Katyana Sitters-Neale
I’m a junior architecture graduate currently working at Studio Billy, where I’ve spent the last year and a half building my experience in residential design. I grew up on Auckland’s North Shore, and from a young age, I was always sketching floor plans or reimagining our family home—architecture has been a constant thread in my life.
In high school at Westlake Girls, I leaned into creative, hands-on subjects like art, building craft, and design technology. That path led me to study a Bachelor of Interior Architecture, followed by a Master of Architecture, where I built a solid foundation in design thinking and visual communication. Along the way, I picked up skills in AutoCAD, SketchUp, Enscape, and Adobe Suite—though I’m always open to trying new tools.
After finishing uni, I spent three months backpacking through Europe. Seeing architecture in real life—not just on a screen—was a game-changer. It gave me a fresh appreciation for the built environment and how people interact with space. That curiosity is taking me to Southeast Asia next, where I’m keen to keep exploring.
Outside of architecture, I’m big on learning new things and staying active. Whether it’s trying a new sport, picking up a language, or figuring out how something works, I like to keep busy. I’ve surfed for the last 10 years now, where I spent two summers at the Hurley Surf School, and now I have a newfound appreciation for hiking and weekend adventures.
From the age of 8 to 15, I trained and competed as a hip hop dancer, and had the incredible opportunity to perform as a backup dancer for artists like Savage—an experience I’m still really grateful for today. I’ve always been a determined person; once I commit to something, I give it my all. I push myself to do the best I can and take pride in following things through to the end.
Another passion of mine is vintage cars. Since I was 16, I’ve been restoring a 1960s Volkswagen Beetle with my dad. It’s been a long project, but it’s taught me a lot about patience, detail, and problem-solving skills I bring into my design work as well.
Whether I’m designing a home, fixing up a car, or planning my next trip, I’m always up for a challenge. I’m excited to keep learning, growing, and seeing where architecture takes me next.
