Russell + Mills Studios
Russell + Mills Studios is a Fort Collins, Colorado-based landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning firm founded in 2007, serving universities, municipalities, craft breweries, developers, and botanical gardens across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersFort Collins, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Russell + Mills Studios does
Russell + Mills Studios is a privately held landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning firm founded in 2007 by Craig Russell and Paul Mills, headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado with a second studio in Denver. The firm was established after both founders previously worked at EDAW, once the world's largest landscape architecture practice, and applies a design philosophy centered on creating memorable, site-responsive, and sustainable outdoor places. Services span the full project lifecycle — from design and conceptual programming through construction documentation and administration — and are organized across seven portfolio areas: gardens, parks, campus and institutional, breweries, planning and entitlement, urban design, and urban planning.
The practice serves a diversified client base that includes higher-education institutions (notably a deep relationship with Colorado State University encompassing multiple LEED-certified campus projects), municipal and government agencies (City of Fort Collins, Denver Parks and Recreation), craft beverage manufacturers (New Belgium, Left Hand, Red Leg, Dry Dock), real estate developers (Hartford Homes, Schnitzer West, Bellisimo), and botanical gardens in Colorado, Idaho, and Maine. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees on landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning engagements, with no disclosed pricing, no SaaS or productized revenue, and no external funding. The go-to-market model is sales-led, driven by direct business development, award-winning portfolio credibility, and principal-level client relationships rather than marketing-driven demand generation.
The firm is positioned as a boutique, reputation-driven practice competing on design quality, principal involvement in every project, and a multi-state licensed team rather than on scale. Its coast-to-coast project list and two-office Colorado footprint indicate a regionally anchored firm with selective national reach, supported by a substantial body of industry recognition including ASLA Honor and Merit Awards, ENR Best Projects designations, a ULI Impact Award, and numerous LEED Gold, Silver, and Platinum certifications across its institutional portfolio.
Russell + Mills Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Russell + Mills Studios
- Legal name
- Russell + Mills Studios
- Website
- https://russellmillsstudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Russell + Mills Studios is a Fort Collins, Colorado-based landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning firm founded in 2007, serving universities, municipalities, craft breweries, developers, and botanical gardens across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Russell + Mills Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where Russell + Mills Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Collins
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Russell + Mills Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Design and Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning project engagements. Services range from design and conceptual programming through construction documentation and administration.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Russell + Mills Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Russell + Mills Studios is a landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning firm providing professional design services for land-based projects. Its work spans design and conceptual programming through construction documentation and administration across gardens, parks, campuses, breweries, mixed-use developments, and municipal public spaces. Services are delivered through direct project-based engagements with government, institutional, and commercial clients.
Product overview
Russell + Mills Studios is a landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning firm providing professional services for land-based projects. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their portfolio spans multiple service areas including Gardens (botanical gardens, children's gardens, perennial gardens), Parks (community parks, sports complexes, playgrounds, amphitheaters), Campus & Institutional (student housing, educational facilities), Breweries (brewery sites, beer gardens), Planning & Entitlement (land development, residential communities), Urban Design (alley enhancements, streetscapes, public spaces), and Urban Planning (comprehensive plans, area plans, corridor plans). Services range from design and conceptual programming through construction documentation and administration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Landscape Architecture Services Core landscape architecture services covering design, conceptual programming, construction documentation, and construction administration for land-based projects across multiple market segments.
- Urban Design Services Urban design services focused on public spaces, streetscapes, alley enhancements, and place-making solutions for downtown and commercial areas, serving municipalities and private developers.
- Master Planning Services Comprehensive master planning services for communities, campuses, parks, and urban areas, including design guidelines, phasing, and implementation roadmaps for institutional and municipal clients.
- Planning and Entitlement Services Land planning and entitlement services for residential communities, mixed-use developments, and commercial projects, including site plan concepts and entitlement documentation support.
- Gardens Design Services Design services for botanical gardens, children's gardens, perennial gardens, and therapeutic gardens, including master planning, landscape architecture, and fundraising illustrations for garden institutions.
