Bruce E. Orchiston

Bruce Orchiston grew up in Wellington and completed his architectural studies at the University of Auckland, studying with Professor Cyril Knight. Graduating in the post-Depression years, Orchiston began his career in Wellington in the offices of Gray Young, Morton and Young, working on Wellington Railway Station, the Ford Factory and early state houses (1937 - 1941).

During World War II Orchiston completed defence design work, including commissions from the American Army, but after the war began his own practice. Orchiston was an active member of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, he completed a small history of the NZIA Wellington Branch in 1979.

Orchiston was the architect in charge of both the Ōtaki War Memorial Hall (1955) and Cable Price Downer House (1964), the sites of E. Mervyn Taylor's first and last mural commissions.