The Multiplier Effect: Working with Consultants

Evan is the founder and inspiration behind the international design firm ARCH Production & Design. For over 10 years his goal has been to grow and develop his company of highly skilled, vibrant and dedicated people-artisans, who have the ability to push the boundaries in their field, and to do so with an eye toward responsibility for each other and the planet. Evan’s own experience is vast, from small scale manufacturing, and custom rigging installations, to the creation of sets and props for commercial window displays, showrooms, photo shoots, films, and theater productions. He has brought his many skills to the marine environment; and his vast range of experience landed him working on a number of components for the Disneyland Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean ride and water park.

Santiago has been an integral member of the teams behind education, not-for-profit, workplace, and hospitality projects. He co-leads New York’s Community Impact team (Gensler’s volunteer group), is a firmwide leader for ECC 2.0 (the next generation of leaders for the Education, Civic and Culture practice area), and is regional leader for the Foundations, Associations and Organizations practice area. He leads pro-bono projects, works on research initiatives and has moderated panel discussions and round tables. In 2015, Santiago served as cultural ambassador to the new Gensler Office in Mexico City where he oversaw the development of the office culture.  Working with Change for Kids, Santiago helps fundraise and provide opportunities to over 5,000 students in the NYC public school system. He is a board member in Build Out Alliance, an organization seeking to promote and advocates for LGBTQ+ people serving openly and with pride in the building design and construction industry.

A native of Shanghai China, Xie Xin holds a bachelor’s in Architecture Design from the China Academy of Fine Arts and a Master of Science in Healthcare Environments from Virginia Tech. Xie is currently an interior healthcare designer with the New York office of Perkins&Will where she has been involved is developing exceptional healthcare environments in the United States, China, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. She has taken a central role as client liaison and in-house consultant for the office’s China projects and has become a valuable resource to the firm.

Jennifer has spent 20 years covering interior design, furnishings, and more for magazines in New York, Los Angeles, and now Washington, D.C., where she serves as Editor-in-Chief of i+D, the magazine for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and Interior Designers of Canada (IDC). i+D was named an Honorable Mention for Overall Editorial Excellence in the 2019 Folio magazine awards.

Her work has appeared in various publications, including Luxe Interiors + Design, Western Interiors + Design, FORM, and ASPIRE Design & Home, as well as on Houzz.com and About.com, where she served as Home Furnishings Expert. Prior to working at ASID National headquarters, she served on the Board of Directors for the ASID New York Metro chapter and also as editor of both the New York Metro and New Jersey chapter magazines.

Jennifer earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Drexel University and has taken assorted design classes covering theory, practice, and history, at Parsons School of Design, New York University, and Sotheby's Institute of Art.