The Practice was formed at the beginning of 1990 by Seán O’Mahony with the objective of carrying out work of a similar type and quality to that which had been carried out in previous employment. In Salisbury, with the Sarum Partnership projects included Oxford Colleges, Christopher Wren churches as well as more modest buildings but also of a high quality. Previously in Dublin projects included the Kilmainham Royal Hospital (Ireland’s equivalent of the Chelsea Royal Hospital) and the Custom House, Dublin.

The new practice, whilst not having such high profile work aims for the same quality in more modest buildings with a view to expanding the scope of the work gradually on the foundations of the reputation of our previous work. We do not advertise; our work comes exclusively from recommendations.

Simon Lock joined the practice in 1997 after also working previously for Sarum Partnership and other local practices and has experience of historic building and urban regeneration projects. He became a partner in 2001. The practice has a total complement of three Architects supported by a secretary.

People ask about our name. We wanted a name that served to express our architectural preferences and strengths and at the same time was sufficiently anonymous to allow structural changes to be made to the practice within the original name. Favonius is a latin term taken from the earliest extant book on classical architecture published by Vitruvius and dedicated to the Emperor Augustus: it translates into English as "the west wind" and was regarded by Vitruvius as a healthy prevailing wind when erecting a new building. Apropos nothing else in this letter, a horse called Favonius won the Derby for Lord Rothschild in 1871.

This Practice strives to provide a reliable, competent and professional service to all its clients and end users, and in its day to day relationships with professional colleagues and other members of the construction team

This service is supported by a positive policy within the Practice towards staff training and continuing professional development, where individuals’ aspirations and objectives are recognised leading to the maintenance and improvement of personal and professional skills.