Gabriela Estrada grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, graduating from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (I.T.E.S.M) in 1991 with a Bachelor of Architecture. After a successful career practising architecture in Mexico, she immigrated to Canada and joined CORE in 1998. Gabriela is the director of the retail studio and is responsible for ensuring positive client experiences. She became an associate in 2006 and a partner in 2018. Her industry experience spans over 20 years and includes private and large-scale residential projects, restaurants, and retail projects.

During her initial tenure at CORE, Gabriela worked on various projects, including condominiums, private homes, and restaurants. In 2001, she became the point of contact for MAC Cosmetics when CORE became the Architect of Record for the brand. Under her stewardship, a 15-year relationship would develop that would result in 1300 retail deployments with the brand. During this time, Gabriela became a driving force in the evolution of the retail studio, and since 2002, the team has been responsible for over 1500 retail rollouts and over 1.3 million sq. ft. of retail space globally.

In addition to the management of the retail studio, Gabriela’s primary focus is new clientele, client relations, and attracting high profile brands, including SONY, Lacoste, Limited Brands, Adidas, H&M, and Saks off Fifth. She has also been instrumental in expanding CORE’s retail practice into the United States where we are now licensed in thirty-three states. Gabriela has also attended retail conferences in Madrid, Athens, London, New York, Singapore, Dubai, and Dusseldorf, expanding her knowledge of retail trends and practices globally.