Studio Howlett is a multidisciplinary design practice led by Rachel and Owen Howlett. We create architecture, interiors, and landscapes that are timeless in character and individual in expression.
Our work moves fluidly between disciplines — shaping buildings, spaces, and gardens that belong to their place and purpose. We approach design as an interconnected process: the architecture informs the interior, the landscape informs the plan, and every detail contributes to a sense of clarity and coherence.
Each project is distinct — whether it’s the transformation of a historic structure, the design of a new commercial space, or the crafting of a contemplative garden. We’re guided by the same principles across scales: restraint, proportion, and integrity. The result is work that endures quietly — grounded, human, and complete.
Based in Richmond, Virginia, Studio Howlett works across the East Coast and beyond on projects that range from homes and hospitality to workplaces and small-scale developments.
OUR APPROACH-
For Owen and Rachel Howlett, design has always been a conversation between place, craft, and people.
Their journeys — from large-scale international architecture to intimate, detail-driven interiors — inform a holistic approach that connects the built environment to its natural and cultural context. Owen’s grounding in architecture and landscape, paired with Rachel’s sensitivity to material, color, and atmosphere, creates a dialogue between structure and experience.
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We believe good design should feel inevitable — shaped by context, elevated by craft, and guided by intent.
Some spaces call for restraint; others for richness and intricacy. What matters most is coherence — that every gesture, material, and moment feels considered and connected.
Our process is grounded in dialogue, curiosity, and care. We balance intuition with precision, creativity with clarity. Each project is an opportunity to design environments that reveal depth over time — never formulaic, always individual.
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Curiosity as a practice - We approach every project as an opportunity to learn something new — about construction, history, materiality, or human behavior. Curiosity keeps the work alive and the team engaged.
Stewardship - We see our role as caretakers — of historic structures, the environment, client trust, and our own creative energy. Longevity, sustainability, and responsibility guide how we work.
A total work of design - We approach projects holistically — architecture, interiors, and landscape all considered as one continuous experience. The line between disciplines blurs, because the best design decisions live in the overlaps.
Respect for craft & quality - We see ourselves as part of a long continuum of makers — architects, artisans, builders, and clients all contributing to something lasting.
Responsibility - We believe it is really important to have a satisfied client, even if that means going above and beyond what the expectations are for a project. Responsibility also means that we will figure it out — if something is difficult or outside of the ordinary, we will be a part of finding the answer.
Design with intent, not ego - Every project begins with listening, curiosity, and clarity — not signature moves. We pursue ideas that serve the people, place, and purpose, letting the design quietly reveal itself rather than forcing a gesture.
Owen Howlett, RA
FOUNDING PARTNEROwen’s work is rooted in the belief that the best design emerges from harmony — between site and structure, interior and exterior, vision and detail. His background spans architecture, landscape, and urban design, allowing him to move fluidly between scales while maintaining a cohesive point of view.
Before founding Studio Howlett, Owen served as an Associate Principal at Pickard Chilton, where he led major international projects including a six-building mixed-use development in Stuttgart, the Takanawa Gateway Master Plan in Tokyo, Le Coeur in Düsseldorf and the planning and exterior design of CoStar’s Richmond Campus. Earlier experience at Kohn Pedersen Fox and Shalom Baranes Associates deepened his understanding of urban and high-rise design, reinforcing a context-driven approach that defines the studio’s work.
He grew up surrounded by design and craftsmanship — exposed to furniture conservation, historic architecture, and the landscapes of Colonial Williamsburg, where he trained as an apprentice gardener. Owen earned his Master of Architecture from Yale, where he received the Parsons Medal for City Planning, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia. He was also a Fulbright Fellow in the Netherlands, researching sustainable energy in urban placemaking.
CERTIFICATIONS — Registered Architect (Virginia) 
Rachel Howlett, RA
FOUNDING PARTNERRachel brings nearly fifteen years of experience across architecture and interior design. Her work is guided by the belief that meaningful design lies in balance — where atmosphere meets function, and where every detail contributes to a sense of ease and character.
Before founding Studio Howlett, Rachel was a designer and Associate at Pickard Chilton in New Haven, Connecticut, where she contributed to major commercial, research, and master plan projects in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, including Facebook’s 2-million-square-foot campus in Silicon Valley and the River Point tower in Chicago. She later worked as a Senior Interior Designer at Campfire & Co., a Richmond-based design studio, leading hospitality, multi-family, and boutique commercial projects. She helped realize some of your favorite Richmond spots such as The Emerald Lounge and Lineage Goods & Coffee as well as The Flora multifamily in Bedford and This is Grow’s office and Assembly in Norfolk.
At Studio Howlett, she leads projects that weave together architecture and interiors to create spaces that feel grounded, expressive, and enduring. Her approach is defined by a nuanced use of color and the thoughtful blending of furniture styles and eras, creating interiors that feel layered yet cohesive. Subtle influences from her travels through Europe and Japan often find their way into her work — a quiet appreciation for craftsmanship, light, and history translated through a modern lens.
She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a minor in Spanish from Oklahoma State University and was the recipient of the Pickard Chilton Traveling Fellowship, through which she studied 20th-century Nordic design in Sweden and Finland — research that continues to shape her sensitivity to materiality, mood, and detail.
CERTIFICATIONS — Registered Architect (Massachusetts)