Howells at 35
Last week we gathered at the EH Smith Design Centre in Digbeth to celebrate 35 years of Howells alongside the clients, collaborators, colleagues and friends who have been part of our journey. The evening allowed us to look back on projects and recognise the people and relationships that have shaped the practice since we started in Birmingham in 1990.
Glenn founded Howells during a recession with a simple ambition: to make buildings and places that transform cities, create communities and enrich lives. That idea still drives us today.
Over the last 35 years, we have grown from a small studio in The Custard Factory into an international practice working across the UK, Europe, Ireland and Australia. We reflected on the projects, partnerships, and experiences that have defined the practice — from early competition wins to major regeneration, residential, public realm and mixed-use developments across the country.
More importantly, it was a chance to recognise everyone behind the work. Many of our partners and colleagues have spent decades helping shape the practice, while others first joined us as students and have grown alongside the studio.
We are equally grateful to the clients, consultants, and collaborators who have shared our ambition and trusted us to help shape their projects. Our best work has always come through collaboration — through conversations, shared ideas and the contributions of people from outside the practice influencing the design process.
As we look ahead, our ambition remains the same as it was in 1990: to continue building on what we have created, support the next generation and keep doing work we genuinely love.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate, and to all those who have been part of the journey so far.
Written on 12.05.2026, by Lucy Swift
