It is fitting, therefore, that the photo shoot for this interview took place in the Aston Webb room at the RIBA in central London. Almost exactly 100 years ago, Webb was commissioned by Sir Joseph Chamberlain to build the semi-circle at the University of Birmingham, a building that Howells’ practice completed last year. Building would love to claim responsibility for the aptness of the setting, but in reality it was only when Howells was in front of the camera that he himself made the connection.