Gabriela de Matos stands out for her pioneering path. The only Black woman in her undergraduate architecture program, she founded the country's first research group on Afro-Brazilian architecture and gender – Arquitetas Negras. She is also the first Black woman to be elected vice president of the Institute of Architects of Brazil's São Paulo department, as well as the first to win the Architect of the Year award from IAB Rio de Janeiro in 2020. This year, she once again makes history as the first Black woman to participate in CasaCor São Paulo. Her debut could not be more auspicious: she has designed Espaço Agô, which welcomes visitors to the 34th edition of the exhibition, centered on the theme "the original house."
Jaime Solares: What is Espaço Agô?
Gabriela de Matos: It represents my arrival at the event and this overall experience. It also embodies the welcoming character of the space. In Yoruba, the word "Agô" means to "ask for permission" to enter or leave.
