Q&A with Daphne Gurri - City Biz

Daphne Gurri, AIA, RID, NCIDQ, NCARB, LEED AP, is the Owner and Principal of Gurri Matute PA, an award-winning architecture and interior design firm based in Miami, Florida. A registered Architect and Interior Designer with more than 31 years of experience, she has led a career defined by design excellence, technical precision, and fearless leadership.

A Miami native, Ms. Gurri earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami in 1988 and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University in 1992. She went on to teach architectural design as an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University’s School of Architecture from 1992 to 2000, mentoring the next generation of designers. In 1996, she launched her own practice, which grew into Gurri Matute PA after being joined by her husband and partner, José G. Matute, AIA, in 2000. Today, the firm is recognized for its award-winning work in civic, education, federal, healthcare, and transportation design.

Throughout her career, Ms. Gurri has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Young Architect of the Year Award from the City of Coral Gables Mayor’s Office, multiple Historic Preservation Awards from organizations such as Dade Heritage Trust and AIA Florida, and recognition from the Builders Association of South Florida. In 2020, she was named AIA Miami’s Architect of the Year.

Passionate about design’s power to shape communities, Ms. Gurri is also a strong advocate for sustainability as a LEED Accredited Professional. She champions women in STEM and actively mentors young architects, inspiring them to excel both in the profession and in leadership roles. Her fearless determination, boundless energy, and commitment to mentorship have made her both a trailblazer in architecture and a role model for future generations of women in the field.

You’ve spent three decades designing in South Florida. What has changed most about the way Miami approaches architecture and its public spaces during that time?

Miami has always been a young city, and I think that has given us a lot of freedom to evolve. We still have neighborhoods like Coral Gables that are rooted in more traditional architecture, but over the years, even those areas have become more open to modern design.

At the same time, different parts of Miami have really developed their own identities. South Beach has always had a very distinct character, but now you have places like Wynwood that have created an entirely different aesthetic and energy.

There are so many pockets of the city with their own personality and you’re seeing more interesting architecture and public spaces throughout Miami, even in neighborhoods that historically leaned more traditional.

Gurrimatute works across education, aviation, healthcare, parks, civic projects and federal work. What connects these very different project types from a design perspective?

There’s actually much more crossover between these sectors than people might realize. Sometimes it comes down to building typology. An Army installation, for example, is essentially a small city. You’re designing everything from administrative buildings and fire stations to housing, schools, playgrounds and other community facilities. That experience naturally connects to work we’re doing in other markets.

We’re also seeing the lines between sectors blur more and more. In higher education, there’s tremendous demand for programs that train doctors, nurses and medical technicians, so those projects have to function as both educational environments and healthcare settings.

In healthcare, meanwhile, we’re seeing a much stronger hospitality influence. There’s a focus on making patients and their families feel comfortable and cared for rather than creating an environment that feels cold or institutional.

Working across different sectors allows us to bring those lessons from one project type into another.

To read more about the interview, click here: City Biz article