Natalia Mitas
Natalia joined AO Design Studio in 2024, bringing extensive experience in residential and commercial architecture. Born in Poland and raised in Australia, she completed her Master of Architecture at UTS in 2016 and is working toward registration with the Australian Institute of Architects. Passionate about adaptive reuse and heritage preservation, she believes architecture should honour the past while embracing the future. With expertise in passive house principles, material resolution and building regulations, she ensures designs are both sustainable and functional. As a mother of three, she values timeless, adaptable spaces that enhance daily life.
Diverse Experience and Expertise
Natalia has worked across multidisciplinary and residential firms, contributing to a broad range of projects, from private homes and apartments to childcare centres, commercial offices and large-scale Greenfields housing developments. While her experience is varied, she is particularly passionate about residential architecture, believing that good design should honour the past while embracing the future.
Her expertise spans building economics, structural design, passive house principles and material resolution, ensuring that her projects are both sustainable and contextually responsive. She is also well-versed in building codes, regulations and planning legislation, allowing her to navigate complex approvals with clarity and precision. From schematic design to construction administration, Natalia enjoys the hands-on process of bringing projects to life.
Advocacy and Thoughtful Design
An advocate for women in architecture and construction, Natalia has been involved with the Champions of Change Coalition, working to address the underrepresentation of women at senior levels in the industry. She is committed to fostering equity and diversity, ensuring that architecture benefits from a broad range of perspectives and experiences.
Since relocating to the Southern Highlands, Natalia has deepened her appreciation for landscapes and their interaction with the built environment. She enjoys a hands-on approach to design, carefully considering materials, light and the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.
As a mother of three, she understands the importance of designing spaces that are not only beautiful but highly functional. Her work prioritises safety, flexibility and long-term adaptability, ensuring that spaces evolve with their occupants. Whether designing a family home, public space or a larger development, she is driven by the idea that great architecture should feel effortless, timeless and rooted in place.
Inspiration and Design Philosophy
Natalia finds inspiration in architecture that is deeply sensitive to place, drawing from the work of Glenn Murcutt, Peter Stutchbury, Kerstin Thompson and Sean Godsell. She admires Murcutt’s meticulous attention to passive design, including lightweight structures, operable walls and responsiveness to climate. Stutchbury’s poetic, site-responsive buildings highlight the sensory experience of space, while Thompson’s restraint and spatial clarity demonstrate the power of careful composition and material honesty. Godsell’s reinterpretation of vernacular Australian architecture inspires her with its balance of sculptural form and functional purpose. Together, their work underscores the importance of contextual sensitivity, sustainability and the emotional experience of architecture—values that guide Natalia’s approach to design.