Gabriel Castro-Andrade

Gabriel Castro-Andrade is an Ecuadorian and Catracho American from Highland Ave, Orange, NJ. 

He is a designer and urban researcher whose work critically examines the intersections of architecture, labor, and migration across the built environment of the Americas. As a Master of Architecture candidate at MIT ('25), his research focuses on the embodied physical and economic realities that shape architectural interiors and urban spaces, particularly driven by the political economies of labor, construction practices, and systemic inequities.

His current investigations center on the long-term occupational health impacts on construction laborers, analyzing how U.S. immigration and labor laws effectively subsidize industries at the expense of workers' physical well-being. This research underscores how the vulnerabilities and skills of laborers directly influence architectural design and construction detailing.

Gabriel holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in Architectural History from the University of Virginia, where he specialized in Urban Cybernetics. He has accumulated diverse professional experience through design roles at leading firms, including Ennead Architects, New Affiliates, TEN Arquitectos, and BRW Architects. His contributions span urban design, architecture, interior environments, and digital interfaces (UI/UX). Gabriel's research experience includes roles with the Federal Chambers of Commerce related to the CHIPS ACT and the Smart Environments Lab at UVA, as well as research and exhibition design work supported by the Priscilla King Gray Fellowship and Marvin Goody Award.

Dedicated to education, Gabriel has taught architectural design at multiple academic levels, ranging from graduate and undergraduate programs to high school and middle school students. His pedagogical approach emphasizes the cultural, historical, and social dimensions of architecture and labor, preparing students to engage critically with the built environment.