What Makes Mitch, Mitch?
Mitch describes himself like this:
I'm someone who likes to joke around and have fun and I am always happy to have a laugh. I am very inspired by art and design.
I really enjoy thinking about the many ways we can make our lives easier, more enjoyable, healthier and more sustainable.
I'm often someone who takes my time with things (sometimes that means I can be a little slow!) but I always have a goal for what I am trying to achieve and work very hard to produce great results.
I really enjoy the company of my friends and family. I also enjoy cooking. This is one of my favourite hobbies and I'm always on the look out for new and exciting recipes to try.
What Does An Architect Actually Do?
As an architect, I design buildings such as libraries, community centres and performance halls. I also design public outdoor spaces. Think of your favourite park or a place you like to go to and hang out with friends and family.
To do this well, we have to spend a lot of time talking to people who are going to use these spaces and understand what is important to them, so that we can ensure this is reflected in the finished product.
We spend a lot of time talking within the office with my colleagues about how these spaces should look. We ask questions like what materials are most appropriate, brick, wood, concrete? What colours are best to use for a library, compared to a sports stadium?
Sometimes we make models of our designs to show clients what their building will look like, sometimes we do this even just to test out ideas. It's like playing with Lego, only one day it will be built in real life.
We draw plans for the builder so that they can transform our design into the actual building. While this is happening we visit the construction site and help to resolve any issues that might come up.
In the end, it is a really exciting experience to see the buildings and spaces completed. The best part is hearing that people enjoy using them!
How Did Mitch End Up In Architecture?
I began studying a totally different course at university and after a year of that decided that I wanted to do something more creative. I didn't know exactly what I was getting into but found that it was a really good fit for me.
Architecture is a mix of art history, creative design and logical problem solving. The balance between these makes for a really enjoyable space to work in.
I am fortunate to have an uncle who is also an architect and when I first graduated from university I worked for him for two years before going to live and work in Europe.
What Is Mitch Most Proud Of?
I am very proud of the work that I do and the projects I have completed whilst working as an architect. This has included providing new homes for a range of animals at the Melbourne Zoo, tigers, Tasmanian devils, coatis, lemurs and snow leopards, just to name a few.
I have also designed beautiful family homes for a number of clients. Right now, I am working to renovate an old factory to become a new town hall on the banks of the Murray River in Mildura, VIC.
My work can be extremely varied. I can be planning cities one day and a playground the next. I am proud of the way that I can use the knowledge I gained through studying and previous experience and apply it to the many different situations that my work presents me.
Got questions?
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A bit, but probably less than you think. Architecture is mostly about people, places, and how things look and feel. Maths comes in for working out if buildings will stand up, but that's a small slice. If you love drawing, model-making, or thinking about how spaces work, you've got the right brain for it.
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Mitch hasn't said publicly what his first uni course was. The bit that matters: he switched after a year, and he says the switching was fine. Lots of architects (and lots of people in lots of jobs) didn't go in a straight line.
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Yes. Get some paper, a pencil, and pick a building you'd love to exist - a library, a treehouse, a museum just for cats. Sketch what it would look like from the outside, then draw what's inside each room. That's the same process Mitch starts with, just without the Lego model at the end. Or with the Lego model. Up to you.
