What Glenn Howells Architects does

Glenn Howells Architects (trading as Howells) is a UK-based architecture and urban design practice founded by Glenn Howells in 1990, celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2025. The firm delivers full-service architectural design spanning residential, commercial, cultural, civic, and hospitality sectors, with particular depth in large-scale residential and mixed-use regeneration (London City Island, Royal Wharf, Wardian, Brentford Project, Millers Quay, Port Loop, Leamouth Peninsula, Eden Dock). It also designs cultural and public buildings such as The Mulryan Centre for Dance, the Savill Building, and Gloucester Services. The practice is headquartered in London and operates from a Birmingham office, with 101–250 employees and a dedicated London Workshop for fabrication and experimentation established in December 2025.

The firm's revenue model is professional services, earned through project-based commissions quoted individually rather than through standardised pricing. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales, pursuing property developers, build-to-rent operators, cultural institutions, and public sector bodies directly through pitches, referrals, and competitive tendering for major architectural commissions. Marketing is portfolio-led via the website, ideas/blog content, Instagram, LinkedIn, and earned media around industry awards, including RIBA London Awards (Brentford Project, UNCLE Wembley Gardens) and the Pineapple Award (Millers Quay). The firm is privately held and founder-led, with no disclosed external investors, subsidiaries, acquisitions, or funding rounds.

Leadership is concentrated around founder and director Glenn Howells, with named principals Dav Bansal and Sophia Ceneda, the latter selected for the Mayor's Design Advocate Panel in January 2026, extending the firm's engagement with London's planning and design policy ecosystem. Strategic emphasis in 2025–2026 has shifted toward retrofit, urban regeneration, and high-street reinvention, as evidenced by recent thought-leadership content and ongoing major project completions.

Name

Glenn Howells Architects

Legal name

Glenn Howells Architects

Website

https://glennhowells.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban design planning
• Building retrofit services
• Mixed-use development
• Residential architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Project-based professional services revenue from architectural design, urban planning, and building design commissions for residential, commercial, cultural, and public sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Glenn Howells Architects is a UK architecture and urban design practice delivering full-service architectural design for residential, commercial, cultural, civic, and public sector clients. The firm covers the full project lifecycle from masterplanning and concept design through delivery, including new builds, retrofits, mixed-use developments, interiors, and sustainability consulting. Notable work spans schemes such as London City Island, Wardian, Royal Wharf, Brentford Project, The Mulryan Centre for Dance, Gloucester Services, and the Savill Building.

Product overview

Glenn Howells Architects is an architecture and urban design practice offering a unified set of design and consultancy services. The firm operates as a single integrated practice rather than a platform-with-modules structure. Their portfolio spans multiple project types including residential developments (London City Island, Wardian, Royal Wharf, Brentford Project, Port Loop, Millers Quay), cultural buildings (The Mulryan Centre for Dance, English National Ballet), commercial and mixed-use schemes (Paradise, One Centenary Way, Eden Dock), public infrastructure (Gloucester Services, Savill Building), and educational facilities. Services include masterplanning, architecture, interiors, sustainability consulting, and urban design across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design covering residential, commercial, cultural, civic, and public sector projects in the UK, including new builds, retrofits, mixed-use developments, interiors, masterplanning, and sustainability consulting. Delivered to property developers, public sector clients, cultural institutions, and build-to-rent operators.

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• tp bennett: UK architecture practice working across commercial, residential, and mixed-use schemes at comparable scale. Direct peer for developer-led commissions and London-focused masterplanning briefs.
• Make Architects: UK architecture firm specialising in tall residential buildings and mixed-use masterplans (e.g. SKA project comparable to Wardian, high-rise residential). Direct peer competing on the same London high-rise and developer-led schemes.
• Haworth Tompkins: Mid-sized London architecture practice with strong track record in residential, cultural, and theatre/performance buildings. Comparable portfolio mix and headcount to Glenn Howells, with overlap in cultural and urban regeneration commissions.
• Duggan Morris Architects: London architecture practice with similar scale and sector mix across residential, cultural, and commercial projects. Competes for comparable client briefs and RIBA-recognition tier commissions.
• Allies and Morrison: Established UK architecture practice of comparable size and reputation, working across residential, commercial, cultural, and masterplanning sectors in London. Direct competitor for the same developer and public-sector commissions that Glenn Howells targets.
• Studio Egret West: London-based practice with comparable footprint in residential-led mixed-use, BTR, and urban regeneration projects. Overlaps directly with Glenn Howells on developer commissions in the same geographies.
• Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM): London-headquartered architecture practice working across residential, commercial, and mixed-use schemes at similar scale. Direct competitor for developer and institutional commissions in the UK market.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Larger UK-headquartered global architecture practice with a much broader international portfolio. Competes with Glenn Howells for major London commercial and cultural commissions but operates at significantly greater scale and global reach.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: Iconic London-headquartered global architecture practice. Competes for high-profile cultural and commercial commissions in the same UK market and shares brand-led design differentiation, though at much larger scale.
• Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners: Established UK architecture practice with comparable residential, commercial, and civic portfolio. Operates at greater scale internationally and competes for the same high-prestige London commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glenn-howells-architects-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/howells_makes
• Xx.com/glenn_howells

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glenn Howells Architects