Local architect competes on HGTV's 'Brother Vs. Brother'

At different points in his life, Oliver Aguilar was a goat farmer in the Philippines, a struggling artist in Naperville, an acclaimed photographer and a suburban home designer.

These days, Aguilar is an HGTV reality show star.

Aguilar, 45, now an architect and designer living in the West Loop, is cast in the new HGTV series, "Brother Vs. Brother," which premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday, July 21.

The show is a spinoff of the HGTV show "Property Brothers," and features twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott and their teams of design experts facing off in house remodeling competitions. Aguilar is the architect for "Team Drew."

The shows were taped in February in homes around Los Angeles, including a few owned by celebrities.

"We had to coordinate the best way to raise the property value of the home we were given. We all had to cooperate together as a team first. And then, after that, kill each other. It's all about butting heads," Aguilar said, laughing.

The winning team gets a $50,000 prize, and viewers can vote for the team they want to return to HGTV.

"For someone in my profession, that's an awesome thing," Aguilar said. "I would love that. I would love the opportunity."

This is Aguilar's second show, having previously appeared on the network's "The White Room Challenge."

"I'm grateful for just being here," he said, noting that he's one of the few Asian designers on the network. "National television has allowed me to tell my story, which is amazing. I was struggling for a while ... but I found a way to do something better."