- Parks and Recreation Design Services Parks and recreation design covering community parks, sports complexes, playgrounds, splashpads, amphitheaters, and trail systems for municipalities and park districts.
- Campus and Institutional Design Services Campus planning for educational institutions including student housing, academic buildings, outdoor learning spaces, and athletic facilities.
- Breweries Site Design Services Site design services for breweries and beer gardens, including visitor experience areas, outdoor seating, event spaces, and hospitality concepts for craft beverage clients.
- Urban Planning Services Urban planning services including comprehensive plans, area plans, corridor plans, and zoning code updates for cities and municipalities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Gardens on Spring Creek: Fundraising graphics successfully raised over $2.1M
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Russell + Mills Studios
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Russell + Mills Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Russell + Mills Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Russell + Mills Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OJB Landscape Architecture: Landscape architecture firm with strong campus, urban, and hospitality portfolio including craft brewery work. Closely comparable in service mix, particularly the brewery/beer-garden specialty that anchors R+M's craft-beverage practice.
- Design Workshop: Boutique-to-mid-size landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with offices in the Mountain West and beyond. Closest comparable in scale, geography, and service mix — both firms are RLA/ASLA shops focused on parks, urban design, and master planning in similar regional markets.
- SWA Group: Internationally renowned landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with a strong portfolio of public realm, parks, and campus projects. Direct competitor for higher-ed, parks, and master-planning RFPs where R+M competes.
- Sasaki Associates: Multidisciplinary design firm spanning landscape architecture, urban planning, and master planning with major campus, waterfront, and civic projects. Comparable for university master plans and large urban-design commissions.
- James Corner Field Operations: High-profile landscape architecture and urban design firm known for large-scale public realm projects (High Line, etc.). Comparable in the urban design and master-planning space, though typically much larger in scale.
- OLIN: Landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with extensive campus and public realm work. Directly comparable for university master plans and urban-design commissions where R+M competes.
- LandDesign: Multidisciplinary design firm with landscape architecture, urban design, civil engineering, and planning. Comparable for mixed-use real estate development, campus, and master-planning projects across multiple US regions.
- Confluence: Landscape architecture and urban design firm with parks, campus, and master-planning work across the US. Comparable boutique competitor with similar service mix and project scale.
Emerging players
- Studio-MLA: Landscape architecture studio with strong portfolio in public realm, urban ecology, and campus projects. Comparable for parks, urban design, and sustainability-driven civic work, though typically larger project scale.
Broad incumbents
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm that acquired EDAW (where R+M founders trained). Largest scale competitor for high-ed master plans, municipal infrastructure, and large-scale campus work; directly relevant given R+M founders' EDAW/AECOM pedigree.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Russell + Mills Studios social profiles
Digital presenceRussell + Mills Studios compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Russell + Mills Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Russell + Mills Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Russell + Mills Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Russell + Mills Studios 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 Russell + Mills Studios
What does Russell + Mills Studios do?
Russell + Mills Studios is a landscape architecture, urban design, and master planning firm providing professional design services for land-based projects. Its work spans design and conceptual programming through construction documentation and administration across gardens, parks, campuses, breweries, mixed-use developments, and municipal public spaces. Services are delivered through direct project-based engagements with government, institutional, and commercial clients.
Is Russell + Mills Studios a public or private company?
Russell + Mills Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Russell + Mills Studios founded?
Russell + Mills Studios was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Russell + Mills Studios based?
Russell + Mills Studios is headquartered in Fort Collins, United States, in the North America region.
How does Russell + Mills Studios make money?
One revenue line is on record: design and Consulting Services.
Who are Russell + Mills Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OJB Landscape Architecture, Design Workshop, SWA Group, Sasaki Associates, James Corner Field Operations, OLIN, LandDesign and Confluence. Studio-MLA is listed as an emerging player. AECOM is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Russell + Mills Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Russell + Mills Studios.
What industry is Russell + Mills Studios in?
Russell + Mills Studios's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAG, Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting.