Creating has been my greatest motivation since childhood. My insatiable curiosity for both the real and the imagined drives my professional journey and multidisciplinary approach, blending architecture, art, and design with a strong making practice and a deep connection to human stories and the wisdom of diverse cultures.
As a Brazilian Architect and Multidisciplinary Designer, I graduated in 2016 with a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning in São Paulo. That same year, I co-founded Flipê Arquitetura - what began as a studio for set design grew into a space for exploration in architecture, interiors, and design. As Flipê’s creative director, alongside an incredible team, I have shaped the studio into a force of creative innovation, earning recognition such as my inclusion in the Forbes Under 30 Brazil list in 2022.
Since 2024, I have also dedicated myself to building Mest, a studio centered on transdisciplinary design research and fostering global collaborations from my base in New York. While pursuing postgraduate studies in Product and Industrial Design at Pratt Institute on a merit scholarship, I continue to explore sustainable, hands-on approaches that honor my respect for materials and craft.
My creative approach is defined by a deep curiosity for diverse worlds, emphasizing not only design perspectives but also a strong interest in culture and society. This outlook is anchored in the cultural and social environment in which she grew up, particularly shaped by influences from Bahia and ties with indigenous communities in Xingu.
GABRIELA MESTRINER
Brazilian Architect, Designer and Artist
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, 1992
Lives in Brooklyn, New York — Works Worldwide
CAREER AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Founder and Creative Director, Mest.
Jun 2024 - Present / New York / www.mest.cc
studio focused on transdisciplinary design research, fostering global collaborations from it's New York base.
Co-founder and Creative Director, Flipê Arquitetura
Jun 2016 - Present / São Paulo, Brazil / www.flipearquitetura.com.br
In addition to creative direction, responsible for client management, company communication and marketing, photography, digital media and website modeling. More than 60 projects delivered, including residential, commercial and corporate. Our projects have been published on all continents, including media such as Architecture Hunter, Living Corriere Italy, Interni & Decor South Korea, Archello and more than 20 projects published on Archdaily around the world.
Designer and Postgrad Researcher, Part Time, Lo—TEK Institute
Jan 2025 - Present · Lo-TEK Institute
Part-Time Collaborator as a Designer and Researcher at Lo-TEK Institute, a non-profit startup dedicated towards education and advocacy for dismissed voices and histories. Lo-TEK empowers indigenous communities by preserving their knowledge systems and guiding non-indigenous groups in respectfully applying traditional wisdom. Supported by a diverse network of experts, the institute advances research and projects worldwide to promote nature-based technologies and environmental literacy.
Designer and Postgrad Researcher, Sustainable Design for
Yup’ik Community Resilience Project
Sep 2024 - May 2025 · Pratt Institute
Designer and Researcher collaborating as a postgraduate student with a multidisciplinary team to design and prototype a sustainable solution addressing the challenges faced by the Yup’ik community in Quinhagak, Alaska, due to the severe impacts of climate change. Guided by Professors Lanz Oca and Monterrosa, the project emphasized sustainability, cultural sensitivity, and design, highlighting the role of architecture and design in tackling global challenges in vulnerable regions.
Furniture Designer, Folio Living
Jan 2020 - Present / São Paulo, Brazil
Concept store that represents the original design of Flipê Arquitetura, responsible for the production and marketing of products.
Furniture Designer, Flipê Arquitetura
Jun 2019 - Present / São Paulo, Brazi
lMore than 20 designer furniture available for sale in Brazil.
Co-founder Set Designer, Flipê Arquitetura
Jun 2016 - Fev 2020 / São Paulo, Brazil
Set design for events, stages and sensory environments, with clients from our portfolio such as Sephora, Lancôme, Nars and Calvin Klein.
Architectural Photographer
Jun 2020 - Present / São Paulo, Brazil
Photos published in national magazines and other medias such as Archdaily.
