HUGHES ROWELL DESIGN DEPT is an architecture studio based in Houston, Texas.

Founded in 2018 with the belief that architecture should be collaborative, responsive, and responsible - we specialize in innovative modern design solutions.

AWARDS + HONORS:

2026 AIA Houston Home Tour - Cherryhurst Residence

2024 AIA Houston Design Award - Densifying the Menil Neighborhood: Bungalow Renovations & Accessory Dwellings

2024 AIA Houston Design Award - Joyce Residence

2024 Ben Brewer Young Architect Award - Heather Rowell

2023 AIA Houston Home Tour - Joyce Residence

2023 Preservation Houston Good Brick Award - Avondale Residence

2022 Top 50 Architects + Designers - Architects Newspaper Interior

2022 AIA Houston Design Award - Avondale Residence

2020 AIA Houston Design Award - The Montrose Hotel

2020 AIA Houston Design Award - Crestview Residence

2019 Rice Design Alliance Home Tour - Bellmeade Residence

PUBLICATIONS:

Dwell - Joyce Residence: Gallaher, Rachel (Mar 2024), “Budget Breakdown: A Houston Family Nearly Doubles the Floor Plan of Their Beloved Bungalow for $391K”

Houstonia - Joyce Residence: Renfrow, Daniel (Oct 2023), “Our Favorite Homes in the 2023 AIA Houston Home Tour

Houstonia - Watonga Residence: Dalton, Melissa (Fall 2023), “Building a Dream Home on a Houston Bayou”

Hauser - Crestview Residence: Meyer, Klaus (Feb/Mar 2023), “Open House”

Dwell - Avondale Residence: Gallow, Lauren (Dec 2022), “Before & After: A Houston Photographer Casts New Light on a Historic Craftsman”

Architects Newspaper Interior - Top 50 Architects and Designers - 2022

Dwell - Crestview Residence: Temple, Jessie (March 2021), “An Open Invitation” Dwell Magazine

Houzz - Crestview Residence: Lambert, Laura (Aug 2021), “Houzz Tour: Midcentury-Inspired Home Built Around a Pecan Tree”

CITE Magazine - Interview: Rowell, Heather + Ickx, Wonne (2021) “Pragmatic Geometries - Wonne Ickx in Conversation with Heather Rowell” Cite 102

Eric Hughes, AIA

Eric Hughes hails from small town NE, a burgeoning metropolis of 1000 where he learned how to mutton bust and raise a pet buffalo. After pursuing architecture at University of Nebraska Lincoln, he made his way to Houston in 2004 to attain a Master’s of Architecture at Rice University. In 2018, he co-founded HR Design Dept, a Houston-based practice known for custom residential and small commercial projects requiring a high level of design sensitivity.

He was project manager at Content Architecture for six years, managing many projects from schematic design through construction. Notably, he oversaw the design and construction of several award winning projects including the Kipling Residence, Paloma Nail Salon, and Waverly Residence. Eric led the design of the Crestview Residence which won an AIA design award and was featured in Dwell magazine. He places great value on the unique relationship that forms between the architect and project owner, and is honored to have sustained friendships from a number of these past projects.

Eric is currently serving on the MD Anderson Family YMCA Board. On weekends, you’ll likely find Eric outside with his son Clark and wife Emily, or taking the opportunity to get his hands dirty with landscaping, woodworking, and home renovation projects.

Heather Rowell, AIA RID

Heather Rowell’s design experience includes residential projects, retail, large scale hospitality projects, and interior upfits. Shaped by an Appalachian upbringing that fostered a deep appreciation for craft and community, Heather earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture from North Carolina State University. She began her career designing educational facilities before moving to Houston to pursue a Master of Architecture at Rice University. Before co-founding HR Design Dept in 2018, Heather was a principal and co-owner of Content Architecture, playing a key role in the firm’s early growth and direction.

Heather was awarded the 2024 Ben Brewer Young Architect Award by AIA Houston, recognizing her leadership, design excellence, and service to the Houston community. She has taught graduate design studios at the Rice University School of Architecture and the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. She remains active in student mentorship programs and is a frequent guest critic and lecturer. She was the inagural Chair of the AIA Houston Women in Architecture Committee and spearheaded the development of the WiA Professional Development Fund. Heather has served on the Rice Design Alliance executive board and currently serves on the North Carolina State Design Leaders Council Executive Board. She co-leads the Hollywood Trail Coalition in Houston, supporting neighborhood-driven public space initiatives along Little White Oak Bayou.

David Schneider

David earned dual undergraduate degrees in architecture and philosophy from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was awarded the Oglesby Traveling Fellowship. The fellowship enabled him to study light and atmosphere in Cistercian monasteries across southern France.

He is currently teaching a senior design studio at the University of Houston Gerald D Hines College of Architecture. Before joining HRDD, David worked at award winning practices in New York and New Orleans at a range of scales. He has also served as Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico and as an Adjunct Instructor at Tulane University.