Mitchell Pianto has always been interested in architecture and decided to build a career out of his passion. His recent Best Digital Presentation by a Student Award win at the annual Building Design Association Victoria (BDAV) Building Design Awards proves that he’s well on track.

 “I was really surprised about winning the award. I had seen other students’ award-winning work from previous years and was amazed by the outstanding work they had produced. I felt flattered just to be an entrant and to attend the BDAV awards night, as I was sure all entrants for this year would have been as equally talented and that the awarded student would have been a difficult choice for the judges,” said Mitchell.

The 22-year-old’s presentation, which revolved around a proposed Active Learning Centre at Bendigo TAFE, stood out for its detail to lighting, shading, textures and music. Mitchell’s presentation reflected both his passion in the field and his skills derived from training.

“I always had a fascination about architecture and wanted to learn the process and skills behind designing them,” he said.

“What I’ve loved most about studying at Bendigo TAFE was the hands-on approach. Through our creative project-based developments, we could receive a better understanding of applying the skills we learn in a practical sense. These would range from smaller residential buildings in first year to more complex commercial ones later on, which I personally found was an enjoyable way to learn.”

Mitchell, who has recently assisted the Greater Bendigo City Council to design a series of potential developments, aims to progress into university and become a registered architect.

“I’d like to join a small firm of similar likeminded designers and architects to begin designing unique and challenging buildings for the future, as well as to potentially design my own home one day,” he said.