For over 22 years, we at Design HQ have been passionate about creating spaces reflecting the individuality of our client. Imagination and knowledge are the core values that drive us. We strive to push our imagination for a fresh look injected with design savvy and an eye for detail in the modern and eclectic styles we predominantly design in. We continually expand our knowledge from the experience each project gives us and keenly watching and learning market innovations. Working together with an emphasis on listening, the result is truly a collaboration between Design HQ and the client.
Frenjick Quesada, PIID, CPA
Frenjick draws from over 19 years of interior design experience and 6 years of corporate finance and business consultancy as a Certified Public Accountant with Sycip, Gorres and Velayo (SGV) and Procter & Gamble. Clients welcome his perspective that balances creativity with business aspects of a project. He apprenticed for Naomi “Shoko” Matsumoto, a world renowned theater and interior lighting designer. He enjoys sharing his experiences with the design community through speaking engagements. These include talks by the Ayala Museum, the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers and the University of the Philippines among others. In 2015 Philippine Katha Awards, he was part of the board of judges.
Principal
Hisako Hirayama
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Hisako, or Chako as she is known, received her degree in Interior Design from the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID). Having worked as a producer in the field of theater & performing arts for several years in Tokyo prior to her move to the Philippines in 1997, her background in the arts has provided a natural transition to the world of interior design. Since co-founding Design HQ with Frenjick, she has designed both residential and commercial spaces in a variety of styles, from modern to transitional to eclectic. She has a particular interest in lighting design, and has attended French lighting guru Louis Clair’s workshop in Manila, among others.
Associate Design Principal
WELL AP
Denille Teh
Den graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in Interior Design. As a WELL Accredited Professional, Den believes that advocating for healthier interior spaces adds a whole other dimension to interior design. She is passionate about deepening her understanding of the design practice, and part of this is learning how creative fields like interior design can play a positive role in nurturing people’s health and well-being.
During her free time, she enjoys reading books, watching TV series, attending workshops and experimenting in digital art.
Senior Design Manager
Jobele Tee
Jobs graduated from UST with a BS Interior Design degree. She likes the number “2” and loves anything dark chocolate. Some things she would love to cross off her bucket list include watching U2 live in concert, having her own letterpress studio and riding the tallest, fastest, oldest, most looped roller coasters in the world.
Senior Design Manager
Macon Davila
Macon is an Interior Design graduate from UP Diliman. She takes inspiration from human experiences, culture, and the human psyche and strives to translate them into well-designed spaces. Her thought process is always paired with a fresh glass of iced coffee or milk tea, and some of her brightest ideas can come from a good stretch during yoga.
Senior Interior Designer
IT Officer
Terence Yu
Terence is a graduate of the Philippine School of Interior Design. He is someone who finds all facets of design fascinating. A true car nut, his hobby is collecting die-cast automobiles. He can also always be found reading articles about cars or playing car-related games. He also loves to sleep, which he finds makes him very creative, with ideas emerging as he wakes up.
Junior Design Manager
Social Media Manager
Mari Alyssa Loreto
Alyssa graduated BS Interior Design from the University of San Carlos. Growing up in a small town beside the shore of a vast sea and in front of a majestic mountain range, she adores the beauty of nature. At home, she finds time to appreciate the view of the sunset at the beach with her guitar and her music as a companion. She has always had a passion for the arts: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Literary Arts. She believes that this passion is what will help her to leave her mark in this world.
Technical Design Manager
Eunice Galat
Growing up, Eunice saw blueprints from her dad’s work all over their home, which sparked her interest in the field of construction and design. She eventually got her degree in Interior Design from the University of Santo Tomas. She is also fascinated by furniture design and aspires to create and produce her own furniture collection someday. Aside from this, she is a curious learner and is passionate about the things she does and believes in. In her spare time, she likes listening to podcasts, spending time with friends, and playing with her nephews.
Interior Designer
Jorese Chan
Jorese graduated with a BFA in Interior Design from University of the East- Caloocan. From when she was a design student, her dedication to interior design has never waivered. She particularly enjoys doing the detailed drawings of projects she handles. An introvert’s persona with an extrovert’s soul, she is mostly found exploring outdoors, doing food crawls and travelling. She also likes attending concerts even if she has to go alone. Her hobbies include journaling, calligraphy, and macramé, and recently has added crocheting which she turned into a small business during the pandemic.
