Four New Designers Join #teamhacin!
As of this past summer, we are excited to have added four new team members to our studio! Please join us in welcoming René James, Jack Wathieu, Santiago Rivero, and Gina Giannotta to #teamhacin!
Our newest co-op through Northeastern University is René James, a fifth-year student joining us until the end of 2025. Originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, she is an architecture student minoring in Creative Fabrication. Her passion for art and creativity drew her to the field of architecture, where she loves to combine design with expressive, hands-on making. Beyond architecture, she enjoys exploring many forms of creative work, including illustration, model making, video editing, and music. She is also the founder of Portraits By René, a business where she composes quick, stylized portraits for clients.
Jack Wathieu joined Hacin in 2025 after completing his Master of Architecture I at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Georgetown University. He has contributed to institutional and residential design projects at Herzog & de Meuron, Toshiko Mori Architect, and Studio Sean Canty.
Jack’s thesis, developed in collaboration with the Living Observatory, explored the archive as a civic building typology capable of framing public understanding of landscapes in transition. Sited on a former cranberry bog restored as a wetland, the project investigated how an archive might link the memory of the site, its ecology, and its ongoing scientific study. In addition to his work at Hacin, Jack teaches at the Boston Architectural College and has served as a teaching and research assistant at the Harvard GSD. Outside the office, he enjoys photographing landscapes, playing soccer, and taking long walks with his partner.
Santiago Rivero, AIA is an architect who joined Hacin in 2025, bringing with him a diverse range of project experience and a particular interest in adaptive reuse design. He began his career at CannonDesign in Chicago, focusing primarily on large-scale healthcare projects. After relocating to Boston in 2023, he joined Touloukian Touloukian Inc., where his work shifted toward smaller-scale, detail-oriented design. He became a licensed architect in 2025.
Santiago earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture in 2021. During his studies, he spent time abroad at ETSAB in Barcelona and the Steger Center in Switzerland. His thesis project, A Bridge Between Centuries, received a Thesis Book Award for its exploration of how architecture can act as a conduit between eras through the modernization of contextual design language. This academic foundation has deeply influenced his passion for context-driven design, which continues to inform his professional work. Outside the studio, Santiago enjoys going to the gym, experimenting with new recipes, and expanding his travel list—which includes visits to over 30 countries.
Gina Giannotta joined Hacin in the summer of 2025, bringing experience from prestigious, high-end residential interior design firms in Fairfield County, Connecticut. With involvement in every phase of the design process, Gina is known for a positive, collaborative spirit and thoughtful approach to each project. As a designer passionate about sustainability, Gina believes that creating a healthier world can begin in the home. Away from the studio, Gina enjoys staying active through playing tennis, taking long walks, and discovering new places to explore.