What Watry Design does

Watry Design, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned architecture and structural engineering firm founded in 1975 and headquartered in San Jose, California. The firm operates as an integrated practice exclusively dedicated to parking structure design, serving enterprise clients across five primary verticals: airports and transportation, healthcare, higher education, government and municipal, and mixed-use and residential development. Its technical scope spans above-grade, below-grade, and mixed-use parking structures, with deep capabilities in sustainable design (Parksmart certification guidance, photovoltaic integration, EV charging infrastructure, US Resiliency Council-rated designs), advanced parking technology integration (parking guidance systems, license plate recognition, dynamic signage, PARCS), safety-oriented design (CPTED principles), and automated and mechanical parking systems. The firm also publishes the Garagenator, a public-facing cost estimation tool for structured parking.

Watry generates revenue through project-based professional services fees on design and design-build engagements. Pricing is per-stall (ranging from approximately $16,818 to $57,559 depending on project type and complexity) and is set within project proposals tied to total construction value, which has historically ranged from $15 million to $294 million. Engagements are delivered predominantly through design-build methodology using a direct enterprise field-sales motion — clients are secured via competitive bidding, RFQ/RFP processes, and direct invitations, not through resellers or channel partners. The firm's principal client base includes major California airports (San Diego International, LAX, San Jose Mineta, Long Beach), University of California campuses, large healthcare systems (UC Davis Health, John Muir Health), municipal agencies, and notable commercial developers (Tishman Speyer, Jay Paul Company), with additional delivered projects in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

The firm's go-to-market is anchored on three reinforcing pillars: 50 years of exclusive specialization (marked by its #1 ranking on the 2025 BD+C Giants list for parking structure architecture), thought-leadership content distributed through its website, LinkedIn, trade publications (Parking Magazine, Parking & Mobility, Airport Improvement, ENR California), and industry events (IPMI, NPA, DBIA), and a tightly held set of long-standing design-build partnerships with tier-one general contractors (Swinerton, Hensel Phelps) and design architects (Gensler). Growth signals are present but incremental — geographic (Southern California office relocation to Long Beach), capability (automated and mechanical parking, condition assessment services), and leadership (Joe Gordon promotion) — consistent with a mature specialist practice extending its footprint without abrupt scaling.

Name

Watry Design

Legal name

Watry Design, Inc.

Website

https://watrydesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Watry Design, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned architecture and structural engineering firm founded in 1975, exclusively specializing in parking structure design. It serves airports, healthcare systems, universities, government agencies, and mixed-use developers through integrated design and design-build delivery, headquartered in San Jose, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Structural Engineering Services for Parking Structures

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Street Parking Facilities Operations (Garages, Lots, Park-and-Ride) (TLAJAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parking Access & Revenue Control Systems (PARCS) (Gates, Pay Stations, Ticketing) (TLAJAIAD), Parking Guidance, Wayfinding & Occupancy Management (Sensors, Signage) (BPABAKAH), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Parking structure design
• Structural engineering services
• Architecture consulting
• Parking planning services
• Integrated design services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Engineering Services: The firm generates revenue through providing comprehensive architectural design and structural engineering services for parking structure projects. Revenue is project-based, calculated per parking stall with typical costs ranging from $16,818 to $57,559 per stall depending on project complexity, amenities, and market segment. Projects range from $15 million to $294 million in total construction value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Watry Design provides integrated architecture, structural engineering and planning services dedicated to parking structures. Offerings span feasibility studies, programming, new design, restoration, and the integration of advanced parking technology (such as automated/robotic systems) for institutional, governmental, healthcare, airport, university and mixed-use developer clients. The firm also operates the Garagenator, a proprietary parking layout optimization tool.

