Sherwood Design Engineers
Sherwood Design Engineers is a privately held civil engineering consultancy specializing in sustainable infrastructure, water resources, and ecological systems design for government, educational, real estate, and corporate clients across nine U.S. studios and an office in Costa Rica.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sherwood Design Engineers does
Sherwood Design Engineers is a privately held civil engineering consultancy specializing in sustainable infrastructure, water resources, and ecological systems design. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in San Francisco, the firm operates nine U.S. studios spanning California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Petaluma, Napa), New York, Des Moines, and Atlanta, plus an international office in Escazú, Costa Rica. Its practice is organized around six service lines — Infrastructure Engineering, Sites and Buildings, Ecological Systems, Water Resources, Sustainable Systems, and Land Analysis/Mapping — delivered through project-based engagements with government agencies, educational institutions, real estate developers, and corporate clients. The firm has built a credentialed portfolio in Living Building Challenge and net-water-positive design, including Google Bay View (LEED Platinum, LBC Water Petal), the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (LBC-certified), Hudson Yards (4.5-acre deck over active rail yard), the Croton Water Treatment Plant (largest public infrastructure project in NYC history), and international work in China, New Zealand, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia.
The firm delivers revenue through professional-services fees on a project-by-project basis, with no publicly disclosed pricing model and no software or managed-service revenue stream. Its go-to-market relies on direct, enterprise-grade engagement with project owners and elite architecture partners — Snøhetta, Grimshaw, KPF, SOM, Heatherwick, BIG, Studio Gang, Weiss/Manfredi, Reed Hilderbrand, GGN, Waggonner & Ball, and NBBJ among them — typically selected via design-team-led procurements on trophy and institutional builds. Marketing is driven primarily by earned media, awards (AIA, ASLA, ENR), and thought-leadership publications including the 'Restoring Force' book series and 'Sustainable Nation' urban design patterns volume. The technical stack is conventional for the sector — GIS-based land analysis and BIM-based project documentation — with no disclosed proprietary software, API, or AI/ML capability. Leadership comprises CEO S. Bry Sarté, COO Tom Jost, CFO Dan Nolan, and a bench of PE-, LEED AP-, and WEDG-credentialed principals, supplemented by a Senior Director of Business Development and a Director of Technology added in 2025.
Sherwood Design Engineers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sherwood Design Engineers
- Legal name
- Sherwood Design Engineers
- Website
- https://sherwoodengineers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Sherwood Design Engineers is a privately held civil engineering consultancy specializing in sustainable infrastructure, water resources, and ecological systems design for government, educational, real estate, and corporate clients across nine U.S. studios and an office in Costa Rica.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sherwood Design Engineers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Engineering Services (54133), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)
Keywords
Where Sherwood Design Engineers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Sherwood Design Engineers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Engineering Consulting Services: Professional civil engineering services including site civil design, infrastructure planning, stormwater management, water resources engineering, and construction administration for institutional, government, and private sector clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Sherwood Design Engineers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sherwood Design Engineers is a civil engineering consulting firm that designs and implements sustainable infrastructure projects including grading, drainage, utilities, stormwater management, water reuse, ecological restoration, and net-zero water systems. Services span six core practice areas: Infrastructure Engineering, Sites and Buildings, Ecological Systems, Water Resources, Sustainable Systems, and Land Analysis/Mapping, delivered through direct project-based engagements from concept through construction administration.
Product overview
Sherwood Design Engineers is a civil engineering firm offering a comprehensive suite of engineering services organized around six core practice areas: Infrastructure Engineering, Sites and Buildings, Ecological Systems, Water Resources, Sustainable Systems, and Land Analysis/Mapping. The firm specializes in sustainable infrastructure design with expertise spanning parks and open space, higher education campuses, water and wastewater systems, and urban development projects. Rather than a unified software product, the company delivers project-based engineering consulting services tailored to sustainable, resilient infrastructure development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Infrastructure Engineering
- Sites and Buildings
- Ecological Systems
- Water Resources
- Sustainable Systems
- Land Analysis and Mapping
Companies that use Sherwood Design Engineers
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sherwood Design Engineers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sherwood Design Engineers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- SnøhettacoreDesign architecture and landscape architecture partner for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library project. Snøhetta designed the architecture merging with landscape including accessible rooftop structure meeting Living Building Challenge requirements.
- Grimshaw ArchitectscoreLead architects for Croton Water Treatment Plant project, the largest public infrastructure in NYC history. Partnership established in 2011 to replace incumbent civil engineer.
- KPF AssociatescoreArchitecture firm partner for Hudson Yards project, providing civil engineering for 4.5 acre public plaza deck over rail yard.
- Skidmore, Owings & MerrillcoreLead design partner for Guangzhou Urban Redevelopment Master Plan and Nanhu Wetlands project in China.
- Heatherwick StudioscoreArchitecture firm partner for Google Bay View Campus, designed as net water positive facility achieving LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge Water Petal.
