Regional Council
We would like to introduce you to the current Regional Council. The Regional Council is made up of the Executive and representatives from each of the Chapter Committees.
Members are encouraged to discuss ideas and provide feedback on local issues to their Chapter Committee at Chapter events and meetings for discussion with the Regional Council at regular meetings.
Daniel Smith
Chair
Daniel is the Managing Director of Leaf Architecture, an architectural practice that creates Human centred, research driven designs. Daniel strongly believes in the power of design to help facilitate greater education outcomes. He is passionate about the impact of space in learning and is building his career based on an in-depth understanding of pedagogy, learning and space. Previous LEA Roles: - NSW Chapter Chair 2018 – 2019 - LEA Sydney Conference Co-Convenor 2018.
Laurence Robinson
Treasurer
Laurence Robinson has been a member of LEA since 2007. He has close to twenty five years experience in Architectural practice and is a director of Brand Architects in East Melbourne. He has worked in the education field for most of his career, with projects in three Australian States and the UK. Laurence has taught Masters design, Sustainability, and Building Services at the University of Melbourne. He has been passionate about school environments since winning a Federal Government "Saving Energy in Schools" competition in 1981! He is also currently a School Council President, and was involved with running a Community based Early childhood centre for almost 10 years.
Ros Marsland
Chair-Elect (2024)
Ros Marsland is a dedicated professional, serving as the Manager of the Strategic Projects Department of Education in Western Australia. Her unwavering passion for enhancing school design was ignited during her pivotal role in coordinating the redevelopment of a prominent high school in Perth. With a steadfast commitment to her field, Ros's 16-year membership with Learning Environments Australasia (LEA) has been an invaluable source of support and reward. Her influential leadership was evident as she chaired the WA Events committee from 2007 to 2009 and assumed the role of Chair Elect/Chair for LEA WA from 2012 to 2016. Furthermore, Ros's impact extended to the Regional Council, where she served as a member from 2012 to 2016. Her steadfast involvement with Learning Environments Australasia since 2006 underscores her unwavering dedication to improving educational spaces and advancing the field of school design.
Dani Martin
Secretary
Dani is a Senior Associate at Gray Puksand in Brisbane and has been an LEA member since 2010. She was one of the founders of The Mayfield Project in 2009 and continues her commitment to making learning more accessible for young professionals through her advisory role in supporting the current Chair of The Mayfield Project. Working as Communications Chair in two different Chapters and now sitting on the Regional Executive, Dani has a passion for celebrating and sharing the work and activities of the LEA community and the positive experiences learning environments can create.
Marino Rossi
Past Chair
Marino's interest and involvement in Learning Environments stems from a strong belief in the value of education and the process of life-long learning. Applying this belief to built environments for learning adds a new level of enthusiasm for innovative ideas, concepts and engagement. With post graduate research qualifications, Marino enjoys bringing a thorough and creative approach to the learning facilitation process. Collaborating with other diverse professionals is essential and he particularly enjoys the enthusiastic forum of like-minded thinking within the LEA network. Regional Chair 2020-2022 SA Chapter Chair 2015-2017
Deb O’Riley
International Director
Deb O’Riley is an Education Consultant for Learning Space Design - previously Director, New Schools, for the Department for Education, South Australia. Deb is an enthusiastic and passionate educator with a real commitment to improving outcomes for all learners. She has held teaching, principal and other leadership roles in a variety of schools and education settings in South Australia. Deb has previously held the position of Chair for Learning Environments Australasia (LEA). Deb’s focus has been to understand elements critical to the successful delivery of contemporary learning environments. Deb believes that learning environments need to encourage and promote multiple modalities of learning and support contemporary pedagogy. International Director October 2022 - October 2025.
Felicity Lewis
Assistant Treasurer
Felicity is the Director-Architecture of Studio GL, a boutique Architecture-Urban Design practice whose focus is the creation of places for people. For the past 10 years, Felicity's experience has shifted to Urban Design, focusing on town Centres and Strategic planning and city-shaping. Prior to establishing Studio GL, Felicity worked in educational design on a wide range of projects within the Catholic school system and for TAFE NSW. Her emphasis was on functional designs that supported the educational goals and enhanced the school community. Felicity was the Chair LE NSW Chapter for 2020 and 2021 and is the current Assistant Treasurer for LEA.
Deb Zabenko
Administration Manager
Deb Zabenko is an accomplished professional with a proven track record in administration and management As the Administration Manager for Learning Environments Australasia, Deb brings her expertise in streamlining operations and enhancing organisational efficiency. A proactive problem-solver and a collaborative team player, adeptness in resource allocation, budget management, and process optimisation leads to smooth execution of projects and initiatives under her purview. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation makes her a valuable asset to the organisation. Deb’s office is located in the Yarra Valley, Victoria.