Product overview

Watry Design is a specialized architecture and engineering firm focused exclusively on parking structure design and planning. The firm operates as a single-focus practice offering integrated architectural design, structural engineering, and parking planning services for new construction and renovation projects. Their portfolio spans multiple market sectors including aviation/airports, healthcare, higher education, government, mixed-use, housing, and office. The core offering consists of parking structure design services supported by strategic consulting capabilities including parking operations studies, sustainability consulting for Parksmart certification, and specialized expertise in automated and mechanical parking systems. The firm also offers the Garagenator tool for cost estimation. Services are delivered through design-build delivery methods and progressive design-build project approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parking Structure Architecture Design Integrated architecture services dedicated to new parking structure projects for airports, healthcare systems, universities, municipalities, and private developers; delivered alongside the firm's in-house structural engineering team.
• Structural Engineering for Parking Structures Structural engineering services for new parking structures, led by licensed Structural Engineers (SE), covering structural analysis, design, detailing, and code compliance for parking-only assets.
• Parking Planning & Feasibility Studies Parking planning and feasibility services, including demand assessment, site programming, and early-stage layout studies to inform capital investment decisions for institutional and public-sector clients.
• Parking Structure Restoration & Adaptive Reuse Restoration, structural assessment, and adaptive-reuse services for existing parking structures, helping owners extend asset life, address deterioration, and modernize facilities.
• Garagenator Parking Layout Tool Proprietary parking layout optimization tool developed by Watry Design to test and refine stall layouts, drive aisles, and efficiency metrics for parking structures during early design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Parksmart Gold certification achieved for San Diego Airport Terminal 2 Parking Plaza
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Green Parking CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatry Design has a formal partnership with The Green Parking Council, an organization focused on advancing sustainable parking practices. The partnership supports Parksmart certification, sustainable parking design, and green parking initiatives. Watry Design has bolstered its ranks of Green Garage Assessors through this partnership.
• SwinertoncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor partner on multiple design-build projects including San Diego Airport Terminal 2 Parking Plaza and UCSD Osler Parking Structure. Long-standing relationship with successful project delivery track record.
• GenslercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign architect partner on major projects including San Diego Airport Terminal 2 Parking Plaza and UCSD Osler Parking Structure. Provides architectural design services while Watry Design serves as architect and structural engineer.
• Hensel PhelpscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign-build contractor partner on San Jose Mineta International Airport ConRAC & Parking Structure project. Utilized Guaranteed Maximum Price methodology to deliver project $45.7M under budget.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HNTB Corporation: Large infrastructure architecture and engineering firm with strong airport and parking practices. Provides parking design services as part of broader aviation and transportation portfolios; competes for the same institutional airport clients as Watry.
• T.Y. Lin International: Global engineering firm with notable parking and transportation structure expertise, often competing on structural engineering scope for large airport and institutional parking projects. Comparable in technical depth on the structural side of Watry's integrated service.
• Mead & Hunt: Multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm with a dedicated parking structure practice ranked on the BD+C Giants list. Competes on airport, university, and municipal parking design as part of a broader AEC portfolio.
• Kimley-Horn: Large multi-disciplinary planning and engineering firm with a substantial parking planning and design practice serving airports, municipalities, and universities. Competes on the parking planning/operations study side of Watry's offering but is not exclusively parking-focused.
• KPFF Consulting Engineers: Large Pacific Coast structural/civil engineering firm with significant parking structure practice. Provides the structural engineering component on many projects where Watry would otherwise compete or partner; competing for the same institutional clients in healthcare, education, and aviation.

Direct peers

• DESMAN: Pure-play parking consulting and design firm specializing in parking structure architecture, planning, and restoration for airports, healthcare, universities, and municipalities. Closest analog to Watry in niche specialization and project types.
• Walter P Moore: Structural engineering firm with deep parking structure expertise, regularly recognized on BD+C Giants parking lists. Directly comparable in the structural engineering side of Watry's integrated offering and competes on many of the same institutional projects.
• Timothy Haahs & Associates (now WSP): Long-established parking structure architecture and engineering specialist acquired by WSP in 2022. Direct competitor on airport, healthcare, and university parking projects with similar technical positioning.
• LBYD Engineers: Structural engineering firm specializing in parking structures, consistently ranked alongside Watry on the BD+C Giants parking list. Directly comparable specialization, scale, and target market.
• Walker Consultants (formerly Walker Parking Consultants, now part of Stantec): Historically the most direct competitor to Watry—an architecture/engineering firm exclusively focused on parking structure design, planning, and restoration. Walker merged into Stantec in 2019 but continues to operate as the parking specialist practice. Directly comparable in mission, client base, and delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/watrydesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/watrydesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watry-design-inc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Watry Design