Lale Özgenel has been a faculty member at the Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University (METU) since 1992. She received her bachelor’s degree in architecture, her master’s in architectural history, and her doctorate in architecture from METU. At the university, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in architectural history and leads a fourth-year architectural design studio.

She pursued postdoctoral research at Oxford University, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and the American Academy in Rome, and has contributed as an architect and survey team member to international archaeological projects. Her research interests include ancient domestic architecture, the history of housing and daily life, rural architecture, education buildings, and the cultural history of tennis in Turkey. She is particularly engaged in work at the intersection of architectural design and architectural history.

In collaboration with academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, she has developed national and international projects focused on architectural history, education, professional practice, and culture, while also organizing numerous scholarly and professional events.

Alongside her academic career, she actively participates in architectural practice through competitions, design research, and consultancy projects. Her professional expertise encompasses architectural design, programming, and implementation, with a focus on residential, educational, and cultural buildings.

She served as President of the Architects’ Association 1927 based in Ankara, from 2016 to 2021 and, since 2019, has been Vice President of the Ankara Citizens’ Council, where she works with a wide network of individuals, institutions, and organizations to support local governance and contribute to the development of Ankara.