VLK’s Gabriella Bermea Receives Austin AIA Emerging Professional Award
The American Institute of Architects has announced their 2023 Honor Awards, selecting Gabriella Bermea, Associate and Design Architect at VLK Architects, for the AIA Austin Emerging Professional Achievement Award.
This award recognizes professional achievement and leadership by architects in their first 10 years of practice. Bermea has dedicated her career to K-12 architecture and her commitment goes beyond her projects at VLK. Her devotion to public education is echoed by her involvement in architecture and education organizations alike including Texas Society of Architects, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, Pflugerville ISD Education Foundation, Association for Learning Environments, Young Architects Forum, among others.
“This recognition is a result of the collaborative culture with our incredible educational partners and the districts we have had the privilege of serving — and the result of doing work I truly love, am inspired by, and believe in,” said Bermea. “I’ve been fortunate to have dedicated my professional career thus far as an advocate for public education and as an educational architect and designer believing in the mission of our educators and empowering our students to experience exceptional learning environments.”
Bermea has been an active member of AIA Austin for five years and has held numerous leadership positions at local, state, and national levels. She is also involved in the ACE Mentor Program of Austin and is passionate about increasing the number of Latina licensed architects in the United States.
“Gabriella was one of the youngest licensed architects (at 26) in our firm,” said Dalane Bouillion, Ed.D., Chief Development Officer at VLK Architects. “Additionally, she was named Associate (at 27), making her one of VLK’s youngest serving on our leadership team. She represents our firm with a knowledgeable and positive attitude as a VLK Ambassador, which is a group of motivated individuals who onboard new employees at our firm, making her one of the first ‘friends’ that a new hire makes.”
Bermea is also a finalist for the Austin Under 40 Award in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction, and the recipient will be announced later this year.