SKS Studio
SKS Studio is a privately held master planning and landscape architecture firm, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Kansas City with a Dubai office, specializing in experience-driven design for luxury hospitality resorts, destination entertainment, and large-scale mixed-use developments for enterprise clients worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SKS Studio does
SKS Studio is a privately held master planning and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with a regional office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1997 by Sean K. Simms, the firm specializes in experience-driven design for large-scale luxury hospitality, destination entertainment, and mixed-use developments. Its portfolio spans more than 40 countries and includes landmark projects such as Atlantis The Royal at Palm Jumeirah (a $1.5B, 75-acre Kerzner International development), the 8,000-hectare Croatian Dream Master Plan for Perfectus Group, Six Senses Southern Dunes for The Red Sea Development Company, Rosewood Baha Mar, Amara Hotel & Residences (Cyprus), Montage Cay Resort & Branded Residences, and Al Sharq Waterpark.
The firm operates two core service lines — Master Planning Services (site evaluation, program development, land-use planning, site planning, conceptual design) and Landscape Architecture Services (hardscape, landscape, water-feature aesthetic, site lighting, irrigation, grading, theming, and on-site construction observation) — delivered from concept through construction documents. Its technology footprint is a design philosophy and collaborative process rather than a software platform: there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and competitive differentiation rests on founder expertise, design talent, and a portfolio of award-winning luxury projects.
SKS Studio generates revenue through professional services fees billed on a project-by-project basis at enterprise-scale to luxury hospitality developers, hotel operators, real estate developers, and government development authorities. Pricing is project-specific based on scope and scale with no public pricing or recurring revenue model. Projects are acquired primarily through founder-led industry relationships, a Director for Business Development, and presence at major hospitality and entertainment industry conferences (ALIS, ALIS CALA, IAAPA Expo, Global Hospitality Talk). The firm is founder-controlled, has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and operates with a lean 1–10 person team.
SKS Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SKS Studio
- Legal name
- SKS Studio
- Website
- https://sks-studio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SKS Studio is a privately held master planning and landscape architecture firm, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Kansas City with a Dubai office, specializing in experience-driven design for luxury hospitality resorts, destination entertainment, and large-scale mixed-use developments for enterprise clients worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SKS Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture & Master Planning Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Specialized Design Services (5414), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where SKS Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SKS Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Master Planning: Master planning services including site evaluation, program development, land-use planning, site planning, and conceptual design. Services provided from concept through construction documents with on-site construction observation.
- Professional Services - Landscape Architecture: Full-service landscape architecture including site planning, hardscape design, landscape design, water-features aesthetic design, site lighting, irrigation design, site grading, and site theming design.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
SKS Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SKS Studio is a premier Master Planning & Landscape Architecture firm providing two core service lines: Master Planning Services (site evaluation and selection, program development, land-use planning, site planning, conceptual site design) and full-service Landscape Architecture Services (hardscape layout and design, landscape design, water-features aesthetic design, site lighting, irrigation design, site grading, and site theming design). Services are delivered from concept through construction documents with on-site construction observation, specializing in luxury hospitality, large-scale destination entertainment, and mixed-use resort projects across more than 40 countries.
Product overview
SKS Studio is a premier Master Planning & Landscape Architecture firm offering two core service lines: Master Planning Services and Landscape Architecture Services. The company specializes in large-scale mixed-use, destination entertainment, and hospitality-related projects, executing projects from concept through construction documents with on-site construction observation. Their portfolio includes resort developments (Atlantis The Royal, Amara Hotel, Rosewood Baha Mar, Six Senses Southern Dunes), mixed-use communities (Coastal Village, Croatian Dream), waterparks (Al Sharq), and luxury hotel renovations across more than 40 countries. Projects range from 5.5 acres to 8,000 hectares with development costs totaling billions of dollars. The firm emphasizes guest experience-driven design through collaborative processes with international architecture and development partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Master Planning Services Complete master planning services for hospitality, residential, and mixed-use destinations across more than 30 countries. Scope covers site evaluation and selection, program development and evaluation, land-use planning, site planning, and conceptual site design, delivered from concept through construction documents.
- Landscape Architecture Services Full-service landscape architecture from concept through construction documents and on-site construction observation. Scope includes site planning, hardscape layout and design, landscape design, water-features aesthetic design, site lighting design, irrigation design, site grading, and site theming design.
Quantifiable outcome
- Responsible for projects totaling billions of dollars in development costs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SKS Studio
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SKS Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
SKS Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 40NORTHcoreOngoing design partnership on major resort projects including Atlantis The Royal at Palm Jumeirah. Collaborated on multiple award-winning landscape architecture projects.
- SB ArchitectscoreDesign team collaboration on Rosewood Baha Mar, Malliouhana Resort, and other luxury resort projects. Long-standing working relationship.
- Two Roads DevelopmentminorCollaboration on Four Seasons Residences project in the Caribbean. Partnership announced via Caribbean Journal.
- Kerzner InternationalcoreOngoing client partnership for major resort developments including Atlantis The Royal at Palm Jumeirah ($1.5B project) and One & Only Palmilla restoration.
- BEGminorDesign team member on Rosewood Baha Mar project.
- KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox)coreArchitecture firm on Atlantis The Royal at Palm Jumeirah project.
- IBI GroupminorArchitecture firm on Atlantis The Royal project.
- G.A GroupminorInterior design firm on Atlantis The Royal project.
