Matthew works in architectural practice and research, drawing on over two decades of activity in these fields and on broader experience in self-building, property development, set design, and architectural education – always in collaboration with others.
He studied architecture at Cambridge University and the Bartlett UCL, and has worked in architectural practice at Buschow Henley in London and Jestico & Whiles in Prague. As a co-director of MPH Architects (with Catherine Phillips and Dido Milne), from 2015-2018 he led a research team of industry and academic partners on ‘Solid Cork Building Envelope’, part-funded by Innovate UK and EPSRC. The subsequent Cork House, completed in 2019, was designed with Dido Milne and Oliver Wilton, and self-built by Matthew. He is currently Director of Research & Development at CSK Architects in Eton.
Matthew has initiated, designed and managed property developments, including 66 Brick Lane which won the RIBA Downlands Prize 2004 for Urban Regeneration (with Dido Milne), and villas in Ibiza with his father, William Howland (winner of RIBA Building of the Year 1989 with Nelson Mandela School in Birmingham). He also designed the sets for Opera North’s production of Cosi fan Tutte, directed by Tim Albery.
As an architectural tutor, he has taught diploma units at the Architectural Association (with Peter Karl Becher), Cambridge University (with Oliver Wilton) and London Met, where he was awarded the RIBA Tutor Prize in 2004 with David Grandorge. He is currently an Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL, where he is responsible for leading the teaching strategy for Technology on the new 5-year MSci Architecture course.
Matthew is currently working on: an all-timber prefabricated hillside house raised up amongst the trees; a new ‘net zero carbon’ country house built with stone reclaimed from previous structures on the site; and a mixed-use ‘new model barn’ for a biodynamic farm in Berkshire..