ACADEMIC
EDUCATION
Pratt Institute, Master’s in Product and Industrial Design
Sep 2024 - Present · Brooklyn, New York
Recipient of an eighty percent merit scholarship and recognized as the Student Choice Award winner in the first semester. Gabriela is focused on hands-on design processes, sustainable materials, and interdisciplinary research, integrating cultural heritage with innovative approaches to product and systems design.
Bachelor of Architecture and Urban Design, FAU Mackenzie
Aug 2010 - Jul 2016 / São Paulo, Brazil
Winner of the 28th Opera Prima Competition, the most important National Competition in Brazil, which evaluates graduation thesis work from all undergraduate students in Architecture and Urbanism. Organized by Revista Projeto and Cebrace in Brazil.
Escuela de Arquitectura de Toledo, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha
Set 2013- Jun 2014 / Toledo, Spain
Year abroad at the Toledo School of Architecture, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, EA UCLM.
Dance Degree, Studio Luciana Junqueira
1997 - 2009 / Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
HONORS
AND AWARDS
Archdaily Brazil Building of the Year Award 2025 Nomination
Issued by Archdaily.com.br · 2025
Flipê Arquitetura nominated with 3 projects, Nube, MS and LÉA
Archdaily Worldwide Building of the Year Award 2025 Nomination
Issued by Archdaily.com · 2025
Flipê Arquitetura nominated with 2 projects
Winner of Postgraduate Student Choice Award
Issued by SCA, Pratt Institute · New York · Dec 2024
Awarded first place in the Postgraduate Student Choice Award (SCA) for the Master’s in Industrial Design, as voted by students from the department during the final exhibition.
Winner of Casa e Jardim Award
Issued by Casa e Jardim Magazine · Sep 2024
Flipê Arquitetura won the Casa e Jardim Award 2024 in the 'Sintonia' category with Apartment Nube, a project co-signed by Gabriela Mestriner and Natalia Minas.
Master’s in Design Merit Scholarship Award
Issued by Pratt, Parsons School of Design and School of Visual Arts · Jun 2024
Acceptance into all three of the world's top design schools in New York—Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design - The New School, and the School of Visual Arts—each of which offered substantial merit scholarships, concluding with the decision to join the Master’s in Industrial Design program at Pratt.
Insight (TV Series)
Amazon Video, Globoplay and Arte1, Season 3, Episode 3: "Flipê Arquitetura"
Protagonist in an episode of the third season of the Insight series, a documentary about the history and trajectory of important architects and designers in Brazil. Youngest woman ever in this project and the first episode with a female lead. Season will be released in 2024 on GloboPlay, the largest TV service in Brasil.
Forbes Under 30
Issued by Forbes Brazil · Jan 2023
Nomination to the Forbes Under 30 2022 list, for recognition of impact production in Brazil through his company Flipê Arquitetura.
Casa e Jardim Award Finalist
Issued by Casa e Jardim Magazine · 2023
Archdaily building of the year Award 2023
Issued by Archdaily Brazil · 2023
Flipê Arquitetura nominated with 7 projects
Casa e Jardim Magazine Cover Page
Issued by Casa e Jardim Magazine · Nov. 2022
Interior Design project by Flipê selected for November Cover page of C&J Magazine
Archdaily building of the year Award 2022
Issued by Archdaily Worldwide · 2022
Flipê Arquitetura nominated with 2 projects
Casa e Jardim Award Finalist
Issued by Casa e Jardim Magazine · 2022
Archdaily building of the year Award 2021
Issued by Archdaily Worldwide · 2021
Flipê Arquitetura nominated with 4 projects
Winner of Opera Prima Award
Issued by Projeto Magazine + Arco · 2018
Winner of the 28th Opera Prima Competition, the most important National Competition in Brazil, which evaluates graduation thesis work from all undergraduate students in Architecture and Urbanism. Organized by Revista Projeto and Cebrace in Brazil.