Sharni Howe, B. of Architecture (1st Class Honours), B. of Arts; Registered Architect (retired)

Sharni Howe is the founder and sole director of Sharni Howe Architect’s, an Urban Design and Value-Add Strategic Advice based consultancy based in Perth; formed in 1997.

With over 39 years of experience in civic governance (Redevelopment Authority Boards etc) and the volunteer sectors (Wildflower Capital Initiative; The Hearing Implant Centre, Great Local Places etc) academia and the development industry here in Australia; but also in the UK, USA, Japan, Malaysia , Taiwan & China. Sharni has been recognised for her valuable and collaborative contribution to the “Built Environment” and the creation of unique landscape led places. She has been involved in a wide range of large-scale infrastructure projects and built form-based developments; including town centre creation and rail infrastructure guidance (e.g. Perth City Rail Advisory Committee 2001-2004). She has received numerous awards, in her own right locally (such as the Russel Perry Award for Excellence in 2017 or Leading Light, Winner, WA AA 2022 ); but also as part of long running teams (such as the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Award for Best Master-planned Community 2015 or UDIA Award for Excellence, Huntlee NSW 2023) or as part of other practices early in her career (such as the International Quarternario Award, for the CRA Advanced Technology Development Centre in Victoria, designed by Forbes & Fitzhardinge Architects 1992: Steve Woodland/Director, Sharni Howe/Project Architect)

Sharni did begin her university education locally at UWA, in 1979. But not in the Architecture faculty! Having started in the fields of Law and the Arts; she changed course towards Architecture (and cemented her life-long love of hand drawing and making…),but continued to pursue various interest’s at other institutions at the same time (such as Psychology, Anthropology or Chinese Culture and History at Murdoch University). In hindsight this polymath approach and broad skill set, was the perfect background for a professional career in Urban Design and multi-disciplinary team work.

In her first years out of university she was lucky enough to work with some great practitioners, like Gus Ferguson, JCY, F & F and Richard Rogers….who continued that education, that university merely kick started. These intense and ‘hard years’, help set up important choices for the future & inspired her to also be generous with her own knowledge.

The Quarternario Award (given its international panel of judges, such as Lord Rogers, Lord Foster, Jean Novel etc) proved instrumental in opening up rewarding opportunities outside of Australia and Sharni relocated to London, during the 1990s; working with Richard Rogers Partnership and Jeremy Dixon-Edward Jones, whilst also co-ordinating (with Tim MacFarlane) Technical Studies for the Architecture Diploma School, at the Architectural Association in London (& participating In the Summer School programme in the USA). She worked internationally in various Asian countries, such as Japan; gaining some useful insight into the language & cultural challenges encountered when coming from a “different place”. However, eventually bleak weather (and another encounter with cancer) prompted her to return to WA, to create her own practice and be amongst a supportive community. Which continues to surround her to this day; of both clients and collegiate friends.

Sharni has had a number of career breaks (or recovery sabbaticals) over these intervening decades; but more in response to ill health, than the challenges of parenthood (even though she’s been a passable step parent & mentor, to other people’s children along the way…). So perhaps understands & empathises with the challenges of a “stop start” career or weaving your own character into a unique working (& living) world.