3D Specialist
Yuri Ishida
Yuri started Civil Engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology and then shifted to Architecture to pursue her dreams since a child. Her inspirations comes from these Iconic Architects, Kenzo Tange, Tadao Ando and Zaha Hadid. Aside from her passion in Architecture, she enjoys hiking and travelling across the Philippines to find and explore different wonders of nature.
Junior Designer
Audrey Gaffud
Audrey fell in love with art and design at a young age. Her dad spoiled her with blank canvases to fill with colors and creative imagination. This simple activity developed her innate passion for design. Every summer she traveled to Shanghai with her family and visited places such as the World Expo exposing her to different international architecture and interiors. This gave her the additional push to take up Interior Design at the University of Santo Tomas.
Technical Designer II
Alexa Geronimo
Alexa graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Interior Design. She loves making and drinking coffee, and spends her free time going to coffee shops that pique her interests. With this, she dreams to open her own coffee shop in collaboration with her friends and set up a furniture studio as well. A fan of sunsets in front of the sea. She is also often caught binge watching shows on the weekends.
Junior Designer
Celine Cruz
Celine is an alumna of the University of Santo Tomas. She is an Interior Design graduate with a knack for art. She loves to paint and sketch during her spare time to de-stress. She also takes interest in creating various crafting projects. She aspires to be a furniture designer and have her own design studio someday.
Junior Architect
Jayvee Francisco
Jayvee began his Architectural journey at Bulacan State University where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree and Certifications in Building Technology & Architectural Interiors. For him, design is experiential rather than visual. Spending time with his family consumes his spare time. He also finds relaxation through sketching and doing watercolor drawings.
Junior Designer
Ryan Gablines
An avid urban sketcher, mural artist, and creative, Ryan enjoys all things about art, design, and history. He graduated BS Interior Design from the University of San Carlos and considers himself hardworking and passionate with a determined mindset. Sketching outdoors, doing abstract paintings, watching anime, and playing the bandurria are some of his hobbies that keep him motivated. As a young advocate of culture and heritage, he always loves to visit and see
heritage structures, museums, and artifacts from the past. One of his bucket lists is to have a
design studio with his friends.
Junior Designer
Ira Oblepias
Ira earned her degree in Interior Design from the University of Santo Tomas.
Her passion for the arts started at a young age, leading her to pursue a career in design. She is fascinated with all art forms and consistently looks for interior design possibilities. She also enjoys nature and traveling and finds inspiration in her explorations. In her free time, she likes sketching and painting, watching movies and series, and listening to music.
Junior Designer
Aleisa Lamboloto
Aleisa grew up as a cultural dancer where she found her passion in authentic Filipino arts. Taking inspiration from the embodiment of Filipino culture, she pursued BS Interior Design in Polytechnic University of the Philippines with an objective of transcending the tangible to create deliberately designed spaces. She is curious, keen to details, and aspires to have her own line of decor and furniture in the future. Aside from interior design, she likes trying food, watching series and movies of different cultures. She also loves having deep conversations with her family and friends, always with a hot coffee.
Junior Architect
Levinson Rubio
Lev holds a degree in Architecture from Far Eastern University-Manila. He strongly holds the belief that Architecture acts as a pivotal point between Science and Art. During his free time, he takes pleasure in indulging in anime films and manga, as well as appreciating various music genres while sipping coffee.
Junior Designer
Mico Masangcay
With a penchant for post-modern style, Mico loves to explore unconventional elements to create striking designs that are full of personality. During his undergraduate studies in DLS-CSB and UP Diliman, Mico was exposed to all walks of life, making him value empathy, quality, and diversity in his works. A people person and an aspiring leader, Mico plans to manage his own design firm someday. Prioritizing work-life balance, Mico makes time to enjoy playing video games, training in mixed martial arts, and spending time with loved ones during cozy staycations.
Junior Designer
John Alvin Nuñez
Alvin started his journey in interior design as a draftsman for his Interior Designer friend. This partnership helped him financially with his studies, and later received a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from P.U.P. Sta. Mesa.
Through his journey, he found happiness in creating 3d models and creating elaborate details on how to make them. This pushed him to take it on the next level and achieve a professional license in Interior Design.
As a licensed Interior Designer, he still strives to improve himself and tried to identify and conquer his weakness to grow and be a better person than he was yesterday.
