With almost 15 years of experience shaping the built environments for medical facilities and community health, Gozde Yildirim, AIA, MBA, has established herself as a leading expert in healthcare architecture. In 2026, she assumed the roles of associate health principal and project architect at HDR Inc., where she is responsible for the programming and predesign phases of behavioral health projects. Ms. Yildirim’s responsibilities include guiding her team through project completion and supporting pursuits that align with HDR’s healthcare principles. Throughout her work, she demonstrates a commitment to innovative healthcare design.
In addition to her architectural career, Ms. Yildirim has owned Dolmama, a catering company, since 2025. Through this endeavor, she prepares traditional Turkish recipes inspired by her mother and grandmother and caters large-scale events for up to 75 guests. Ms. Yildrim’s passion for architecture can also be traced to her childhood in Izmir, Turkey, a city renowned for its blend of ancient Greek sites and Ottoman-inspired structures. Inspired by a school trip to the Ephesus archaeological site at age 9, she resolved to pursue architecture — a dream realized through resilience and persistence in the face of cultural, language and visa challenges encountered upon moving to the United States.
Prior to joining HDR Inc., Ms. Yildirim contributed significantly to HOK, a global architecture firm, for nearly 10 years. She initially joined HOK as a design professional and building information modeling coordinator in 2017, advancing to the positions of senior design professional in 2022 and architect in 2025. During her tenure at HOK, Ms. Yildirim played a pivotal role in several high-profile projects, including medical planning and design development for the National Institutes of Health’s Surgery, Radiology and Laboratory Medicine Building. While serving as an architect at Perkins&Will, she was involved in the Turkish Ministry of Health’s Basaksehir Health Campus, a 10-million-square-foot project serving approximately 15 million residents. Her professional journey began in 2013 as a graduate teaching assistant at Miami University.
Among her many notable achievements, Ms. Yildirim is especially proud of her five-year involvement with the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, which became Washington, D.C.’s first new full-service hospital in 25 years. She oversaw all phases of this project, from initial design through completion. This facility expanded access to care for more than 32,000 patients annually and achieved distinction as the region’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Healthcare Gold-certified hospital.
Ms. Yildirim’s academic background has been instrumental in her success, beginning with a Bachelor of Science in architecture from Beykent University in Istanbul in 2012. After immigrating to the U.S. in 2013, she obtained a Master in Architecture from Miami University in 2015. Subsequently, Ms. Yildirim earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of North America in 2018. Her credentials include registration as an architect through the Maryland Department of Labor and the Government of the District of Columbia, certification through the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and recognition as a LEED green associate through the U.S. Green Building Council Inc.
Known for her thought leadership, Ms. Yildirim has contributed to a number of publications and speaking engagements in her industry. In 2024, she co-authored “Prospering in the U.S.: A Handbook for Immigrant Architects” in affiliation with the Immigrant Architects Coalition Inc. She is one of 30 featured architects in 2026’s “City Shapers: Stories of Immigrant Designers, Volume II.”
Recognized through many accolades, Ms. Yildirim was named Young Architect of the Year by the District of Columbia Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies in 2026. Additionally, she received the Emerging Architects Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2025, the 18 of the Last 9 Award from Miami University in 2025, the District of Columbia Rising Star Award from Women in Healthcare in 2024 and the Rising Star Award in Healthcare Design from Emerald Expositions LLC in 2023.
Dedicated to civic advocacy, Ms. Yildirim engages extensively with causes she believes in. Since 2025, she has offered guidance as a communications adviser and education mentor for the AIA’s District Architecture Center, a contributing writer for the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health, and a mentor through the ACE Mentor Program of America. Her past work in the community includes a wide range of volunteer and advisory roles, as well as significant mentorship through the AIA.
Outside of her professional commitments, Ms. Yildirim is a loving wife and enjoys writing and cooking. Looking ahead, she plans to focus on healthcare design projects related to behavioral and mental health. Ms. Yildirim also aims to expand her portfolio of published works and to continue mentorship efforts and advocacy work in her communities.