Ashley has a deep desire to use architecture to have a positive impact on communities.
While having over 8 years of professional experience, Ashley Thornberry’s fascination with Architecture began at a young age and has never waned. Her perspective was shaped, in part, by road trips with her family where she saw firsthand how buildings were shaped by their contextual surroundings.
Ashley is a leader in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) from the city to the national level, currenting serving as the Indiana Young Architect Representative for the Young Architects Forum (YAF). She has a strong believe that mentorship is a two-way street and she believes she gets as much out of building strong relationships with younger architects as they do. Ashley received an AIA Special Service Award in 2017 and was a graduate of the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program in 2020. She also serves as a board member for Rebuilding Together Indianapolis.
Her strong leadership skills and eye towards public service have led to her keen interest in Civic and Public Safety buildings. Ashley has worked on nearly a dozen fire stations over the span of her career and has used her deep study of the safety features and configurations of those spaces to become a leading voice in the sector. She has participated in numerous speaking engagements at Fire Station Design Symposiums as well as at both State and Regional AIA conventions.
Ashley brings a minimalist design style to her work, shaped by authenticity. Designing with the end user in mind, she is always examining how non-stakeholders will feel upon entering a building and believes that emotion is a crucial metric for good design. These considerations of how people will feel and experience a space shape many of her decisions.