DRUE McPHERSON

Drue McPherson (he/him) is a third-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch) candidate whose practice centers on non-normative locales that are physical, social, and theoretical constructs. Drue earned his Bachelor of Science in art history in 2021, blending his love of social theory, the visual arts, and spatial considerations with the built environment. Drue’s art, architecture, and research practices explores the boundaries between identity, design, and space-making. He focuses on queer and fundamentally oppressed spaces to broaden the relevance of architectural histories and design culture, creating narratives on how space has an impact on the construction of identity. Drue explores personal and social identities through collage, sketching, and painting techniques that shape his design sensibility of the physical world.

With a passion for storytelling and a commitment to creating inclusive design through continually evolved learning, Drue’s work investigates themes of belonging, and the intersection of personal and collective histories.

Collective storytelling is the foundation of Drue’s art and design practices. In 2023, Drue created an exhibition titled HOME, engaging with local west Michigan communities to uncover aspects of personal discovery, privacy, and comfort in the construct of LGBTQIA2S+ home environments. In 2024, Drue spent time in Los Angeles interviewing, collecting personal stories, and exploring the complexity of the home environment for those experiencing houselessness and cost burdening.

Drue is currently working on his M.Arch thesis titled House, Human, Home. Focusing on diverse housing typologies and shifts in cultural and economic viewpoint of housing, Drue is exploring the need to rethink housing futures. In reconceptualizing the future of housing based on individual and collective needs, this project moves away from the social and cultural currency that current housing carries and focuses on a utopian way of exploring housing through community-developed goals.

Drue remains an avid activist, working to create conversation through visual narratives, volunteering on local boards and committees, and continued education. He currently serves on the board of OutFront Kalamazoo, an organization committed to LGBTQIA+ justice in all forms. In addition to working on his degree in architecture, Drue co-owns a salon and studio in Kalamazoo, Michigan with his longtime collaborator Becky Watters, where he continues to build relationships through his clientele and the local communities of west Michigan.