Studio-MLA

What Studio-MLA does

Studio-MLA is a privately-held landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm founded in 1994 by Mia Lehrer, FASLA, and headquartered in Los Angeles with a second office in San Francisco. The firm employs approximately 45 professionals across landscape architecture, urban design, planning, botany, and ecology, structured around seven Principals, Associate Principals, and Directors. Studio-MLA delivers professional design services spanning intimate gardens, schoolyards, museums, and stadium landscapes through to 1,500-acre campus master plans, 300-acre mixed-use districts, and city-scale river revitalization programs. Core methodologies include 'Advocacy by Design' (pro bono and community-driven projects as a practice-defining pillar), climate-resilient landscape design with stormwater capture and reuse (up to 75% reuse at SoFi Stadium), urban ecosystem integration connecting wildlife habitat across dense urban fabric, and living schoolyard conversion replacing asphalt with native plantings. The practice is woman- and minority-owned and certified as a WBE/MBE/DBE/SBE in California, Texas, and Illinois, enabling access to public-sector set-aside contracts. Business model is project-based professional services: fees are negotiated per scope, billed against multi-year contracts, and earned through competitive bidding, RFPs, design competitions, and direct commissions secured via reputation. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors, subsidiaries, or parent entity.

Name

Studio-MLA

Legal name

Studio-MLA

Website

https://studio-mla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio-MLA is a 45-person, woman- and minority-owned landscape architecture and urban design firm in Los Angeles and San Francisco, founded in 1994 by Mia Lehrer, serving public agencies, universities, cultural institutions, and private developers with climate-resilient, ecologically integrated design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture and urban design consulting services for public and private sector clients. Revenue is project-based, earned through design fees, construction administration, and planning services on multi-year engagements. Projects range from intimate gardens to citywide master plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Studio-MLA is a design studio that provides landscape architecture, urban design, and planning services for public and private sector clients. The firm delivers integrated design services spanning parks and open spaces, urban river regeneration, cultural institutions, academic campuses, stadiums and large-scale master plans. Engagements are delivered under its 'Advocacy by Design' framework, combining ecological restoration, stormwater management, native plantings, and community engagement for projects ranging from intimate gardens to 300-acre urban districts.

Product overview

Studio-MLA is a design studio that operates as a single integrated practice rather than a platform-based product company. The firm offers three interconnected core services: landscape architecture, urban design, and planning. These services are delivered through 'Advocacy by Design' — the firm's foundational approach to catalyzing ecological and social change. The portfolio includes parks, public spaces, cultural institutions, academic campuses, urban river regeneration, stadiums, and large-scale master plans. The practice does not offer modular software products but rather provides comprehensive design services tailored to each project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture

Quantifiable outcome

• Stormwater reuse: SoFi Stadium's landscape captures and treats approximately 75% of total stormwater through bioswales, underground cisterns, and artificial lake
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lehrer ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2025Related architecture firm led by Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA. Collaboration on Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sunset Mausoleum (Studio-MLA landscape, Lehrer Architects architecture), Caltech Keck Institute, and other projects. Firms joined forces for 'Masks for Unity' initiative during COVID-19.
• HKScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural partnership on SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, a 298-acre sports and entertainment complex in Inglewood. Studio-MLA served as landscape architect in close collaboration with HKS, which served as architect. The project was recognized with a 2024 AIA Architecture Award.
• MAD (Ma Yansong)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign architect partnership on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. MAD served as Design Architect with Studio-MLA providing landscape architecture. The museum opens September 22, 2026 in Los Angeles.
• StantecmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExecutive Architect and Civil Engineer on Lucas Museum of Narrative Art project, working alongside Studio-MLA as landscape architect.
• Los Angeles Beautification TeammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner for green schoolyard projects including Eagle Rock Elementary School. Studio-MLA designed and oversaw construction of living schoolyards managed by this organization for LAUSD.
• Studio OutsidemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDallas-based landscape architect on Fair Park Community Park project. Studio-MLA serves as Lead Designer/Lead Landscape Architect in collaboration with Studio Outside.
• Perkins+WillmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead Architect on Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3-mile outdoor museum celebrating Black Los Angeles. Studio-MLA providing urban design, streetscape, and landscape services.
• GrimshawmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect on UC Irvine Naturescape Vision Plan, a 1,500-acre campus botanical garden project where Studio-MLA led the multi-disciplinary design team.
• MultistudiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Market Street Reimagined Competition resulting in 'San Francisco's Living Heart' winning ULI's Award for Placemaking & Connectivity.
• Kounkuey Design InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach partner on Puente Hills Landfill Park project, a 142-acre regional park development.
• Nature for AllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach partner on Puente Hills Landfill Park project, supporting community engagement for the park design.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SWA Group: One of the largest landscape architecture and urban design firms in the U.S., with offices in California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sausalito) and a comparable portfolio of parks, waterfronts, campuses, and large-scale public projects. SWA is the closest direct peer in scale, geography, and project typology.
• PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley-based landscape architecture firm with a strong California public realm portfolio (parks, waterfronts, civic landscapes). Direct peer in regional focus, public-sector client base, and design-driven positioning.
• Sasaki Associates: Integrated design practice combining landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture; collaborates with Studio-MLA on the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade. Comparable in offering portfolio (parks, campuses, waterfronts) and pursuit of cross-disciplinary public-sector commissions.
• Andropogon Associates: Philadelphia-based landscape architecture and ecological planning firm. Peer in ecological and stormwater-focused design methodology and university/campus commissions.
• CMG Landscape Architecture: San Francisco-based landscape architecture practice with comparable urban design, streetscape, and park work. Direct peer in California geographic concentration and civic-project orientation.
• Hood Design Studio: Oakland-based landscape architecture and urban design studio with comparable emphasis on cultural landscapes, community engagement, and place-based identity in California civic projects.
• OLIN: Landscape architecture, urban design, and planning studio with a comparable focus on public realm, cultural institutions, and parks. Direct peer in project typology (parks, museums, campuses) and design-led positioning.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates: Brooklyn-based landscape architecture firm renowned for Brooklyn Bridge Park and similar large civic park commissions. Peer in mega-park design, public-sector client base, and award-driven reputation.
• James Corner Field Operations: Landscape architecture and urban design firm known for large-scale public projects (High Line, Freshkills Park). Comparable in scope of mega-projects, design award pedigree, and integration of ecology and urban infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Large global engineering, architecture, and landscape design firm collaborating on the Lucas Museum as Executive Architect/Civil Engineer. Overlaps with Studio-MLA in landscape architecture services but competes as a broad full-service incumbent rather than a specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mlagreen/?ref=bookmarks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1381919
• Instagraminstagram.com/studio_mla
• Xx.com/mlagreen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio-MLA