My riders, yes, have the STI's low, as I fit to the drops, and ride the drops about 99% of the time: that other 1% would be on hills or just taking a break. I put them where I can shift on the fly, in the drops, so they tend to look low. On my DT-shifted bikes, the brake levers are in the same place, but look more natural, I think.

You'll notice I build bikes for others that have higher-mounted STI's. They are almost all hood riders, and I add a gel layer from about 1" up under the back of the hood rearward for a bit to make a nice soft grip area for them, and wrap them less tight there, too, for the comfort of the rider.