Howells Architecture + Design - Portland, Oregon

Franz M.

Michael Howells took our vague dream and built it into reality.

Our remodel project is amazing. The floor plan includes a grand living space with a spectacular view, but Michael didn't let that view define success. The whole layout of the house feels extremely intentional. It's homey but spacious. There's room for everything we need to do. We can be close as a family but still find a quiet space when needed.

The attention to detail is fantastic. Michael's commitment not only during design but throughout the entire build process was massive. I still sometimes expect to see him pop out from a closet even though we've been living here for a week.

I can't thank Michael enough for helping us achieve this dream home. You'd be lucky to work with him.

Molly K.

My husband I recently completed a whole house remodel with Howells Architecture + Design. We lived in our house for 15 years before the remodel, which tackled everything from energy efficiency and mechanical updates to an improved layout for growing children to making the house feel like it fit our life and style. It was a big, expensive, stressful project that was made so much better, easier, less stressful and more cost effective by hiring Michael Howells.

During the design process his deep architectural knowledge and great taste helped make an overwhelming cascade of decisions seem manageable, efficient and fun. I would probably enjoy listening to him talk about door knobs all day, but in reality he can go into a door knob show room and in less than twenty minutes break down decades of design history, narrow all of the choices by material, price, quality and style and make the final choice seem inevitable and perfect. Repeat that for every single item and material in the whole house. He is opinionated and decisive but always made me feel like he wanted to help me realize my vision and priorities for the house, even when they were not completely aligned with his style. He always made me feel like he was working on my house, and not a house.

And during the construction phase, from first contractor interviews to final key handoff, he was a massive asset. One of the reasons I hired him was because I knew I needed help with project management as well as architectural design, and I was aware that his firm offered both. But he far, far exceeded my expectations by being constantly present and vigilant during the build out. He met with every sub contractor and made sure they did everything according to his specifications and he just has a great eye and sense for when and how things need to be done. The contractor we picked was very good and I would absolutely hire them again, but even so, the outcome of their work was greatly improved by Michael’s presence.

In short, choosing Howells A+D was the best decision we made on our project and I can't recommend him highly enough.

Alison S.

We were given Michael's information by our realtor after buying our (almost) dream house. It was perfect for us apart from the upstairs not having a bathroom. My husband and I had never done any home renovations or worked with an architect before so the project felt intimidating! Michael brought his vision and expertise working with old homes to know just what we were wanting and we could not be more pleased with the final result! We now have a fantastic upstairs bath. Michael has a great sense of style and design and is professional, reliable and connected in the industry. He connected us to a great builder and continued to be part of the process throughout the whole project. We would love to hire Michael again in future!

Laura M.

We feel so fortunate to have engaged with Michael Howells for a whole-house remodel in Portland, Oregon.

The beginning of the project took a few months as Michael and his team crafted fully realized architectural plans. This investment of time ended up paying off handsomely as the project proceeded very smoothly as a result.

The house turned out beautifully – Michael’s ability to see the whole of the project while also attending to the details is remarkable. Michael was a true project partner in every sense. He helped to manage the general contractor ensuring that the construction was top-notch. He anticipated scheduling pinch-points during the global logistics crisis and helped us to press ahead on material orders which kept the project on-schedule. The detailed architectural building plans his team created were noted by installers to be “the best I’ve ever seen”. This level of detail and attention kept the project running smoothly.

Michael was generous with his time and fully committed to our project. Further, he helped us to select furnishings for our home and helped with the hanging of artwork. This resulted in a beautiful, cohesive home. Michael found some hidden treasures amongst our artwork, placing them in pride-of-place positions which resulted in beautiful aesthetics that hold deep meaning for us. Michael encourages his clients to bring their own personalities to the project and made room for our sentimental objects in a way that a rigid design afficionado would not.

We are so happy with our beautifully reimagined, rebuilt home and treasured the experience of working with Michael every step of the way.

Anthony C.

I asked Michael to help with my whole house remodel because I wanted to get past trendy to timeless. Michael’s rigorous understanding of architecture broadly and Portland in particular led to a home that supports a modern lifestyle and is completely authentic - it looks and functions as if it is the way it should have always been, even though we made significant design decisions.

What I didn’t appreciate until later is the extent to which Michael acts as his client’s fiduciary in every aspect of the project, advocating for quality, value, timeliness and style. I couldn’t be happier.

Holly M.

We have worked with Michael on several projects over the last few years. Our kitchen, living room and bathrooms have been completely transformed. Michael has also helped us update the exterior of our house and our front yard. We are so happy with the updates to our home. It has been a genuine pleasure and honor to work with Michael. We really felt that we were working with an artist and an architect throughout the entire process. He possesses a unique combination of vision, creativity and professionalism as well as an amazing ability to listen and get a feel for our ideas. His presence throughout the process, his ability to advocate for the homeowner, and his obsessive attention to detail resulted in the finished product being of the utmost quality.

Xuanqian W.

I have been working with Michael over my whole house remodeling project at northwest Portland since 2017. It is a big project lasting very long time. We have finished the main and upper level of my house in early 2020 (so I can move in) and currently working on the basement.

Michael has done a wonderful job during the last two years corporation. He listened to my need, helped me with the cost without going crazy have some really smart ideas. I personally think he is especially good at dealing with old house, particularly remodeling project. He can play with all kinds of pre-existing conditions then come out with workarounds to achieve a good result, which is not commonly seen today.

One thing I really appreciate is the fact that Michael will side with the homeowner rather than the contractor when something goes wrong during the construction. Builder always make mistakes during the construction, no matter how closely you are looking after. Some details that you believe are very important will simply be ignored by the builder, even those details are clearly documented on the drawing. In this situation, builder will look for all kinds of excuses trying to not redo what they have done and you need someone to side with you in order to let the builder fix the problem, if your architect sides with you then it is a 2:1 game, it will be at your favor. Trust me, it is very important, you don't want a compromised result because you will hate it every single day as long as you are living in the house and seeing these details.

I will give Michael 10/10, highly recommended.

African S.

Michael is a highly thoughtful, detailed architect with a ton of talent. He can move between traditional and contemporary design depending on the client brief and by staying authentic /true to the landscape and prevailing architecture of the area. The client is never a number in this firm.