Franklin is just 21 miles from Nashville, and it’s a great place to live. Franklin is known for vibrant music, lively festivals, and an awesome downtown. Living in Franklin offers residents a suburban feel: there are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks in the area. The area is also a home to prestigious universities, several large corporations, and some prominent entertainment venues.

We have compiled a list of seven of The Best Commercial Architects in Franklin, Tennessee. These firms were selected by our editorial team for their experience, expertise, and the awards they have received over the years.

Hastings Architecture

225 Polk Avenue, Suite 100, Nashville, TN 37203

Hastings Architecture was established in 1985 and he has been deeply devoted to creating award-winning projects that have given so much to the communities and clients the firm serves. Its pool of hardworking and artistic staff includes more than 75 architects, planners, interior designers, and consultants working together to create and deliver world-class projects.

James O. Hastings is the founding principal of Hastings Architecture. He has an architectural degree from the University of Tennessee and he also attended the University of Memphis to earn a degree in Business Administration. He served as chair of the State of Tennessee Architecture and Engineering Board and an active member of the State of Tennessee Technical Advisory Committee and the Health Care Facility Licensing Board.

With 36 years of experience and a strong reputation, Hastings Architecture has received a number of awards, including the 2021 Design Award for Alfred Williams and Company-AIA Gulf States, the 2021 Design Award for the 225 Polk Dance-AIA Gulf States, the 2021 LEED Gulf Project Certification for the 225 Pold Office-USGBC, and the 2021 Preservation Award for the 225 Polk Office-Metropolitan Historical Commission.  

Smith Gee Studio

602 Taylor Street, Suite #201, Nashville, TN 37208

Smith Gee Studio is a full-service architectural, interior design, and planning firm that serves the Middle TN area. They consistently produce projects that enhance the end-user’s experience, inspire interaction, and bring communities together. The firm has a variety of working experience, including master planning to design, ground-up construction, adaptive reuse, and public sector and private development work. They measure their success by the success of their clients.

Founded in 2010, Smith Gee Studio is now led by five partners who have a combined experience in design, architecture, planning and development that spans decades. They consider themselves citizen architects and are proud of their vibrant and diverse team which has grown to over 50 people, half of whom are women and over a quarter identify as other than white.

Smith Gee Studio can point to its numerous achievements and awards from various organizations, including the 2021 Golden Honor for 83 Freight, Best Multifamily Housing Community (up to 4 stories) – Aurora Awards, the EP Friendly Firm Award from AIA Tennessee for the last five years in a row, the 2020 NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Community of the Year award for Kirkpatrick Park, and for Harpeth Square the Williamson Co. Heritage Foundation Preservation Award for Excellence in Infill in a Historic District and the Excellence in Development Award – ULI Nashville in 2021.

906 Studio Architects + Interiors

3310 Aspen Grove Drive, Suite 302, Franklin, TN 37067

906 studio Architects is a full-service architectural and interior design company that specializes in excellent architecture in single-family, multi-family, and commercial architecture. The firm also offers a wide variety of services in a number of sectors, including healthcare and medical, commercial, financial, retail, and hospitality. The company designs buildings, creating the most captivating, practical space possible within the client’s budget.

Heading 906 Studio Architects is Mike Hathaway, the owner and principal of the firm. He completed his architectural degree at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He serves as the chairman of the city of Franklins’ Planning Commission and a member of the City of Franklins’ Historic Zoning Commission. He worked for many companies as Project Engineer before starting his own company.

The companies’ effort and hard work have been recognized by a number of groups, winning a number of awards, including the 2019 Preservation Through Rehabilitation Residential Award-Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, the 2019 Professional Builder Silver Design Award for Single Family Production Home Design, and the 2018 Williamson Business Leadership Award for Design and Construction. 

Gould Turner Group

615 3rd Avenue S, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37210

Established in 1980, Gould Turner Group (GTG), a division of Borge Design Solutions, Inc., has become quite well known for its work in healthcare design. GTG is a full-service architectural, planning, and interior design firm based in Nashville. Its wide array of services includes Master Planning, Planning and Programming, Feasibility Studies, Furniture Selection, and Specification. GTG’s designers and architects work closely together with clients on a wide range of projects varying from addictions and renovations to campus master plans and new construction.

Bob Higgius heads Gould Turner Group. He completed his degree in civil engineering at Vanderbilt University. He is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Barge Designs Solutions, Inc. Bob was a former city manager for the City of Franklin, Kentucky, and the former Project Manager at Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon.

Since its inception, the company has received recognition from various groups, including the Modern Healthcare Magazines’ 2016 Top 50 Healthcare Architectural Firms and the 2016 Outstanding Classroom Designs Award by the American School & University Magazine.

Archuity

6 S 14th Street, Nashville, TN 37206

Archuity was established in 2011, designing all projects in 3D using building information modeling technology. The company creates safe and happy spaces for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Its other services include the creation of medical, pharmaceutical, corporate, hospitality, restaurant, and educational spaces. Client involvement in all the stages of the process is vital to the success of the firm’s project. It responds to the customers’ needs as they change over time.

Archuity is headed by its principal, Micah L. Padgett, an architectural degree holder from Auburn University in Auburn. He quickly accumulated a broad range of working experience early on in his career. He worked as a concrete subcontractor, a structural engineer, and for firms specializing in interior design and environment issues. His previous work has given him a glimpse into a broad range of different building problems and how to deal with them. 

Acuity has been recognized and certified by groups such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP), and the Leadership in Energy, and he’s an Environmental Design Accredited Professional Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C) Accredited Principal.

Studio Eight Design

56 Lindsley Avenue, Nashville, TN 37210

Established in 2005, Studio 8 Design provides full architectural services for ground-up commercial, adaptive reuse, tenant buildout, and improvement projects throughout the southeast. The firm is proud of its repeat customers that are the result of listening to clients and considering how their spaces will be used before translating their goals and needs into creative and responsible design. Fostering collaboration between clients and the design team has been a vital part of Studio 8’s success.

With all the creativity and passion the team at Studio 8 has put into its work, it’s no surprise the firm has won multiple awards. The firm received two awards from the Heritage Foundation for its major adaptive reuse renovation of 231 Public Square building in downtown Franklin, the 2019 Preservation through Rehabilitation (Commercial), and the Craftsmanship Award for Preservation. The Heritage Foundation also named Studio 8 the 2014 Preservation Awards Overall Winner for Grays on Main.

Hereford Dooley Architects, Inc

205 17th Ave North, Suite 203, Nashville, TN 37203

Hereford Dooley Architects, Inc. is a healthcare-focused architectural firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team is composed of creative and dedicated professionals that offer architectural design services with licenses in many states across the country. Presently, the company has twenty-one team members composed of six licensed architects, five of which are LEED-accredited. The team works hard and is dedicated to the values and mission of its company. The firm offers excellent designs that promote a healthy environment for its team, clients, and communities.

Tom Dooley is a principal at Hereford Dooley Architects; he earned his architectural degree from the University of Kentucky. In 1994, he established the Nashville office when he formed a partnership with Lyman + Davidson of Atlanta, creating Lyman Davidson Dooley.

William E. Hereford, III (Trip) had seven years of experience when he joined the firm in 2006. He earned his Master of Architecture at The Catholic University of America, and his past experience included the design of many types of public work including schools, jails, police/fire/EMS stations, libraries, and office buildings. In July 2014, the Nashville studio separated from Lyman Davidson Dooley. Trip became a principal, and together with Tom they formed Hereford Dooley Architects.