The Mason & Wales Building in Dunedin, completed in 1973 | Photo Credit: Simon Devitt
Founded in 1862 by William Mason, the first architect to live and work in New Zealand, Mason & Wales holds a singular place in this country’s architectural history. As New Zealand’s first architectural practice, its lineage runs deep through the built fabric of Aotearoa. Across generations, the studio has been defined not only by longevity, but by the calibre of its people, many of whom have dedicated decades to shaping civic, commercial and residential landmarks, and building enduring relationships with clients and collaborators.
Now, the practice enters its next chapter.
Te Mira Residence | Photo Credit: James Allan
With its team, leadership and institutional knowledge firmly in place, Mason & Wales continues forward with clarity, steady in its work, and focused on what comes next. Less a reinvention than stewardship: carrying a legacy with care, while making room for the next generation to shape what it becomes.
Transitions are part of architecture’s natural rhythm. They can prompt reflection, strengthen a studio’s direction, and bring renewed focus to the work itself. For Mason & Wales, the message is simple: the practice remains grounded, capable, and very much moving forward, with the same commitment to craft, process and partnership that has sustained it for more than a century.
