Arterra
Arterra Landscape Architects is a San Francisco–based, WBE-certified boutique landscape architecture firm providing full-service contemporary, sustainable residential estate design across Northern California from offices in San Francisco and Healdsburg.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Arterra does
Arterra Landscape Architects is a privately held, WBE-certified landscape architecture firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a secondary office in Healdsburg. Founded in 2003 by Kate Stickley and Vera Gates — partners who had collaborated since 1994 — and joined by Gretchen Whittier in 2011, the firm is led today by Stickley and Whittier. Arterra specializes in full-service, contemporary, sustainable residential landscape architecture for high-net-worth clients, with projects spanning legacy urban estates to large rural properties across Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Healdsburg, Carmel, Palo Alto, and Santa Cruz.
The firm's core offering is the complete landscape architecture process, from conceptual design through construction documentation and oversight, delivered as a unified professional service rather than a modular product. Notable technical capabilities include sustainable water management infrastructure — 42,000-gallon cisterns, greywater systems, and water recycling — integrated into estate-scale residential landscapes. Projects are designed and documented in-house by a 15-person studio of landscape architects, senior designers, and designers, collaborating with repeat-partner architects such as Mark English Architects, Klopf Architecture, Sutro Architects, and Schwartz^Architecture, and with general contractors on a project-by-project basis.
Arterra generates revenue through quote-based professional services fees on multi-year project engagements, with a sales-led go-to-market executed via direct client engagement, website inquiries, referrals, and brand-driven inbound interest built through editorial coverage in over 60 design publications and a sustained run of ASLA, Architizer, and Luxe Red award wins. The customer base is concentrated in HNW residential, with minor diversification into nonprofit work (George Mark Children's House). The firm is privately held by its working partners with no disclosed external investment.
Arterra firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arterra
- Legal name
- Arterra Landscape Architects
- Website
- https://arterrasf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Arterra Landscape Architects is a San Francisco–based, WBE-certified boutique landscape architecture firm providing full-service contemporary, sustainable residential estate design across Northern California from offices in San Francisco and Healdsburg.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arterra industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Landscape Design (HSAIABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
Keywords
Where Arterra is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Arterra business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Landscape Architecture Services: Full-service landscape architecture firm providing design services from conceptual design through construction. Revenue generated through professional service fees for residential estate landscape design projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom landscape architecture services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Arterra product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arterra is a full-service landscape architecture firm that designs contemporary, sustainable residential landscapes for high-net-worth clients. The firm delivers end-to-end services from conceptual design through construction documentation and oversight, collaborating with clients and their architectural teams to create imaginative outdoor environments. The name "Arterra" derives from "Art" + "Terra" (Latin for Earth), reflecting the firm's design philosophy.
Product overview
Arterra is a full-service landscape architecture firm offering a unified service rather than a modular product platform. Their core offering encompasses the complete landscape architecture process — from initial conceptual design through construction documentation and oversight — specializing in contemporary, sustainable residential landscapes. Projects range from urban settings to large estate properties, with the firm collaborating closely with clients and their architectural teams. The company name derives from 'Art + Terra' (Latin for Earth), reflecting their design philosophy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Landscape Architecture Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple ASLA Honor Awards and numerous design awards recognition
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Arterra
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Arterra technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Arterra partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- J.E. Caldwell ArchitectcoreArchitectural collaboration on Poetic Interpretation project in Carmel, California; collaborative design process integrating landscape with architecture
- Carroll & Strong Builders, Inc.coreConstruction partner for Poetic Interpretation project; general contractor executing landscape design
- Mark English ArchitectscoreLong-term architectural collaboration on multiple residential projects including Meadow House and other estate landscapes
- Bret HancockminorProject architect for Dry Garden Poetry project in Santa Cruz
- Schwartz^ArchitecturecoreArchitectural partnership on Paradox House project in Sonoma Wine Country
- DKG ConstructionminorGeneral contractor for Paradox House project
- Oxbow Pool and Landscape ContractorsminorLandscape contractor for Paradox House project specializing in pools and landscape construction
- Young America CreativeminorPhotography partnership for Valley Home project in Portola Valley
- Portola Valley BuilderscoreGeneral contractor partnership on Meadow House project at Santa Lucia Preserve
- Cello & Maudru ConstructioncoreGeneral contractor for Sensory Garden at the Donum Estate 2-acre garden redesign
- DEXTER Estate LandscapecoreLandscape contractor for Donum Estate project
- Sutro ArchitectscoreArchitectural partnership on Vintner's View project in Dry Creek Valley vineyard
- Upscale ConstructionminorGeneral contractor for Vintner's View project
- Klopf ArchitecturecoreArchitectural partnership on Wood Valley project in Sonoma Valley
- Eames ConstructionminorGeneral contractor for Wood Valley project
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Arterra competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Terremoto: Los Angeles-based landscape architecture studio focused on contemporary residential and select cultural projects with a strong sustainability ethos. Comparable in boutique scale, contemporary design language, and sustainability-forward practice, though operating in a different regional market.