- ArupminorStructure/MEP engineering on Atlantis The Royal project.
- WSPminorStructure/MEP engineering on Atlantis The Royal project.
- WET (Design)minorWater features design on Atlantis The Royal project including Fire & Water Fountain Show.
- Sybille de MargerieminorInterior design on Atlantis The Royal project.
- Cloward H2OminorDesign team member on Al Sharq Waterpark project in Oman.
- ArcadiscoreDesign team collaboration on Coastal Village project for The Red Sea Development.
- Foster + PartnerscoreArchitecture firm on Southern Dunes Resort project for The Red Sea Development in Saudi Arabia.
- StanteccoreDesign team collaboration on Southern Dunes Resort.
- HKS ArchitectsminorArchitecture firm on Cap Juluca renovation project.
- Rottet StudiosminorInterior design on Cap Juluca renovation project.
- Design AgencyminorDesign team member on Montage Cay Resort project.
- Robert C. GlazierminorDesign team member on Montage Cay Resort project.
- GenslerminorArchitecture firm on Montage Cay Resort project.
- The Red Sea Development CompanycoreClient partnership for Southern Dunes Resort and Coastal Village projects - major sustainable tourism development in Saudi Arabia.
- Montage Hotel & ResortscoreClient for Montage Cay Resort & Branded Residences project in the Bahamas.
- Sterling Global FinancialminorDevelopment partner on Montage Cay Resort project.
- Stademos Hotels LTDcoreLeader in Cyprus hospitality industry; client for Amara Hotel & Residences project.
- BahamarcoreClient for Rosewood Baha Mar project - world-renowned resort destination in Nassau, Bahamas.
- Perfectus GroupcoreClient for Croatian Dream Master Plan - 8,000 hectare regional comprehensive master plan.
- UrbaconminorClient that initiated design competition for Salwa Beach Resort Master Plan in Qatar.
- ASASSminorClient for Al Sharq Waterpark master planning project in Oman.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SKS Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SWA Group: SWA Group is a renowned landscape architecture, urban design and planning studio with significant resort, hospitality and large-scale master planning work. It competes with SKS Studio for high-end hospitality and mixed-use destination commissions globally.
- EDSA: EDSA is a long-established landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm with deep roots in luxury resort and destination master planning. It directly competes with SKS Studio for landscape architecture commissions on flagship international hospitality projects.
- Sasaki Associates: Sasaki is an integrated design practice spanning landscape architecture, planning and urban design with major destination and cultural-placemaking projects. It is comparable to SKS Studio for large-scale master planning and landscape architecture on complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
- Belt Collins: Belt Collins is an international landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm with deep hospitality and resort sector experience across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. It is directly comparable to SKS Studio on luxury resort master planning and landscape architecture.
- OLIN: OLIN is a landscape architecture, urban design and planning studio with prestigious cultural, hospitality and large-scale public realm projects. It is directly comparable to SKS Studio as a boutique-to-mid landscape firm winning high-profile, design-led commissions.
- WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo): WATG is a global hospitality planning, architecture and landscape design firm specializing in luxury resorts and destination developments. It overlaps directly with SKS Studio on master planning and landscape architecture for hotel operators and resort developers worldwide.
Broad incumbents
- AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure and design firm offering integrated architecture, landscape and engineering services for mega-developments including hospitality and tourism. It competes with SKS Studio on large integrated RFPs where clients prefer single-firm delivery over boutique specialists.
Others
- SB Architects: SB Architects is a hospitality-focused architecture firm collaborating with SKS Studio on Rosewood Baha Mar, Malliouhana and other luxury resort projects. It is an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor but operates in the same resort design market.
- 40NORTH: 40NORTH is a hospitality design firm that has co-designed with SKS Studio on Atlantis The Royal, Six Senses Southern Dunes and other award-winning projects. It is a strategic co-design partner and adjacent landscape/entertainment design peer.
Regional players
- Cracknell: Cracknell is a Dubai-headquartered landscape architecture and design firm with strong regional presence across the Middle East. It is a regional peer competing with SKS Studio's Dubai office for hospitality and resort landscape commissions in the GCC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SKS Studio social profiles
Digital presenceSKS Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SKS Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SKS Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SKS Studio 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 SKS Studio
What does SKS Studio do?
SKS Studio is a premier Master Planning & Landscape Architecture firm providing two core service lines: Master Planning Services (site evaluation and selection, program development, land-use planning, site planning, conceptual site design) and full-service Landscape Architecture Services (hardscape layout and design, landscape design, water-features aesthetic design, site lighting, irrigation design, site grading, and site theming design). Services are delivered from concept through construction documents with on-site construction observation, specializing in luxury hospitality, large-scale destination entertainment, and mixed-use resort projects across more than 40 countries.
Is SKS Studio a public or private company?
SKS Studio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SKS Studio founded?
SKS Studio was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SKS Studio based?
SKS Studio is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does SKS Studio make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Professional Services - Master Planning is the primary driver. The others are professional Services - Landscape Architecture.
Who are SKS Studio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SWA Group, EDSA, Sasaki Associates, Belt Collins, OLIN and WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo). AECOM is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are SB Architects and 40NORTH. Cracknell is listed as a regional player.
Does SKS Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for SKS Studio.
What industry is SKS Studio in?
SKS Studio's product category is Landscape Architecture & Master Planning Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAG, Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54132.