Selecting an architect in Nashville means choosing a licensed design professional whose registration with the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TCA Title 62, Chapter 2) carries the legal authority to seal drawings and the ethical duty embedded in the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. The three firms profiled below combine multi-decade Middle Tennessee tenure, AIA membership at the firm and principal level, NCARB-certified leadership, and project portfolios that span residential custom, commercial workplace, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, and master planning work. Each practice operates under AIA Contract Documents (B101 owner-architect agreement, A201 general conditions) and designs to the 2021 International Building Code as adopted by Tennessee, with sustainability work referenced to USGBC LEED v4.1 BD+C and ID+C, LEED for Homes, the WELL Building Standard v2, and the Living Building Challenge where project goals warrant. Active participation in AIA Middle Tennessee, including award programs, mentoring, and continuing education, distinguishes the firms below from generalist design-build outfits operating without registered architect oversight.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings Architecture | Founded 1985; AIA Tennessee and AIA Middle Tennessee member; FAIA principals; ARCHITECT Magazine A50 ranking for more than a decade. | Architecture, interior design, planning, and sustainability across commercial workplace, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, academic, and mixed-use. |
| Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) | Founded 1961; AIA 2030 Commitment signatory; FAIA Emeritus founder; TN architect licensure under TCA 62-2 with NCARB-supported reciprocal practice. | Architecture, interior architecture, master planning, and space planning for commercial, community and arts, education, healthcare, hospitality, and senior living. |
| Tuck Hinton Architects | Founded 1984; both founding principals FAIA; AIA Middle Tennessee member; Nashville Civic Design Center affiliation; LEED AP credentials. | Office, civic, retail, museums, libraries, performance halls, multifamily and private residences, religious buildings, memorials, and educational structures. |
1. Hastings Architecture #
Hastings Architecture has practiced from Nashville since 1985 and currently operates from 225 Polk Avenue, Suite 100. The firm holds membership in AIA Tennessee and AIA Middle Tennessee, and its leadership includes principals elevated to the AIA College of Fellows, a recognition reserved for architects who have made significant contributions to the profession under AIA bylaws. Hastings has held a position on ARCHITECT Magazine’s A50 ranking for more than a decade and stands as the highest-ranked southeastern firm on that list.
Project typologies and design services #
The practice covers architecture, interior design, planning, and sustainability consulting across residential, commercial workplace, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, academic, and mixed-use project types. Sustainability deliverables align with USGBC LEED v4.1 BD+C and ID+C rating systems, and the office has documented more than 150 LEED certifications on completed projects. WELL Building Standard v2 consulting is available where occupant health performance targets are part of the program. AIA Document B101 governs owner-architect engagements, with scope progressing through schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, and construction administration.
Awards and workplace recognition #
Hastings has received more than 100 design awards over its tenure, with submissions evaluated under AIA Middle Tennessee, AIA Tennessee, and AIA Gulf States Region juries. The office has been named a Middle Tennessee Top Workplace for 13 consecutive years and was recognized as a 2024 Emerging Professional Friendly Firm by AIA Tennessee, a designation that signals structured mentoring of NCARB Architect Experience Program (AXP) candidates pursuing licensure under TCA 62-2.
Phone: (615) 329-1399
Address: 225 Polk Avenue, Suite 100, Nashville, TN
https://www.hastingsarchitecture.com/
2. Earl Swensson Associates #
Earl Swensson Associates, known professionally as ESa, was founded in Nashville in 1961 by Earl Simcox Swensson, FAIA Emeritus, and operates today from 1033 Demonbreun Street, Suite 800. The studio has completed more than 13,500 projects across six decades, with roughly 80 percent of fee revenue derived from repeat clients, a retention rate that reflects sustained adherence to AIA Standards of Practice and AIA Document A201 general conditions throughout multi-phase engagements. ESa is a signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment, the profession’s framework for reducing operational carbon in the built environment.
Sector practice and licensure #
ESa provides architecture, interior architecture, master planning, and space planning services to commercial, community and arts, education, healthcare, hospitality, residential, and senior living sectors. Architects of record are licensed by the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners under TCA Title 62, Chapter 2, and the firm’s reciprocal practice in other jurisdictions is supported by NCARB certification through the NCARB Record system. Construction documents are produced to the 2021 International Building Code as adopted by Tennessee, with energy provisions referenced to the IECC adopted state amendments.
