Karen Alcock and Rachael McNally are from MA+Co, a 12-person Melbourne-based practice working on a mix of residential, multi-res and commercial projects.

In this episode, Karen, Rachael and I discussed:

• How the studio has fostered strong long-term relationships with developers, and their insights on ways architects can play a bigger and more impactful role in the development team.
• Their approach to finding the balance between development budgets and the enjoyment of future occupants by concentrating on designing low-cost moments of joy into every space.
• They reflect on their recent rebrand, and discuss the benefits of a website that is highly curated, both in terms of the number of projects presented, and the short memorable messages shown to visitors.
• How the brand refresh allowed them to look inward, communicate what is important to them as a practice, and gain a professional external perspective on their values and strengths.
• A close look at their recent Mori House, focusing on how commissioning two photography sessions of the one project allowed them to capture the house in both a raw form, and then as a lived-in home.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit ma-co.au or follow them on Instagram at @ma_co.au.

This episode of Office Talk is sponsored by Office D.SHARP, Welcome to Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. Based in Perth, the practice works collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Episode credits: Edited by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio. Engineered by James Ede of Be Heard. Cover illustration by Woshibai. Design by Studio Hi Ho.