Junior Designer
Andrea Lim
Never losing her love for illustration and the arts as a child, Andrea graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in Interior Design. She loves to produce spaces that walk the line between contemporary and kitsch. Her dream room would be an eclectic space filled with Sanrio plushies, strange paintings and rich accent colors. She dreams of a life spent constantly learning about culture and art from all over the world.
Junior Designer
Rogeline Dela Rosa
Growing up with only creativity and passion as a kid, Roge loved to give handmade gifts to her loved ones, not knowing that art and design would become her career and would enable her to create beautiful spaces in the future. She also considered pursuing cooking, her first love, as a profession, but God had bigger plans, leading her to pursue Interior Design. She is a graduate of Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology or EARIST – Manila. With goals in her head, she hopes to continuously improve her knowledge and experience in Interior Design. She hopes one day to look out on her own island and say to herself, “You’ve grown a lot.”
Junior Architect
Irish Lajara
Irish graduated with a degree in BS Architecture from Mapua University. As an architect, her designs reflect the ability to balance her own creative expression with the client’s self-expression. Her warm and uplifting personality is a gift to both her workmates and her clients. She also has a growth mindset, constantly challenging herself in exploring and executing new ideas in her work. Beyond architecture, she also seeks to expand her experiences by traveling, going to concerts, and trying out new activities like running.
Junior Designer
Kaz Picazo
Kaz graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from UP Diliman. An artist and extrovert at heart, her philosophy is to create empathic designs that bring out the magic in our spaces. She loves connecting with people, making art, studying languages, and doing different sports like running and rollerskating. Her goal is to never stop learning and to live a fruitful life with the least amount of regrets.
Junior Designer
Czerina Baluyot
Czerina is a believer in invisible strings and fate. Her love for arts as a means of escape from reality and fascination with how interior spaces affect the way we feel resulted in her taking Interior Design at the University of Santo Tomas, graduating with Latin honors, and getting her license the next year. She gives her all once she makes up her mind and is an INFJ. She loves to read, cook and bake, paint, watch anime, k-drama, and movies, and she’s always open to learning new things. She dreams of traveling the world and designing spaces that always tell a story.
Junior Architectural Designer
Azalea Mercado
An Architecture graduate from Holy Angel University, Azalea has been into design since she was young. Instead of playing with dolls and toys, she’d often be happy just having a pencil and paper to draw with and creating her own floor plans. During her free time, her hobbies are cross stitching, crocheting, and sewing which are on the artsy side too. As a foodie, she is also into cooking and baking, and she experiments with different recipes she finds online.
Junior Technical Designer
Mary Joice Ligas
Mary Joice received her BS in Interior Design from Philippine Women’s University Manila. She grew up with a love for making miniature models from recycled material with her father. This has led to an awareness and respect for the environment, and to pursue a career in design. Growing up in a rural area, she dreamed of building her firm next to the rice field and enjoying a simple and abundant life. She spends her spare time with her nephews and nieces, watches k-drama, and listens to classical music.
Junior Technical Designer
Jamie Stevens
Jamie graduated cum laude in BS interior design from the University of Santo Tomas. She believes that designers are storytellers who reflect one’s journey, ambitions, and aspirations through the spaces they create; this belief fueled her passion for design. Together with her siblings, she hopes to open their own design firm someday. While she may prefer staying indoors, she loves swimming to destress and once was a part of their school’s varsity swim team. Her idea of a perfect day off is snuggling with her dog in bed all day while binge-watching rom-com movies and reading her daily horoscope.
Junior Technical Designer
Elle Celajes
Elle earned her degree in Interior Design from UP Diliman. Her passion for designing started with DIY projects and small room decorations, followed by being inspired by K-dramas and music videos which led her to pursue the course. Elle believes that a good design can heighten one’s well-being. She also likes incorporating organic forms and natural materials in her work. She aspires to encapsulate the meaning of style, functionality, equity, and what it means to live well through the spaces she shapes. Aside from design, Elle also loves reading about astronomy, history, culture, and just anything that piques her curiosity.
Junior Technical Designer
Kaye Fernandez
Kaye is an Interior Design graduate from the University of the East Caloocan. Growing up in a family of engineers and architects started her passion and interest in design. Her interests include writing poems, typography, and listening to deep sleep playlists. She also enjoys watching K-drama and rom-com series during her free time with chips and an upside-down
caramel macchiato on the side.
caramel macchiato on the side.
