About Us
Our vision
As our cities, communities and ecosystems face critically challenging issues, Lionheart is a den of curious and brave designers and planners that are committed to positively and meaningfully shaping environments for the benefit of all life. Lionheart’s mission compels us to innovate and grow on every project to create more beloved places.
Lionheart leads at every stage of a project: from design conceptualization and strategic visioning to entitlements and construction administration. We bring the grit and determination to see visions through to completion.
Our studio
Our studios in Austin, TX, Aspen, CO, and Basalt, CO address urgent 21st century challenges — climate change, growth, habitat loss, and a culture that yearns to be connected to nature and each other. We are stewards of a greener, more equitable, and healthy future!
Our leadership
Rebecca Leonard, FAICP, FASLA, CNU-A
Rebecca serves as CEO of Lionheart Places, where she leads a multidisciplinary team of planners, urban designers, and landscape architects dedicated to creating places where life can thrive.
Known for bringing people together around complex challenges, Rebecca helps communities, public agencies, institutions, and development teams find common ground and move ambitious ideas into action. Her leadership is grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and clear communication.
A Fellow of both the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Society of Landscape Architects, Rebecca has led nationally recognized projects that strengthen communities, connect people to nature, and create lasting public value. She believes that great places are ultimately about the lives they support—not the plans that create them. Whether those lives belong to people, plants, or wildlife, the most successful projects create lasting value for communities, ecosystems, and future generations.
Abby Gillfillan, AICP
Abby is a planner who believes that great communities don't happen by accident — they're built through trust, collaboration, and a willingness to get the details right. With nearly 20 years of experience, including 10 years in the public sector, she brings a rare perspective to every project she touches.
Housing sits at the heart of her work. In San Marcos, she led the rewrite of the city's Land Development Code and spearheaded its Workforce Housing Initiative, facilitating a community task force and delivering a Housing Action Plan that set a new standard for how the city approaches affordability. At Lionheart Places, she channels that same policy fluency into complex mixed-use development projects and community planning documents.
What sets Abby apart is her ability to build trust on both sides of the table. She speaks the language of public agencies and private developers alike, and knows that when public vision and private ambition align, that's when communities are truly transformed.
When she's not untangling a zoning puzzle, she's likely knee-deep in a home project or out exploring the world with her family.
Gyles Thornely
Gyles is a Principal at Lionheart and brings more than 25 years of experience in landscape architecture, land planning, and project leadership across the public and private sectors. Originally from England and educated in Scotland, he combines an international perspective with a deep understanding of the American West, having lived and practiced in Aspen since 1999.
After earning his degree in Landscape Architecture from Heriot-Watt University, Gyles relocated to Colorado and spent a decade with an internationally recognized design firm before co-founding Connect One Design in 2010. In 2025, he helped guide the merger of Connect One Design and Lionheart, creating new opportunities for collaboration and growth across both organizations.
Gyles is known for his ability to navigate complex projects through thoughtful coordination, clear communication, and strong leadership. His work spans a wide range of project types and scales, helping clients transform ambitious ideas into meaningful places. Drawing from experience on both sides of the Atlantic, he brings a unique perspective to design, planning, and stakeholder engagement.
Outside the office, Gyles can often be found exploring mountain trails on his bike, spending time with his wife and daughters, or sharing his dry British wit with anyone willing to listen. While his accent remains firmly intact, decades in the Rockies have made Aspen home.
Ilse Frank, PLA, ASLA, Assoc. AIA
As a firm leader, Ilse focuses on creative solutions for civic, transportation, and institutional projects that will have significant impact on the future growth and function of cities. With a passion for green infrastructure, thermal comfort, and creative placemaking, Ilse takes on projects that have a lasting impact on the future experience of urban life.
Prior to merging with Lionheart in 2025, Ilse co-founded Studio Balcones in 2009, and before that, she worked on many award-winning design competition projects at a firm in New York City. She has a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. Ilse is a licensed landscape architect in Texas and Oklahoma.
