What SCAPE does

SCAPE is a privately held landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2005 by Kate Orff, headquartered in New York with additional offices in San Francisco and New Orleans. The firm operates as a professional services practice with 51-100 employees, providing design services to government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private developers across the United States and select international locations including New Zealand, Bolivia, and the UK. SCAPE's service portfolio spans waterfront and coastal resilience, urban greenway and trail design, climate adaptation master planning, cultural and institutional landscape design, urban master planning, and regional planning — exemplified by projects such as the Battery Park City Resiliency Project (~$1.7B), the 125-mile Chattahoochee RiverLands vision, the 2023 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan visual communications, and the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center.

The firm's core technical methodology integrates ecological design, climate science, and community engagement into landscape architecture, with proprietary practices around coastal resilience (e.g., Living Breakwaters combining structural breakwaters with habitat restoration), climate-adaptive design (sea level rise, flooding, urban heat), and brownfield/power-plant remediation (Manresa Wilds). SCAPE has developed a substantial content library of vision plans, communications materials, and design guidelines used as reference materials across the profession. Notably, the firm does not disclose any software products, APIs, or AI/ML platforms; delivery is human-led design combined with standard CAD/BIM/GIS tooling. SCAPE has received the 2025 ASLA Landscape Architecture Firm Award and 70+ additional industry recognitions.

The business model is project-based professional services with fees determined by project scope, complexity, and duration, ranging from master planning and vision documents to detailed design and construction administration. Projects are secured through competitive design competitions, public procurement frameworks (e.g., the SCAPE Construction framework for public-sector clients), and direct commissions built on firm reputation and prior relationships. Customer concentration is weighted heavily toward public-sector clients — city, county, and state agencies — with secondary exposure to educational institutions (Spelman College, UC Berkeley, Brooklyn Public Library) and select private developers (Mission Rock Partners, Amazon). Marketing relies on industry conferences, academic speaking engagements, awards/recognition, and publication, with principals maintaining visible thought-leadership positions at Harvard GSD, Princeton, Wesleyan, ULI, and the UIA World Congress.

Name

SCAPE

Legal name

SCAPE Landscape Architecture DPC

Website

https://scapestudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SCAPE is a private landscape architecture and urban design firm (founded 2005, 51-100 staff) that delivers climate-adaptive design, coastal resilience, greenway planning, and master planning services to government agencies, universities, and select private developers across the U.S. and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture & Urban Design Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Urban design consulting
• Coastal resilience planning
• Climate adaptation design
• Public space planning

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Design Services: SCAPE generates revenue through professional design services for landscape architecture projects including parks, waterfronts, public spaces, and urban resilience projects. Revenue is project-based, with fees determined by project scope, complexity, and duration. Projects range from master planning and vision documents to detailed design and construction administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SCAPE provides professional landscape architecture and urban design services, including master planning, vision documents, detailed site design, and construction administration for parks, waterfronts, public spaces, greenways, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Projects are delivered as fee-based engagements to government agencies, municipalities, cultural institutions, educational campuses, and private developers. The firm's work integrates ecological restoration, stormwater management, coastal resilience, and community engagement into built landscapes across North America and internationally.

