HFR Design  (since 1910)

Hart Freeland Roberts (HFR Design) is a 100-year-old architectural and engineering firm offering architectural design, healthcare master planning and programming, market research, feasibility studies, interior design, civil and structural engineering, enviromental engineering, project management, office furniture and equipment programming and space planning.  The firm serves the healthcare, education, municipal/civic, commercial/retail, industrial, parks/recreation, religious, corrections, transportation and environmental markets nationwide from offices in Nashville TN, Kansas City MO, Louisville KY, and Jackson TN.

The firm was founded in 1910 by architect Russell Hart who relocated from New York to Nashville to serve as field supervisor and resident architect during the construction of Nashville's famed Hermitage Hotel.  Simultaneously, F. Eugene Freeland and Martin Smith Roberts, both engineering graduates of Vanderbilt University, joined forces to start their practice.

After forming a series of individual companies and designing several projects on their own, Hart, Freeland, and Roberts merged in 1920 creating one of Tennessee's first architectural/engineering firms.  This was a bold move in the early years of the Twentieth Century and the beginning of the company's long history of providing comprehensive architectural and engineering services.  The founding partners made significant contributions to Nashville's fine architectural and engineering design legacy, both individually and collectively.

The permanent reconstruction of The Nashville Parthenon is among notable HFR projects of the past.  More recently, HFR Design has played a major role in the renovation of the world-famous Ryman Auditorium.  Other noteworthy examples from the early years include Nashville projects such as the Lifeway Christian Resource's Frost Building; the Leslee Cheek Residence (now part of the First Presbyterian Church); Old Hickory Bridge (spanning the Cumberland River), the Christ Episcopal Church Bell Tower, Third National Bank at Fourth Avenue and Church Street; and the Executive Residence for the Governor of Tennessee (formerly the William Ridley Wills Home).  HFR's attention to detail and responsiveness to clients' needs led to these numerous monumental projects that have become part of Nashville's rich architectural heritage.

Through the years, 'HFR Design' has expanded geographically, both in terms of the client base and by establishing a presence in other locales.  The Jackson, TN office opened in 1936 primarily to provide engineering services to West Tennessee, but has gone on to become a full-service operation.  When it became apparent that an office in the Midwest was needed due to increasing healthcare design opportunities there, HFR opened its Kansas City, MO regional office in 1992.  The latest branch office, in Louisville, KY, opened its doors in 2008 following years of HFR work in that general area.