Associate Professor Melonie Bayl-Smith

I am responsible for the Professional Practice teaching in the Master of Architecture degree and in 2020 was appointed Associate Professor of Architecture - Practice in the School of Architecture, UNSW ADA School of the Built Environment. I am also sole Director and Nominated Architect of Bijl Architecture, an award-winning Sydney based practice, and have been a practitioner in the field of architecture for more than 25 years. 

Beyond practice, I have had an extensive involvement in architectural education, the development of  professional standards, and the registration of architects. From 2012-19 I was Adjunct Professor at the UTS School of Architecture where as a sessional academic I taught design studio, construction and professional practice from 2007-2019. I have undertaken research in the areas of architectural education and professional identity formation, which alongside other professional activities contributed to my appointment as the NSW APE Convenor in 2018 and to the AACA National Visiting Panel for the accreditation of architecture programs in Australia and New Zealand.

Having served on the NSW Architects Registration Board as an Elected Member from 2017-20, I recently completed a 2 year term as the Academic Member (2021-23). Over the past twenty years I have served on many professional committees and juries, including the AIA NSW Chapter Council, AIA National Committee for Gender Equity (Co-Chair, 2019-20) and the 2008 NSW State Architecture Awards jury. In recognition of my contributions to both the broader profession and to architectural education, I was made a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects in 2020.