Ilse gives back to the community as a member of The Trail Conservancy's Projects Committee and previously served on the Art In Public Place’s Advisory Panel and was Co-Chair of AIA Austin’s Urban Design Committee. A native Austinite/unicorn, she loves traveling, gardening, hikes with her dog, Brisket, and exploring the art & film scene with her husband, Tim.
Jennifer Orr, PLA, ASLA
Jennifer is a founding principal of Studio Balcones, and now an owner of the new version of Lionheart. Her commitment to protecting and supporting healthy ecological systems sits at the center of her work. As a self-proclaimed “plant nerd,” Jennifer oversees office planting design, and loves to insert whimsy and play into all her projects. Prior to moving back home in 2009, Jennifer worked in Philadelphia designing award winning parks and civic spaces. She has a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs from Georgia Institute of Technology. Jennifer is a licensed landscape architect in Texas, is a 4th generation Texan, and has deep affection for her hometown Austin and Texas landscapes. She is a mother of two and enjoys exploring the natural world with her children and husband. Jennifer gives back as a past board member and president of the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy and as a current board member of Evergreen Austin.
Michael Meihaus, PLA
Michael Meihaus serves as the Managing Principal of Texas Landscape Architecture and Lead Restoration Practitioner. With over 17 years of wildland restoration and landscape architecture work, he oversees the day-to-day studio operations in Austin and provides ecological design support for all projects firm-wide.
Michael's specialization offers our clients technical expertise in reforestation, wetlands, meadows, and river systems, as well as unique perspectives on building an ecologically sound future for urban living. His work on the Yuma West Wetlands received the 2019 Ponderosa Pine Partnership Award for innovation in urban forest restoration, collaboration, and leadership on the banks of the lower Colorado River in Yuma, AZ. This work is only part of his broad breadth of experience designing and building new solutions for human and non-human habitat. He has worked extensively with the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, BIA Navajo Nation, Arizona Game & Fish, City of Yuma, City of Austin, and many parks foundations and nonprofit entities. Michael holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University, and is licensed to practice in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Michael volunteers his time as a board member of The Trail Conservancy and Chair of the Park Operations Committee, serving downtown Austin’s beloved Butler hike-and-bike trail system and Colorado riverfront. If you can’t reach him, he’s likely somewhere on a river or following breadcrumbs in the woods with his family.
Sara Tie
Sara is a Principal at Lionheart whose work is guided by a deep appreciation for the landscapes, communities, and outdoor experiences that define the American West. A thoughtful and creative designer, she is known for developing solutions that balance social, aesthetic, functional, economic, and environmental considerations while creating places that are both memorable and enduring.
Sara holds both a Master of Landscape Architecture and a degree in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona. Her education was enriched through fellowships and internships with The Tejido Group, The Drachman Institute, and Longwood Gardens, helping shape her multidisciplinary approach to design. Widely recognized for her expertise in xeric landscapes and planting design, Sara has contributed to publications and presentations on the subject at both local and national levels. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating engaging parks, trails, and recreation spaces that foster learning, connection, and community for people of all ages.
Outside the office, Sara's curiosity and love of exploration have taken her around the world by plane, boat, and bicycle. She has also dedicated significant time to community leadership, including serving as both a member and chair of the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Commission in Carbondale. When she's not traveling, you'll likely find her in a garden, on a trail, or sharing her quick wit and passion for great design with colleagues, clients, and community partners.
Our process
Every project begins with our relationships. It shows in our process, which is built on collaboration with the client, other consultants and stakeholders. Built in accountability for reaching team goals helps us stay focused on the most important aspects of the project all the way through project completion.
Wondering if it’s the right time to engage the Lionheart den? We are here to jump in at any stage, any time. Our team will support you whether it be through opportunity identification, visioning, market testing, partnership building, design, construction observation, post occupancy analysis, or all of it.
Work with us
Whether you’re curious or completely overwhelmed, we’re here to help. Just give us a call to get the conversation started.
Join Lionheart
Looking for a partner in the process? Connecting and collaborating with industry peers are some of our favorite things to do.