Mitchell Round

Regular holidays in a house by iconic Wellington architect Roger Walker could have something to do with the fact that designing buildings was all Mitchell ever wanted to do. Not that you’ll find colourful turrets and towers, cylinders or cubes in the work he takes the lead on at RTA Studio. This University of Auckland graduate, who joined the practice in 2013 and was made a senior associate in 2021, adopts a client-focussed approach in every venture – and, so far, no pyramids.
Although Mitchell brings this passion to commercial and tertiary typologies, it’s in the residential realm that he has tended to land. His commitment to careful composition that is contextually led is evident in several of the practice’s award-winning projects including Buckletons Beach house, Cardrona Hut and the Great Glenorchy Alpine Basecamp, where the low-key design draws on the vernacular of this gold-mining region and boasts a gentle ecological footprint.
An admirer of Japanese architect Tadao Ando’s manipulation of shadow and space, Mitchell believes architecture is about evoking emotion as much as it is about shelter. As a photographer, he draws parallels between the two crafts, considering light, angles, composition and important viewpoints. He pairs his creative strengths with an exacting eye for detail and extensive experience in contract administration.
When he’s not on mini missions with his R6 Canon Full Frame camera, he hangs out with family including a border collie adopted as the Auckland studio’s office dog.

“Architecture doesn’t need to be overly complex to be special.”