Santiago Varela Rizo graduated in Architecture from the Universitat Politècnica de València in 2013 and in Telecommunications Engineering in 1998. He is based in Alicante, where he runs an architecture and consultancy practice. Since the 2003–2004 academic year, he has been an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Alicante.
His architectural practice focuses on the restoration and conservation of built heritage, as well as historical research and architectural documentation. He has collaborated with his father, architect Santiago Varela Botella, on projects including the restoration of Torre Grossa and the citadel of Jijona Castle, and the rehabilitation of Casa Rovira into a public library, also in Jijona. These projects were published in the journal Papeles del Partal in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
His research addresses architectural history, fortifications and heritage conservation. Publications co-authored with Santiago Varela Botella include «Arquitecturas del sistema defensivo en el litoral ilicitano» (2015), «La arquitectura de la presa de Alicante, en el municipio de Tibi» (2020) and «Restaurar Arquitectura y Territorio. Reflexiones para el siglo XXI» (2025).
In 2016, he was elected president of the Cultural Heritage and Popular Culture Commission of the Alicante Local Council of Culture.
Before qualifying as an architect, he worked in the telecommunications sector, contributing to technology projects for companies such as Alcatel, Ericsson and Analog Devices in Spain and Austria.
