In Conversation with Chris McCue

Tell us about your journey to establishing Studio McCue and what inspired you to create a practice of your own?

For over two decades, I worked with respected design firms, locally and internationally, building relationships and friendships I still hold today. By 2024, the time felt right to establish Studio McCue. The industry is competitive, yet generous, and much of our workload has come through referral. I have always wanted to work with people who share my ethics and enthusiasm for development, and it is rewarding to see clients returning. 

Studio McCue describes its approach as "Essentialist". What does this mean, and how does it translate into the spaces you create? 

We are fortunate to be involved from site acquisition through to completion. To me, essentialism means identifying the components of a brief that matter most, whether that is the feel of a space or its commercial viability, and using them as the starting point for design. It is about removing the extraneous and getting to the core of what is needed. We will not impose a style that does not suit you; we craft spaces made for you. 

What are the key ingredients of architecture that feels both contemporary and enduring? 

In multi-residential work, we rarely deal directly with each apartment owner, so we rely on spatial parameters honed over more than 25 years as an architect. My focus remains on creating spaces that feel effortless, shaped by the nuance of each site, brief and outlook. Harnessing light as it moves through a building keeps architecture feeling timeless. We also consider how residents' needs will evolve early on, through material selection and detailing. 

Your work spans individual homes and multi-residential projects. How does your approach to creating a sense of home translate across these scales? 

Working across both typologies benefits each. Private homes bring in-depth briefing and engagement, which informs the commercial discipline we apply to developments such as 16 Murray Street, Elsternwick, where we are creating house-like amenities, with private garden access for ground-floor apartments and butler's pantries allowing for a kosher kitchen. We are also seeing spatial priorities shift, from the wine rooms once common in family homes to flexible, wellness-focused spaces such as a cosy retreat or small gym. 

What is exciting you most about the next chapter for Studio McCue? 

16 Murray Street, Elsternwick is a project we are genuinely excited about. It recently received approval through the Great Design Fast Track planning process, one of only six to do so since its inception. Now under construction and due for completion in late 2027, this eight-unit, three-storey development is clad in terracotta shingles and hit-and-miss red brickwork, drawing on the Victorian and 1930s character of the local streetscape. Set around extensive ground-level gardens by Philip Withers Landscape, the apartments feature living spaces oriented to garden and terrace outlooks, and bathrooms with bespoke vanities clad in red-hued porcelain mosaic tile. As a local resident, I am drawn to Elsternwick's eclectic character, and to offering right-sizers a boutique home so close to Glen Huntly Road. Having lived and breathed this design for over a year, I look forward to seeing it take shape and to it standing as an example of density done well. 

LEARN MORE: https://studiomccue.com/