Claire McCaughan is a registered architect, co-director of Archrival and director of Custom Mad. She is a highly motivated practitioner and her residential portfolio is complemented by exhibitions, public artworks and design leadership as Head of Programs at the Australian Design Centre (2014-2016) and director at Archrival, a not-for-profit design agency she co-founded in 2011. Her roles at both these organisations show her specific interest in broadcasting the value of design beyond the architecture community. In 2016 Claire established Custom Mad as a place to practise across all these interests.

Climate change has now led Claire to focus on discussing ethics with the architecture community. Writing and teaching allows her to consider how ethics frameworks can be a new starting point for design that encompasses intersectional spatial justice. At Custom Mad these ideas are tested in the real world - on construction sites and with clients. Claire promises to be as kind to place as she possibly can. She’s dedicated to being conscious about her actions and reactions - knowing that what she puts out can have everlasting consequences.