A fifth generation Tejana, Gabriella Bermea, AIA, NOMA, NCARB has defined her purpose to be in service of her community and educational environments. Raised along the border of Texas and Mexico, Gabriella inherited a legacy of a heart for her city and advocacy for the public education system, deeply rooted in her Mexican American heritage and love for the communities around her.
Gabriella is an Associate and Design Architect at VLK Architects with 8+ years of experience across architecture, philanthropy, and advocacy industries. Gabriella specializes in educational design, engaging K-12 partnerships, developing emerging leadership, community building, and stakeholder engagement. Her career has consistently centered on building client relationships, commitment to developing community-driven solutions, and empowering teams to reach their full potential. Gabriella is a highly sought after author, speaker, and facilitator who develops content centered on K-12 development, educational architecture, community design, expanded access to the AEC industry, and design education.
Recognized as a trusted partner, Gabriella is committed to understanding the needs of her stakeholders and developing relationships and projects that are centered on people, service, and solutions. Some of her proudest accomplishments include serving as VLK’s Firm Licensing Advisor, partnering with local school districts to provide underrepresented students access to job shadowing within architecture, and serving Texas clients spanning over 1.2 billion dollars of work and 2.9 million square feet of designed projects. With an unwavering commitment to social justice and community engagement, Gabriella is dedicated to building a more equitable and just profession, amplifying the voices of emerging professionals, and empowering under-represented communities.
Gabriella is a 2023 40 Under 40 Building Design + Construction recipient and a two-time Austin Under 40 Finalist (2023, 2024). She is currently serving as the 2023-2024 AIA National’s Young Architects Forum Communications Director and the 2024-2025 Vice President of Practice and Recognition with the Texas Society of Architects. Gabriella has been widely published in Texas Architect Magazine, the Young Architects Forum CONNECTION Magazine, and the AIA College of Fellows Newsletter.
When Gabriella is not designing, speaking, or mentoring, you can find her serving on her local philanthropy board, writing, or spending time with her family and friends.