HUGHES ROWELL DESIGN DEPT (HRDD) is a full-service architecture practice based in Houston, Texas.

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Founded in 2018 with the belief that architecture should be collaborative, responsive, and responsible - we specialize in innovative, custom residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional projects throughout Houston and Texas.

design approach

Collaborative | Responsive | Responsible: a framework that shapes our relationships, drives our design processes, and underscores our commitment to enriching communities through quality, inspired, placemaking.

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We love when things come together.

We believe great design is rooted in strong relationships built between people, places, ideas, and materials. Our work is grounded in collaboration and driven by a curiosity about what a project can become. We see design as an active exchange, a process that evolves through shared, iterative exploration with our clients and collaborators. The goal is not just a resolved building, but a richer outcome shaped by many perspectives.

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We are interested in creating architecture with roots.

We strive to create architecture that feels specific to its context, and is responsive to and reflective of the people who use it. Through a process that identifies the unique variables that inform and shape a project - site, climate, materiality, budget, the people involved - we respond with ideas that are both practical and daring.

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We approach each project with both optimism and discipline.

Whether working within tight budgets, complex sites, or layered stakeholder needs, we see constraints as a source of clarity rather than limitation. We are pragmatic and committed to carrying ideas through to construction, ensuring the work is not only compelling and fresh, but well made and enduring. We take pride in delivering projects that balance ambition with responsibility, ensuring resources are used wisely and design quality remains uncompromised. 

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At every scale, we aim to create work that is purposeful, considered, and lasting – an architecture that contributes meaningfully to its surroundings and to the communities it serves.

The Design Department is open

team

Services + Experience

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Full-Service Architecture from Programming to Punch List

We are engaged partners through the life of the project. Our work spans feasibility studies, master planning, project programming, conceptual and spatial design, construction documentation, and construction administration, with the flexibility to tailor services to each client’s needs.

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Project Scale

Our experience ranges from small-scale renovations to ground-up residential projects, multifamily developments, and large-scale master plans. We have also collaborated on projects where architecture and brand identity evolve in tandem, particularly within hospitality and retail environments. Our work includes projects across a wide variety of neighborhoods and regulatory contexts, requiring thoughtful navigation of both design and jurisdictional considerations.

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Client Collaborators

We have worked in collaboration with a diverse range of clients – from private homeowners and civic clubs to large institutions, cultural centers, and arts organizations. We’re proud to have collaborated with groups meaningfully contributing to our communities including the Menil Foundation, Rice University, Hermann Park Conservatory, the Houston Zen Center, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Scarlet, Goodnight Hospitality, Metro National, and Radom Capital.  

Awards & Honors

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2026 AIA Houston Home Tour

The Cherryhurst Residence selected for the 2026 AIA Houston Home Tour. The two day tour, held November 7th and 8th, features custom homes in the Houston area designed by licensed architects.

2025 Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women

Heather Rowell named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine.

2024 AIA Houston Design Award, Residential Architecture

Awarded for a jury-selected project from a design competition hosted by the Menil Foundation, exploring gentle density through bungalow renovations and accessory dwellings with a context-sensitive approach to urban growth, housing flexibility, and neighborhood continuity.

2024 AIA Houston Design Award, Renovations and Restorations

Awarded for the expansion and modernization of a historic bungalow in the scale and vernacular of its Houston northside neighborhood and incorporation of pathways for discovery and engagement with the outdoor environment on a restrictive urban lot.

2024 Ben Brewer Young Architect Award

Presented by the American Institute of Architects Houston to Heather Rowel for design excellence, professional leadership, and contributions to Houston’s design culture, including leadership within AIA Houston and advocacy for greater inclusion in the profession.

2023 AIA Houston Home Tour

Chosen by the American Institute of Architects Houston as part of its annual curated tour showcasing architecturally significant residences. The project demonstrates how a historic Lindale Park bungalow can be expanded to support contemporary living while maintaining the neighborhood’s scale and character.

2023 Good Brick Award

Awarded by Preservation Houston in recognition of sensitive renovation and preservation for the Avondale Residence.