- Bjarke Ingels GroupcoreArchitecture partner for Google Bay View Campus and Wildflower Studios project in New York.
- GGNcoreLandscape architecture partner for India Basin Waterfront Park project in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood.
- Waggonner & Ball ArchitectscoreLead architects for Mirabeau Water Garden project, part of Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan.
- Reed HilderbrandcoreLandscape architecture partner for NOMA Besthoff Sculpture Garden expansion and Duke University West Union Campus.
- ArupmajorSpecialty systems designer for Google Bay View Campus, contributing to engineering excellence.
- Atelier TenmajorSustainability consultant for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Google Bay View Campus projects.
- MKA (Morrison Knudsen)majorStructural engineer of record for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library project.
- Studio GangcoreAward-winning architecture firm leading Kresge College renewal at UC Santa Cruz with mass timber and sustainable design.
- Weiss/ManfredicoreArchitecture partner for The Gateway at UC Berkeley, designed as home to College of Computing, Data Science, and Society.
- Thornton TomasettimajorStructural engineers for Wildflower Studios project in Astoria, Queens.
- Jensen ArchitectscoreDesign partner for India Basin Waterfront Park project.
- Eskew Dumez RipplemajorDesign partner for Louisiana State University Master Plan project.
- NBBJmajorArchitecture partner for Louisiana State University Master Plan and Duke University West Union Campus.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sherwood Design Engineers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Arup: Global engineering consultancy with deep sustainability, water, and built-environment practices. Highly comparable to Sherwood on Living Building Challenge and net-positive water projects (Arup was a co-partner on Google Bay View) but at vastly greater scale and broader service breadth.
- Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy with strong sustainability, water, and façade expertise. Competes with Sherwood on high-profile cultural and civic projects, including Living Building Challenge work, though Buro Happold operates at meaningfully larger scale.
- Stantec: Large North American engineering and environmental services firm with substantial water-resources and community-development practices. Overlaps with Sherwood in sustainable site civil and water infrastructure, but as a generalist serving mid-market municipal and developer clients.
- WSP: Global professional services firm with large water, environment, and property & buildings practices. Competes with Sherwood on large infrastructure and real estate programs; broader service portfolio and global delivery capacity are key differentiators.
- AECOM: Premier global infrastructure consulting firm with deep water, environment, and urban development capabilities. Competes with Sherwood on the largest civil infrastructure programs (e.g., New York City DDC) though typically at a different scale and with a more generalist delivery model.
- Tetra Tech: Engineering and consulting firm with leading water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure practices. Closely comparable on stormwater management and water resources consulting, with significantly larger federal and municipal client base.
- Kimley-Horn: Large U.S. planning and engineering design consultancy with strong land development, water resources, and environmental practices. Competes with Sherwood on private developer and institutional site civil work, but with a more generalist, higher-volume delivery model.
Direct peers
- Carollo Engineers: Largest U.S. water-focused engineering firm specializing in water and wastewater treatment, reuse, and master planning. Most directly comparable to Sherwood's water-resources and net-zero water practice, with deeper municipal utility penetration but less emphasis on Living Building Challenge / net-positive campus design.
- Brown and Caldwell: Specialist environmental engineering and consulting firm focused on water, wastewater, and stormwater for municipal and industrial clients. Closest direct comp on water/wastewater infrastructure consulting; less overlap on the integrated sustainable-site and Living Building Challenge work Sherwood is known for.
Regional players
- GHD: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental consultancy with strong water and community-development practices. Comparable to Sherwood on water infrastructure and master planning, with deeper presence in Australia/NZ and Asia-Pacific — a geographic complement rather than direct U.S. competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sherwood Design Engineers social profiles
Digital presenceSherwood Design Engineers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sherwood Design Engineers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Sherwood Design Engineers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sherwood Design Engineers 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 Sherwood Design Engineers
What does Sherwood Design Engineers do?
Sherwood Design Engineers is a civil engineering consulting firm that designs and implements sustainable infrastructure projects including grading, drainage, utilities, stormwater management, water reuse, ecological restoration, and net-zero water systems. Services span six core practice areas: Infrastructure Engineering, Sites and Buildings, Ecological Systems, Water Resources, Sustainable Systems, and Land Analysis/Mapping, delivered through direct project-based engagements from concept through construction administration.
Is Sherwood Design Engineers a public or private company?
Sherwood Design Engineers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sherwood Design Engineers founded?
Sherwood Design Engineers was founded in 1973. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sherwood Design Engineers based?
Sherwood Design Engineers is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sherwood Design Engineers make money?
One revenue line is on record: engineering Consulting Services.
Who are Sherwood Design Engineers's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Arup, Buro Happold, Stantec, WSP, AECOM, Tetra Tech and Kimley-Horn. Direct peers are Carollo Engineers and Brown and Caldwell. GHD is listed as a regional player.
Does Sherwood Design Engineers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sherwood Design Engineers.
What industry is Sherwood Design Engineers in?
Sherwood Design Engineers's product category is Civil Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAG, Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54133 and its SIC code is 8711.