Nicola Payne
Communications & Marketing Director
Nicola has an eclectic range of skills in events, marketing, communication, social media, mentoring and leadership. She has conceptualised and implemented end to end events, led major organisational rebranding projects, designed key websites, developed & implemented organisational/business strategic plans and has been instrumental in leading a range of other major projects. Her career spans over 28 years and she has worked within educational, government, non-government, not for profit and private sectors. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation makes her a valuable asset LEA and the education community at large. Nicola’s office is located in Brisbane, Queensland.
Ella Masters
The Mayfield Project Chair
Ella is an education architect, researcher and the Canberra Studio Lead for Hayball Architects. Through her work she aims to materially improve the experience of architects and school communities engaging in the design process. Ella is also undertaking a PhD through the University of Melbourne, focusing on the interface between innovation, policy and the procurement processes in the design of innovative learning environments. Following her participation as a researcher in the 2020 Mayfield Project, she is the immediate past Chair and current Secretary of the ACT Chapter and the current chair of The Mayfield Project.
Matt Bilsborough
TAS Representative
Matt is a dynamic force at the forefront of shaping educational spaces in Tasmania. As the Chair of the latest Chapter of Learning Environments Australasia - Tasmania, he brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to the advancement of innovative learning environments. With a solid foundation in architecture, Matt currently serves as a project manager within the Department for Education Children and Young People in Tasmania. His extensive experience in education architecture positions him as a visionary leader in crafting spaces that inspire and facilitate effective learning experiences. Matt's approach is rooted in the belief of collaborative design, where stakeholders come together to create environments that transcend traditional boundaries. He envisions learning spaces that not only nurture academic growth but also foster a sense of community and engagement. Passionate about the transformative power of design in education, Matt is driven by the potential these environments offer to both students and the wider community. He is deeply committed to ensuring that every space he influences contributes positively to the holistic development of individuals and society at large. As Chair of our Tasmania Chapter, Matt is poised to shape the future of educational spaces, pushing the boundaries of innovation, and advocating for spaces that truly embody the essence of collaborative and transformative learning.
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Georgi Fairley
VIC Representative
Georgi has been practising architecture in Victoria since 2011 and joined LEA in 2016. Keenly interested in engaging with the LEA community, Georgi became events sub-committee chair in 2020. Her enthusiasm for connecting people and ideas has led to an active role in seeking opportunities to engage with the broader design, planning and education communities, as well as running alternative and collaborative events. Georgi also sits on the board of the Fairley Foundation, a place-based philanthropic organisation with a mission to drive momentous social and cultural change in Shepparton. The combination of these two positions has fostered Georgi’s interest in both extending the work and content of LEA to regional and rural areas and in developing a better understanding of the nature and impact of culturally safe spaces within learning settings.
Emily Flint
VIC Representative
Emily Flint is a senior architect at ClarkeHopkinsClarke in Melbourne. She has been actively involved in the Learning Environments Australasia (LEA) Vic/Tas Chapter since 2014 and joined the Committee in 2020. Emily is passionate about fostering a productive dialogue between designers and educators to create learning environments that best suit the needs of students. She has a particular interest in inclusive design and believes that every child should have access to supportive, safe, and learner-centered environments. Emily's career has been focused solely on education design, and she is committed to helping create innovative and effective spaces for learning.
Rachel Drayton
NSW Representative
Rachael is an Associate at PMDL Architecture & Design – an international cross-disciplinary practice with considerable experience in delivering educational facilities, master planning and refurbishments. Rachael is committed to designing places for people, and their specific needs. Rachael leads projects through working collaboratively within the team environment and establishing close working relationships with clients, prioritising client consolation and design intent. Key experience includes the creation of educational facilities throughout all project stages. This has seen her establish an in-depth understanding of education typologies and opportunities to align spatial planning with pedagogy.
Kristine Piggford
NSW Representative
Kristine is an Interior Designer and Associate Director at Webber Architects. With more than 20 years’ professional experience her areas of responsibility have encompassed projects, practice, and people. Kristine has a proven track record in designing, developing, and delivering significant projects from concept to handover in multi-stakeholder environments. Creative, organised and an excellent communicator her design experience has spanned a variety of sectors with extensive, specialist experience in education design and space planning. Kristine's education projects have included early learning centres, primary, secondary, tertiary and trade training facilities for both private and government agencies across NSW and Victoria. She has also been involved in education delivery for organisations including TAFE NSW and SLSA.
