Vangelis Zarnaris was born in Thessaloniki.
He completed his secondary education in Germany.
He first earned his degree in architectural engineering from the Balthasar Neumann Polytechnikum Würzburg (1975), then continued his studies at the School of Architecture of the Technical University of Berlin (Technischen Universität Berlin), from which he graduated in 1978.
In Berlin he worked at architectural offices as a supervising engineer and designer, producing residential complexes for Saudi Arabia, urban residences in Germany, as well as restorations and modernizations of older buildings.
In 1982 he returned to Athens, where he worked as an interior architect. A year later he settled on the island of Paros, where as a freelance professional he has focused on the design and construction of various building projects (residences, hotels, factories) as well as the restoration of traditional houses.
He continues to maintain his architectural office in Parikia, Paros.