of the practice he wanted to build.

He founded Freeform in 2017 as a multi-disciplinary studio focused on bespoke contemporary spaces. The work begins with the specifics of each project: the site, the client, and the dynamics between them. Outside the studio, Carlos is an avid traveler and spends as much time outdoors as he can.