Structure and Leadership

Overview

Welcome from the Dean

Welcome to the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, home to our Graduate School, the Melbourne School of Design.

In addition to teaching across the built environment disciplines at Masters and PhD level, the Faculty also administers and teaches into the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Design.

Academic expertise within the Faculty is pushing the boundaries of knowledge in seven key disciplines – Architecture, Construction, Landscape Architecture, Property, Urban and Cultural Heritage, Urban Design and Urban Planning.

Our research hubs, centres and institutes produce excellent research, leading the nation in built environment fields, as evidenced by our Excellence in Research Australia ratings.

We are committed to our multidisciplinary approach to knowledge generation and the imperative to prepare our students and staff to advance into the world, and to adapt and design solutions for a future we cannot yet predict.

Our community is a vibrant and passionate one, and inspires the Faculty leadership. Our students, staff, alumni, research collaborators, partners and friends in industry all have the motivation and vision to improve how we live, and are working towards that worthy goal every day.

Here you will find information about the Faculty leadership, our structure, decision-making bodies and academic leads for our teaching programs.

Professor Julie Willis
Dean, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

Professor Julie Willis is an authority on the history of Australian architecture 1890-1950 and is a leading researcher in the development of modern hospital architecture in Australia.

She is currently involved in major projects examining the development of innovative school architecture in Australia; and equity and diversity in the Australian architectural profession. With Professor Philip Goad, she is Editor of the Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2012, 832pp). Julie is past editor of the refereed journal Fabrications and now a Chair of its editorial board, a member of the advisory board of Architectural Theory Review and an editorial board member of The Conversation. She is a co-founder for Parlour, Australia’s leading organisation for women in architecture.

Professor Willis commenced in the role as Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning in November 2016. Prior to this, Professor Willis was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Melbourne from June 2013. In this role she worked with senior members of the University’s research community and with Associate Deans (Research) across all faculties to support and enhance research performance, and to recruit and support outstanding researchers at all levels.

Our leadership

Angela Brown

Faculty Executive Director

Business Partners

Governance and Advisory Boards

Governance

The Faculty has in place a governance structure which articulates the Faculty’s system of committees and advisory bodies.  This structure was reviewed in early 2025 and approved by the University Council.  Our revised structure has been implemented to ensure effective decision-making and information sharing within the Faculty.

Download the governance structure

Advisory Boards

As part of our Faculty’s Governance Structure, we have a number of Program Advisory Boards which play an important function within the Faculty by providing strategic advice on professional matters and future directions, and assist the Faculty in strengthening its profile and the industry relevance of its programs.

The Boards provide a forum for discussion and collaboration in which key members from business and community sectors can share high-level information and provide advice to the Faculty on teaching programs and potential research and engagement directions. Program Advisory Boards are established for each of the graduate programs within the Melbourne School of Design and meet at least two times each year.

Program Coordination

Each of our academic programs are overseen by either a Program or Pathway Coordinator.

• Pathway Coordinators oversee our majors in the Bachelor of Design and report to our Interim Director, Bachelor of Design, Professor Janet McGaw.
• Program Coordinators manage our Graduate programs and report to the Director, Melbourne School of Design, Professor Dan Hill.

Program Coordinators

Equal Opportunity

At the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, we are committed to supporting excellence in the built environment sector and empowering the future generation of built environment professionals. To accomplish this, we create space for diversity, in all its forms, to thrive; deepen our engagement with inclusive practices, and embed diversity and inclusion in all we do.

In helping us fulfil this mission we have created the role of Assistant Dean, Diversity and Inclusion. As our Assistant Dean (Diversity and Inclusion), Dr Ash Alam, with support from the Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC ), will provide advice, leadership, and partnership to proactively address issues of social equity and diversity within the Faculty, creating opportunities for diversity and inclusion to thrive.

We will achieve diversity and inclusion through the development, implementation and evaluation of the D&I Action Plan. The Action Plan is our commitment to advance diversity and inclusion goals in the Faculty. It will introduce ways to refresh our faculty as a community post COVID, building on ABP’s already strong social fabric and to continue to build a workplace and learning culture which enables social inclusion and full participation of all staff and students.

If you are interested to be part of the ABP D&I Reference Group, please contact us at Abp-diversity@unimelb.edu.au

For further information:

• Architecture, Building and Planning Diversity and Inclusion
• University of Melbourne - Diversity and inclusion
• University of Melbourne - Discrimination, harassment and bullying