Terra firma : solid earth

FIRMAH is an Austin-based architecture and design firm dedicated to crafting the grounds for connectivity and engagement across communities and landscapes. We build upon foundational principles of holistic environmental and social wellness, leveraging our unique design expertise in creating innovative, resilient, and inclusive environments for mixed typologies and programs. Committed to building strong community relationships, we design spaces that not only stand firm in their aesthetic and functional excellence, but also uplift and enhance the well-being of the people and contexts they serve. We believe in the transformative power of design to create lasting impact, rooted in the enduring strength and connectedness of the spaces we inhabit.

We are all on one common ground, one shared earth, one terra firma. Let’s build connections.

FIRMAH is a woman-owned small business.

  • City of Austin certified WBE (Women Business Enterprise)

Our Team

Collaboration is fundamental to our process. We are deep listeners and quick to iterate ideas. Most importantly, we consider you — whether you are the client, the user, the visionary, the facilitator — to be integral as an active participant on our team, helping progress the vision at every step.

ASHLEY HEEREN | AIA | LEED AP

Principal | Founder

BRIDGET KNUDTSON

Designer

ISABELLA DE LA IGLESIA

Designer

XI JIN

Project Designer

WARREN WEAVER | RA | NCARB

Project Architect

PAST COLLABORATORS

Austin Couch

what our clients are saying

  • Kyler McNew, Second Rodeo Design-Build

    “Ashley created a truly constructive team environment with lots of stakeholders through grace, positivity, and clear communication which led to a truly impressive construction project and experience. I can't wait to work with her again!”

  • Lucia Athens, City of Austin’s Chief Sustainability Officer

    “Ashley brings precisely the expertise in sustainable thinking that our city needs moving forward. Ashley is consistently looking for ways to elevate the conversation to focus on key challenges facing our community and private development.”

  • Nate Nickerson, Common Ground

    “Working with Ashley is like a great conversation with someone talented, passionate, and committed to their ideals. FIRMAH creates truly impactful spaces informed by the community, environment, functionality, and economic realities.”

  • Joel Melrose, Scenic Capital

    “The Casita is awesome. Overall, we love the design and the scale of the structure. Ashley did a great job designing the structure to fit the area – the integration with the landscape is perfect. We're going to create a lot of great memories in that space.”