Notable Nashville commissions #
The office’s Nashville-area portfolio includes the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, and the AT&T Tennessee Headquarters. The firm’s Gulch Crossing office building achieved LEED Gold certification under USGBC LEED v4.1 BD+C, and project teams maintain LEED Accredited Professional credentials applicable to ID+C scopes within tenant interior work.
Phone: (615) 329-9445
Address: 1033 Demonbreun Street, Suite 800, Nashville, TN 37203
3. Tuck Hinton Architects #
Tuck Hinton Architects was established in Nashville in 1984 by Seab Tuck, FAIA, and Kem Hinton, FAIA, LEED AP, and the office operates from a renovated section of the historic May Hosiery mill at 508 Houston Street. Both founding principals hold the FAIA designation, the AIA’s highest individual honor under the College of Fellows program. The practice is a member of AIA Middle Tennessee and is affiliated with the Nashville Civic Design Center, an organization that advances design-quality standards within Metro Nashville planning processes.
Building types and planning work #
The studio’s portfolio spans office buildings, banking facilities, civic structures, retail centers, parks, museums, libraries, performance halls, multifamily and private residences, religious buildings, memorials, and educational structures. Master planning engagements proceed under AIA Document B101 with planning-specific scope appendices, and historic-resource projects reference the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties alongside Metro Historic Zoning Commission design guidelines. LEED documentation is produced under USGBC LEED v4.1 BD+C where owner sustainability goals call for third-party certification.
Adaptive reuse and civic design #
The office’s own home in the May Hosiery mill, a 1908 textile complex active through 1965, demonstrates adaptive-reuse design that retains industrial fabric while meeting current 2021 IBC egress, fire-resistance, and accessibility provisions referenced to ICC A117.1 and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Civic and cultural commissions executed by the practice have been recognized through AIA Middle Tennessee design awards and through publication in regional architectural press.
Phone: (615) 254-4100
Address: 508 Houston Street, Nashville, TN 37203
Reference Notes #
The firms profiled above are bound by the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which sets canons on general obligations, obligations to the public, the client, the profession, colleagues, and the environment. Architect licensure in Tennessee is governed by TCA Title 62, Chapter 2, and administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners, with NCARB certification supporting interstate practice through the NCARB Record. AIA Middle Tennessee serves as the regional component for continuing education, design awards, and emerging-professional programming. Owner-architect agreements typically follow AIA Document B101, paired with AIA Document A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction. Sustainability deliverables reference USGBC LEED v4.1 BD+C, LEED v4.1 ID+C, and LEED for Homes; occupant-health work references the WELL Building Standard v2 from the International WELL Building Institute; and net-positive performance targets reference the Living Building Challenge administered by the International Living Future Institute. Construction documents are produced to the 2021 International Building Code as adopted by Tennessee.
Selection Methodology #
Architecture practice in Tennessee runs under the State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners at TCA 62-2, with registered architect status verifiable through the state license lookup and NCARB record portability. The filter for the three firms above started with active TSBAEE registration for the principal in charge, then worked through AIA Middle Tennessee chapter participation, NCARB certification supporting multi-state work where claimed, FAIA fellowship investiture at the principal level where applicable, LEED Accredited Professional or WELL AP credentials on the team, scope detail across residential, commercial, hospitality, mixed-use, or institutional work documented through built-project portfolios, and Davidson or Williamson County studio address tenure. Drafting-service operations running without a registered architect of record were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How does the architect structure fees: percentage of construction, fixed fee, or hourly?
A: AIA Document B101 supports several fee models. Some Nashville architects charge a percentage of construction cost (commonly 6 to 12 percent depending on project type and complexity), others quote a fixed fee tied to defined scope phases, and others bill hourly against a not-to-exceed cap, often with multipliers for principal versus staff time. Confirm the fee model, reimbursable-expense policy, and additional-services rate in writing before signing the owner-architect agreement.
Q: What does the design process look like from kickoff to construction administration?
A: Ask the architect to walk through the AIA B101 phases (schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding or negotiation, and construction administration) with a written timeline and deliverable at each stage. For renovation or adaptive-reuse projects, ask how the architect coordinates with structural, MEP, and civil consultants and how change orders are processed under AIA Document A201 general conditions during construction.
Q: Are any of the three firms paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: What permits, drawings, or stamped documents will the project require?
A: Renovation, addition, and structural work inside Metro Nashville requires drawings stamped by a licensed architect or engineer for permit submission. Ask the designer who prepares stamped drawings, whether the cost is included in the design fee or billed separately, and whether the firm has an architect on staff or partners externally.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.