Gabriella Vaz de Freitas

FORA Fellow & Intern / FORAship Awardee / (she/her)

Born and raised in Brazil, Gabi moved to the U.S. to pursue her passion for architecture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where she is currently in her fifth year. Gabi loves to learn. She has studied abroad in Barcelona at the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and spent a semester in San Francisco on an off-campus program focused on affordable housing.

Beyond her studies, Gabi enjoys travel and food; she is eager to explore new cultures, cuisines, and languages. She also enjoys staying active—whether it’s at the gym, surfing at the beach, or spending time with pets. Her curiosity and love for meeting people from around the world drive her to continually broaden her perspective.


Read about Gabi and her first few months at FORA here.

"I don't want to be interesting, I want to be good."

- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

  • / Best of Show Honorable Mention - 3rd Year Project at Cal Poly.

  • Grace Village is my favorite FORA project so far because of its supportive program for women in vulnerable situations. It represents what I envisioned regarding the power architecture can have in people’s lives.

    Betty Anne Gardens is a project I admire for being ahead of its time. Completed in 2003, it was designed with a focus on families and community, which sets it apart from many other projects of that era that treated housing merely as a commodity.

  • What makes you excited to come to work?

    What makes you excited to come to work?

  • What's your happy place?

    Where Family is (family include actual family, friends, and boyfriend).

  • If you could go anywhere (real or fictional, at no cost), where would you go?

    Disney Tokyo

  • What's the best meal you've ever had?

    Poke!!!

  • Coffee or tea?

    Coffee

  • What's something that made you smile recently?

    My dog sleeping on my arm while I work.

  • What are some things your bucket list?

    Surf in Bali, Visit Italy and Greece during the Summer, Learn how to speak French.