Product overview

SCAPE is a landscape architecture firm offering a portfolio of integrated design services rather than a unified software product. Their core offerings span waterfront and coastal resilience projects (Living Breakwaters, China Basin Park, Battery Park City Resiliency), urban greenway and trail design (Town Branch Commons, Chattahoochee RiverLands, Emerald Trail), climate adaptation planning (Resilient Boston Harbor, Resilient Jacksonville, UC Berkeley Climate Adaptation), cultural and institutional landscape design (libraries, museums, college campuses), and urban master planning (Gowanus Lowlands, Pensacola Waterfront). Projects range from intimate civic spaces to regional 125+ mile trail systems, unified by the firm's approach to weaving ecological restoration, climate resilience, and public access into urban landscapes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waterfront and Coastal Resilience Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2 miles of new shoreline access created
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Turner Construction CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 December 2025Turner Construction Company and SPC Construction Co. LLC joint venture is leading construction for the Battery Park City Resiliency Project in collaboration with Arcadis, Bjarke Ingels Group, and SCAPE Landscape Architecture. This is one of the nation's most ambitious climate resiliency efforts.
• ArcadiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArcadis has been awarded construction phase services for the Battery Park City Resiliency Project and leads the consultant team for the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan. SCAPE plays a critical role as landscape architect and urban designer on these teams.
• Bjarke Ingels GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is collaborating with Turner Construction, Arcadis, and SCAPE on the Battery Park City Resiliency Project. BIG also partners with SCAPE on the Manresa Wilds project in Norwalk, CT.
• Manresa Island Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManresa Island Corp. is the nonprofit leading the transformation of the former NRG power plant site into Manresa Wilds park. SCAPE is the lead landscape architect for this $410 million project.
• Harvard Graduate School of DesignstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE principals Kate Orff and Alexis Landes speak at Harvard GSD events. The Cool Forest Venice Biennale installation was designed with the Harvard GSD Department of Landscape Architecture.
• ExploratoriumstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE has partnered with the Exploratorium in San Francisco to create the Waterfront Field Station, combining art, science, and the Bay Area environment.
• Gowanus Canal ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gowanus Canal Conservancy is a key partner in the Gowanus Lowlands Master Plan and various waterfront projects along the Gowanus Canal. SCAPE collaborates closely with GCC on community-based visions for restored public realm.
• NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE works with the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) on the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan as part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency planning effort.
• One Architecture & Urbanism (ONE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONE Architecture & Urbanism leads the consultant team for the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan with SCAPE as a key team member providing urban design and landscape architecture.
• Groundwork JacksonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroundwork Jacksonville is a key partner on the Emerald Trail Design Guidelines and McCoys Creek Recreation and Restoration Plan, working to catalyze Jacksonville's environmental, economic, and cultural potential.
• The Water Institute of the GulfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Water Institute of the Gulf serves as prime on the Resilient Jacksonville Strategy with SCAPE leading community engagement and overall resilience strategy development.
• Trust for Public LandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust for Public Land (TPL) is part of the joint Project Management Team that commissioned the Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study, working with SCAPE on this 125-mile trail vision.
• Atlanta Regional CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is part of the joint Project Management Team for the Chattahoochee RiverLands, collaborating with SCAPE on this regional greenway vision.
• Lexington-Fayette Urban County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) is the client for Town Branch Commons, a transformative multi-modal transportation and linear park system that SCAPE won through a design competition.
• Studio GangcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Gang is the architect for the Spelman College Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts, working with SCAPE on the landscape design for this award-winning project.
• Mission Rock Partners (SF Giants and Tishman Speyer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Rock Partners (a partnership of the San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer, in partnership with the Port of San Francisco) commissioned SCAPE for China Basin Park, the 5-acre waterfront centerpiece of Mission Rock.
• City of JacksonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE worked with the City of Jacksonville to develop comprehensive design guidelines for the 30-mile Emerald Trail multimodal urban trail network.
• MASS Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMASS Design Group's Public Memory and Memorials Lab is collaborating with SCAPE and Toole Design Group on the Chattahoochee Brick Company Memorial, Greenspace, and Park project in Atlanta.
• City of AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Atlanta acquired the 75-acre Chattahoochee Brick Company site and partnered with SCAPE and MASS Design Group for the memorial and greenspace planning process.
• Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE collaborated with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) as part of the Woods Hole Group team to develop the ResilientCoasts Plan, a comprehensive coastwide strategy.
• Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE collaborated with CPRA to develop the visual communications strategy and graphic identity for the 2023 Coastal Master Plan, a 50-year restoration and risk reduction guide.
• New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJDEP administers the Resilient New Jersey planning program, with SCAPE as part of the team developing climate adaptation strategies for the Raritan River and Bay communities.
• Woods Hole GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoods Hole Group leads the team for the Massachusetts ResilientCoasts Plan, with SCAPE providing landscape-forward approach to coastal resilience.
• Gastón Institute at UMass BostonstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gastón Institute at UMass Boston led bilingual (Spanish and English) community engagement for the Resilient Together: El Punto climate adaptation plan in Salem, MA.
• Van Alen InstitutestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE founder Kate Orff co-edited the Gateway National Recreation Area publication with Van Alen Institute and National Parks Conservation Association.
• Brooklyn Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPE designed the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center in collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library, creating a hub for environmental education.
• Architecture Research OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture Research Office (ARO) collaborated with SCAPE and Colloqate on The Launch School at Floyd Bennett Field vision, a K-12 charter school campus.
• The World BankstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe World Bank commissioned SCAPE to create a vision plan for Rio Seco Linear Resiliency Park in El Alto, Bolivia, working with local partners Swisscontact and GAMEA.
• Willmott Dixon InteriorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWillmott Dixon Interiors was appointed by Horsham District Council via the SCAPE Construction framework to refurbish The Capitol theatre in Horsham.
• Nottinghamshire County Council (via Arc Partnership)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNottinghamshire County Council, through its joint venture Arc Partnership with infrastructure group SCAPE, unveiled a £200m land development programme. Note: This refers to a different SCAPE entity (infrastructure group) in the UK.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OLIN: Philadelphia- and New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm. Directly comparable in offering, scale, and client mix, regularly competing for waterfront, campus, and public-space commissions.
• Sasaki Associates: Multi-disciplinary design firm with one of the largest landscape architecture practices in the U.S. Competes with SCAPE for institutional, campus, and large-scale planning commissions (e.g., Resilient Boston Harbor, master plans).
• MASS Design Group: Boston-based design practice focused on social and environmental impact through built work. Already a SCAPE collaborator on the Chattahoochee Brick Company Memorial and a competitor on civic, memorial, and public-sector design commissions.
• James Corner Field Operations: New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm of comparable size and profile. Field Operations is the most direct peer — both firms compete on the same coastal resilience, public realm, and waterfront mega-projects (e.g., SCAPE's Living Breakwaters vs. Field Operations' Pier 55 / Freshkills Park).
• SWA Group: West Coast-headquartered landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with international reach. Comparable in scale and project portfolio mix (parks, waterfronts, master plans), with similar high-profile public-sector clients.
• PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley-headquartered landscape architecture firm working on waterfronts, campuses, and urban open space. Comparable West Coast presence and practice mix relative to SCAPE's San Francisco office.
• W Architecture and Landscape Architecture: New York-based landscape architecture firm with comparable coastal resilience and civic portfolio. Competes with SCAPE for New York City waterfront, schoolyard, and public realm projects.

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: Large multi-disciplinary architecture and landscape design practice with recognized coastal/civic work. Overlaps with SCAPE on landscape-led projects but operates a broader portfolio of buildings and interiors.
• Bjarke Ingels Group: Global architecture practice collaborating with SCAPE on the Battery Park City Resiliency Project and Manresa Wilds. Increasingly encroaching into landscape-led urban design that overlaps with SCAPE's specialty.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang: Architecture practice with growing landscape and urban-ecology capability. Already a SCAPE collaborator on Spelman College; converging on similar social/environmental design territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scape_studio
• Facebookfacebook.com/scapestudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scape-landscape-architecture

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 SCAPE