He graduated from the school of architecture, University of Los Andes, with a master's degree from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in sustainable design from the Polytechnic University of Milan. During his career, he has worked in top international offices, such as Meiji Watanabe & Associates in Tokyo, Renzo Piano architecture studio in Paris, and head of ArupFaçade engineering team in Milan. In 2004, Studio Cardenas Conscious Design was founded in Milan, which conducts creative research, the use of sustainable materials and the development of innovative building technologies. In 2011, the Bootech dry hanging bamboo building system was awarded the "Italian innovator" award by the Italian innovation and technology promotion agency. He was once a professor of Milan Polytechnic University and a visiting professor of Tongji University in Shanghai