2022 Top 50 Architects + Designers
Firm founder and principal Heather Rowell was selected by The Architect's Newspaper for its annual list recognizing leading North American architecture and design studios working in interiors.

2022 AIA Houston Design Award
Awarded by the American Institute of Architects Houston in its annual juried design competition for the Avondale Residence contextual renovations.

2020 AIA Houston Design Award
Awarded by the American Institute of Architects Houston in its annual juried awards program, recognizing architectural excellence for the design of a new luxury, boutique Montrose Hotel commercial project.

2020 AIA Houston Design Award
Awarded by the American Institute of Architects Houston in its annual juried design awards program for the Crestview residents in Austin for its thoughtful response to site constraints, natural preservation, and neighborhood connection.

2019 Rice Design Alliance Home Tour
Selected for the 2019 architecture tour organized by Rice Design Alliance. The tour showcased The Bellmeade Residence and other Houston homes, exploring how architecture adapts to changing conditions such as generational living and climate challenges.

Press & Publications

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Dwell, March 2024 | “A Houston Family Nearly Doubles the Floor Plan of Their Beloved Bungalow for $391K”

Dwell spotlighted HR Design Dept. for a real-world Houston expansion that nearly doubled a 1930s bungalow while staying contextual to the neighborhood. It explores our budget-stretch tactics, from salvage and selective splurges to line-item cost breakdown, detailing how we protect design intent and manage budget tradeoffs in construction. Read the full article in Dwell » More on Joyce Residence.

Houstonia, October 2023 | “Our Favorite Homes in the 2023 AIA Houston Home Tour"

Chosen for the 2023 AIA Houston Home Tour, this project was highlighted for the firm’s approach to modernizing a historic home with a carefully phased addition, involving seamless material continuity and construction sequencing as the family remained in the home during the build. Read the full Houstonia article » More on Joyce Residence.

Houstonia, Fall 2023 | “Building a Dream Home on a Houston Bayou”

Houstonia Magazine featured HR Design Dept. for a ground-up bayou-adjacent home that turns floodplain constraints into a resilient, deeply personal design solution. The serene home is a case study in translating regulatory and environmental constraints into calm, high-performing architecture. Read the full Houstonia article » More on Watonga Residence

HÄUSER, Feb/Mar 2023 | “Open House”

A residence in Austin’s Crestview neighborhood designed by HRDD appeared in the Feb/March issue of HÄUSER, an international architecture magazine that documents residential projects from a global range of practices. The feature examines the home’s spatial organization, material strategy, and design context. Purchase an issue copy »

Dwell, December 2022 | "Before & After: A Houston Photographer Casts New Light on a Historic Craftsman"

Dwell featured HR Design Department’s restoration of a 1910 Craftsman in Houston’s Avondale Place historic district, highlighting the firm’s approach to reconciling preservation with contemporary living. The project transformed a long-neglected, previously subdivided house into a cohesive single-family residence restored the exterior to its historic glory. Read the full article in Dwell »

Architects Newspaper Interior, 2022 | "Top 50 Architects and Designers"

AN Interior named HR Design Dept. among its Top 50 North American architecture and design studios, a peer-context list spanning emerging and established practices recognized for attention to craft, materials, and interior environments. See the full list »

Dwell, March/April 2021 | "Home Where the Neighborhood Is Welcome"

Dwell explores how an HRDD brick-and-glass house embodies Southern hospitality with a street-facing window, airy interiors, and shaded courtyards. Read the story in Dwell » More on the Crestview Residence

Houzz, August 2021 | "Midcentury-Inspired Home Built Around a Pecan Tree"

This feature explores how HR Design Dept. used architecture to allow a house to participate in the life of the neighborhood, using form and design that engages the street, welcomes neighbors, and balances privacy with openness. Read the article in Houzz » More on the Crestview Residence

House & Home, April 2019 | "Mediterranean Oasis"

A 1920s home redesigned in 1987 gets modernized to meet changing climate conditions. This spotlight in House & Home showcases how modernization can maintain hyper-local residential fabric while helping a home avoid becoming obsolete. Read the feature » More on the Bellmeade Addition.