Dr Scott Alterator

VIC Representative

Scott is a passionate educator and researcher. He is a proud Gandangarra and Kamilaroi man and has lived on Djaara Country (Central Victoria) most of his life. He is committed to developing an equitable and progressive society that places quality education at the heart of its endeavours. He is Director of Indigenous Education Futures in the School of Education at La Trobe University. Quality education is complex and far from easy, but with students at the centre of learning and an open and informed self-reflection we are able to offer experiences that engage and empower students. Scott’s work in the education and design field is underpinned by the understanding that the two disciplines must work in unison to produce the best outcome for teaching and learning. He has worked to ensure that the education narrative is a key feature of working toward built environments for contemporary teaching and learning.

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.

Jo Simmons

NSW Representative

Jo is Head of Design, Culture and Strategy at Leaf Architecture, a practice that is passionate about making positive impact in the world through education and community architecture. Leaf Architects share a deep respect for the natural environment, a love of learning and a collaborative and supportive studio culture. Leaf Architecture specialises in Education Architecture and creating places that are aligned with their clients’ vison and pedagogy. Jo is passionate about instilling in students a lifelong love of learning through the creation of inspiring learning environments, and she firmly believes that education architecture can help make a positive impact in the world through education and sustainability. She is also passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and enhancing the wellbeing of people and the planet through positive, uplifting, and responsible architecture and supportive workplace culture.

Rachael 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.

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.

Sarah Hewlett-Diprose

NZ Representative

Sarah is an Architect and Principal of Warren and Mahoney, an international practice of designers and architects. As the Auckland representative of Warren and Mahoney’s education sector team, Sarah excels in creative problem solving and working collaboratively to navigate complex circumstances and deliver highly creative and innovative outcomes for clients. She primarily leads educational projects from the earliest stages to interpret and implement the key stakeholder’s aspirations, through to project completion on site. Sarah actively contributes to the education sector, providing site tours and presentations on recent award-winning projects and she has been a member of the New Zealand Learning Environments Committee since 2017. Regular attendance at international education sector conferences is also key to remaining abreast of the current developments in the sector.

Diane (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 Elect of the Aotearoa New Zealand Chapter.

Deb Aukland

SA Representative

Deborah has been involved in CEFPI/LEA activities since 2000 and has enjoyed active involvement in CEFPI initiatives such as the Young Professionals Project in 2006 and The Mayfield Project in 2010. Deb is an architect who has worked across the private and public sectors in architectural practice and with the Department for Education. Deb’s long standing involvement in LEA underpins her commitment to explore and understand how design influences our capacity to learn, create community and support transformational change.

Ana Sala-Ovieda

SA Representative

Ana is an architect, and Director of educational planning consultancy, New Learning Environments (NLE). She is currently Chair Elect of the South Australian Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) and is currently taking a break from her PhD. Her focus was on the evaluation of learning environments to determine their effectiveness in supporting contemporary practice for the development of 21^st century skills, and the role of the educational space planning on this process. Her principal drive is to improve learning experiences and outcomes for all through the creation of new learning environments, which requires to continually question what ‘learning’ means in the 21st century and what it will mean beyond. She is cooperative and versatile and values flexibility, communication and optimism and is a lifelong learner through her work which she sees is the embodiment of a continual active learning process.

Scott Duncan

WA Representative

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.

Ella Masters

ACT Representative

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 now Chair of the ACT Chapter.

Matt Bilsborough

TAS Representative

Matt is a project manager with the Department for Education Children and Young People in Tasmania with an extensive experience in education architecture. With an architectural background and belief in the benefits of collaborative design, his aim is to advance the potential that innovative learning environments can bring. He deeply cares about the transformational opportunities for education through design and what this offers to the community.

Jo Rees

NT Representative

Jo is a registered architect with 25 years experience of striving for excellence in tropical design in Darwin. Learning environments are the projects which Jo is most passionate about and, iespecially aspects that lend themselves to climatic inclusion. Glorious green jungles connected to practical spaces for learning can often present a delightful challenge in the hot, humid tropics.