Junior Technical Designer
Rand Patrick Corleto
Rand found his interest in art and design when he was a child. Being exposed to the creative world as a Special Program in the Arts student, he was inspired to take the creative path and pursue Interior Design at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He likes spending his leisure time outdoors traveling and experiencing new places as it helps him shift his perspective and look at things differently. Aside from the design field, he also loves photography, plant scaping, and immersing himself in different community involvement activities.
Junior Technical Designer
Jazzy Kho
Jazzy is a graduate of the BS Interior Design program at the University of Santo Tomas. She is an organized and result-oriented individual who commits to proposing creative and unique design concepts. With proficient skills in generating imaginative ideas and realistic implementations, she embodies the role of a dreamer and a realist. Jazzy is a perfectionist who approaches design with a burning passion. As a dreamer, she makes wishes at 11:11 daily and enjoys listening to Taylor Swift’s music during her free time.
Junior Technical Designer
Brix Cruza
A graduate of Cebu’s University of San Carlos with a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, Brix is a passionate creative with a keen eye for detail. With a love for exploring new places, experiencing new things, and meeting new people, he finds inspiration and recharges through these adventures. Anchoring his design process in the art of storytelling, Brix believes that impactful designs are crafted through narratives that resonate and inspire.
Junior Technical Designer
Dhana Luis
Dhana is an Interior Design graduate from the University of Santo Tomas. She begins her day with a cup of iced Spanish latte and the refreshing scent of menthol inhalers. Her design philosophy is rooted in drawing inspiration from the natural environment and its organic forms and integrating human experiences to craft aesthetically pleasing yet thoughtfully designed spaces. In her free time, Dhana enjoys watching Harry Potter, watercolor painting, and assembling miniature model kits.
Junior Technical Designer
Mae Rosales
Mae found her interest and love for design and construction when she was nine years old. Being exposed to their family business, she learned the ropes of the industry which later on inspired her to take BS Interior Design from Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Her passion fuels her to go the extra mile in everything she does. In her spare time, she likes watching movies and hanging out.
Junior Technical Designer
Kate Maranan
Kate is a graduate of Interior Design at the University of Santo Tomas. From a young age, her curiosity for the stories behind all things “art and design”, and her fascination with acknowledging how processes transform raw ideas into beautiful creations, sparked her interest in becoming a multidisciplinary creative. She has always been naturally inclined to organize and structure her surroundings, a trait that seamlessly extends into her design philosophy. This unique perspective drove her to pursue a career in interior design, where she can merge her love for organizing, storytelling, and creativity.
Junior Architectural Designer
Eunice Mazo
An architectural degree holder, Eunice Andrea graduated from the University of Santo Tomas. From construction to façades to interiors, she is passionate to learn everything about design and buildings. Her curiosity helps her explore new challenges and seek effective solutions. Outside of designing, she loves to sit down and read a good book, enjoy a film or two, or play games when the mood permits.
Office Manager
Joluz Mijares
Joluz graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan. She loves the color green and leopard prints, and she is an adventurous cook. In her free time, she finds peace and relaxation when sewing and crafting various things, which she often gives away to people she cares about. She dreams of owning a craft store someday and sharing her creations with the world.
Accounting Officer
Vanessa Gabon
“Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”
This verse inspires Vanessa and has been etched in her heart. Vanessa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Internal Auditing from Far Eastern University. Being a working mother with two kids has changed her life’s attitude. Hard work and determination is her strength and her children’s success is her happiness.
Admin/Accounting Assistant
Joanna Abujan
Although Joanna has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in financial management, she finds even more joy in arts-related activities such as singing, dancing, crafts, and painting. She believes it is a way to bring happiness to others. Apart from arts and crafts, she also finds relaxation in watching movies and listening to different types of music, which helps her focus and alleviate stress
Company Driver
Roy Anthony Nillar
Roy is the company driver and a father of two. When he was young, he used to assist his father on carpentry and electrical works which exposed him early to the construction world. In his free time, he loves to go hiking, playing basketball, fishing, joining marathons and bonding with his family.
Project Designer
Rod Lascano
Design Support Specialist
Frederick Pantas
Design Support Specialist
Andrea Co
Design Support Specialist
Mitzi Arrojo
Project Manager Consultant
Daday Ang
Project Manager Consultant
Cesar Galang
