Andrew Simpson
Andrew Simpson is trained as an architect and interior designer and integrates both disciplines in over 20 years in practice. Andrew was educated at Harvard, Melbourne, RMIT and Manchester Universities. He is the recipient of the Ideas National Emerging Designer Award, the Harvard University Kevin V. Kieran Prize and Edward and Penelope Billson Award, graduating dux of the master and degree programs from these respective universities. He was a Diploma Unit Master at London's Architecture Association, and taught design at Harvard, Melbourne School of Design and RMIT. He has worked as a publication consultant to the Office of Victorian Government Architect. In 2005 he was engaged by Monash University to coordinate a feasibility study into the development of courses in architecture and the built environment disciplines and subsequently held a position as Senior Lecturer in Architecture. In 2015, with co-director Prof. Alan Pert, Andrew established Parallel Practice - a project-based research entity that bridges practice and the university academy and provides further breadth to the discipline of architecture.
Melany Hayes
Melany is a registered architect and associate at ASA, having completed her Master of Architecture at the Melbourne School of Design in 2016 with high distinction. She has also studied abroad at the Delft University of Technology and completed her Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Queensland with high distinction. During her graduate studies, Melany was the recipient of Dean’s Honours awards for outstanding academic achievement in 2015 and 2016. She currently tutors in professional practice and design at the Melbourne School of Design. Melany has experience in a wide range of project scales and typologies, from bespoke single residential to large scale community and healthcare projects. She was also the main research coordinator for the Very Special Kids feasibility study and project architect for the subsequent design of the new hospice and has well-developed expertise in community consultation projects.
Dhanika Kumaheri
Dhanika completed a Masters of Architecture Degree from the Melbourne School of Design in 2014, receiving Dean’s Honours Awards in 2011, 2012, and 2014. To complement this, she has also undertaken summer school programs at The Architectural Association in London and Beijing. Since the completion of her studies, she has gone on to work for Kengo Kuma and Associates in 2016 and other architecture firms in Melbourne and Jakarta, assisting in the delivery of multiple projects across different scales and differing socio-cultural contexts. Dhanika began teaching in 2018 and was awarded the University of Melbourne’s Teaching Excellence Award. She also currently helps coordinate first year architectural design studio as senior tutor at The University of Melbourne and also regularly teaches other undergraduate design studios at The University of Melbourne and Monash University.