Di Cavallo
NZ Representative
Di is a Deputy Principal in the ILE and first PPP school in NZ, Hobsonville Point Secondary School, in Auckland. She leads innovative curriculum and collaborative pedagogy, and currently the school expansion build project. With over two decades’ experience leading learning in a range of settings in NZ and the UK, Di regular contributor to Ministry of Education reference and advisory groups. She enjoys the learning and discussion from the intersection of architecture, education and learning design that LEA affords and is interested in how we develop belonging, creativity and connection through learning environments. She has been involved in Learning Environments NZ for over 8 years and is current Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand Chapter.
Timothy Barraud
QLD Representative
Timothy is the Principal of Yeronga State High School, a very multicultural and culturally inclusive co-educational Independent Public School situated 5 kilometres from Brisbane CBD. Timothy is passionate about enabling students to develop their academic and social capability to make a difference as an active and informed global citizen. Timothy believes that every student will succeed if they are provided with a learning environment that empowers them to strive for personal excellence. As the Chair of the Queensland Chapter for Learning Environments Australasia, Timothy wishes to afford greater awareness to the impact that learning environments place on creativity, innovation and collaboration for students, while increasing their sense of belonging and connection to the school environment.
Kevin Miles
QLD Representative
With 28 years of architectural experience, Kevin has been involved in projects across a range of sectors, particularly in commercial, education and retail. Dedicated to client service throughout all project phases, Kevin holds his relationships in high regard – deeming the importance of communication to provide high quality outcomes. Kevin believes each project should be delivered to suit the unique needs of the client as well as contribute to the surrounding community. His range of experience has given Kevin a holistic skill set; “retail taught me the process, workspace taught me the importance of interior designer influencing the architecture of commercial buildings, and now, education is teaching me that we all learn differently and that the built environment can assist with this”. As a passionate mentor, Kevin provides an important platform for emerging designers to access advice from the practice’s experienced design practitioners through knowledge sharing and support. He leads the Brisbane office with the philosophy that a team approach will deliver successful and rewarding projects.
Nicole Dent
SA Representative
Nicole, a Senior Project Architect, boasts extensive team management experience across diverse sectors, such as education, heritage, commercial, sports & leisure facilities, and adaptive reuse projects. She joined Grieve Gillett Architects as an Associate in 2018 and swiftly rose to Associate Director in 2019. Nicole excels in leading education projects and providing heritage advisory services, emphasising close collaboration with clients, consultants, and stakeholders to achieve high-quality, cost-effective results while upholding design integrity. Proficient in consultation and stakeholder engagement, she adeptly navigates project frameworks and communication channels. Furthermore, Nicole serves as the Secretary of the SA Chapter of Learning Environments Australia and prioritizes continuous professional development to stay updated on modern learning space trends. Her extensive professional background spans across London, Queensland, and Adelaide, contributing to projects on both national and international scales.
Deborah Aukland
SA Representative
Deborah is an architect who has worked across the private and public sectors in architectural practice and with the Department for Education. She has long standing involvement in LEA, that underpins her commitment to explore and understand how design influences our capacity to learn, create community and support transformational change. Deborah has been involved with Learning Environments Australasia since the organisation commenced in the year 2000 and she has enjoyed active involvement in our initiatives such as the Young Professionals Project in 2006 and The Mayfield Project in 2010.
Scott Duncan
WA Representative
Scott Duncan, the dedicated Head of Alexander House at Scotch College in Perth, is a fervent educator and staunch mental health advocate. With a rich background in education, Scott brings his unwavering commitment to enhancing the well-being of young individuals. As an innovative Secondary Mathematics Teacher, he employs project-based and non-traditional teaching methods to captivate students and facilitate their exploration of novel concepts and strategies. His passion extends beyond the classroom, as he actively promotes the exchange of ideas and initiatives aimed at improving educational environments through his involvement with the Association for Learning Environments and the Mayfield Project. Scott Duncan's remarkable journey is characterized by his profound dedication to education, mental health, and the continuous betterment of educational spaces.
Chloe Summers
WA Representative
Chloe Summers, is a Studio Leader at EIW Architects in WA. Chloe is a design architect, focusing on all things design and “dreaming big!’ Chloe was a part of the Mayfield project 2012: Schools as Sanctuaries of Hope. In 2013 went to Tanzania, as a part of the HOPE project and helped design and build the Trade Training Centre for the Matipwili Community. Through the inspiration work of Learning Environments, the drive of the members and mentors within Learning Environments Chloe Joined the WA board to help give back to the Learning environments community. Chloe is co-chair for the Events committee in WA and Chair-Elect for the WA Chapter.