Broad incumbents
- Studio-MLA (formerly Mia Lehrer + Associates): Los Angeles-based landscape architecture firm with a broader portfolio spanning civic, commercial, hospitality, and residential work. Comparable in California base and award profile, but operates at larger scale and across more project types than Arterra.
- SWA Group: Large national landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with a Bay Area presence. Comparable as a California landscape architecture competitor serving premium clients, but at significantly greater scale and project breadth.
- OLIN: National landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm known for high-profile cultural and residential work. Comparable in design caliber and award recognition, though far larger and more diversified across public realm and master planning.
Direct peers
- Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture: San Francisco-based landscape architecture studio specializing in high-end residential and select institutional projects. Closely comparable to Arterra in geography, client profile (HNW Bay Area residential), scale, and design-driven studio culture with multiple ASLA award-winning projects.
- Andrea Fritz Landscape Architecture: Southern California residential landscape architecture firm working on contemporary estate-scale projects. Comparable in client profile (HNW residential), boutique studio scale, and design-led approach, though operating in a different regional market.
- Ground Studio (Andrea Pickens / San Francisco): Boutique Bay Area landscape architecture studio focused on contemporary residential garden design. Directly comparable in service offering (full-service residential landscape architecture), scale (small studio), and design philosophy.
- Bernard Trainor + Associates: Monterey/Santa Cruz area landscape architecture firm known for contemporary residential and estate-scale projects along the California coast. Highly comparable in client tier, aesthetic sensibility, and regional reach overlapping with Arterra's Carmel and Santa Cruz work.
- Lutsko Associates Landscape Architecture: San Francisco-based landscape architecture practice with a portfolio spanning high-end residential estates, hospitality, and select civic work. Comparable to Arterra in scale, Bay Area base, and award-winning residential specialization.
Regional players
- Andrea Wilson Garden Design: Residential garden design practice operating outside Arterra's core Northern California market. Comparable in residential garden focus and HNW clientele, but serves a different regional market with limited direct overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Arterra social profiles
Digital presenceArterra compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Arterra financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arterra leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Arterra funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arterra M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Arterra
What does Arterra do?
Arterra is a full-service landscape architecture firm that designs contemporary, sustainable residential landscapes for high-net-worth clients. The firm delivers end-to-end services from conceptual design through construction documentation and oversight, collaborating with clients and their architectural teams to create imaginative outdoor environments. The name "Arterra" derives from "Art" + "Terra" (Latin for Earth), reflecting the firm's design philosophy.
Is Arterra a public or private company?
Arterra is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Arterra founded?
Arterra was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Arterra based?
Arterra is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Arterra make money?
One revenue line is on record: landscape Architecture Services.
Who are Arterra's main competitors?
Terremoto is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Studio-MLA (formerly Mia Lehrer + Associates), SWA Group and OLIN. Direct peers are Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, Andrea Fritz Landscape Architecture, Ground Studio (Andrea Pickens / San Francisco), Bernard Trainor + Associates and Lutsko Associates Landscape Architecture. Andrea Wilson Garden Design is listed as a regional player.
Does Arterra have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arterra.
What industry is Arterra in?
Arterra's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAIABAA, Residential Landscape Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design. Its NAICS code is 54132.