Surface 678
Surface 678 is a Durham, NC landscape architecture and planning firm providing site design, master planning, and sustainability-focused consulting to higher education, healthcare, government, and corporate clients across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Surface 678 does
Surface 678 is a Durham, North Carolina-based landscape architecture and planning firm organized as a Professional Association, operating since 1993 with a headcount in the 11-50 range. The firm provides site design, master planning, urban design, green infrastructure, and sustainability-focused consulting services to higher education, healthcare, government, corporate, and residential developer clients across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. Its core capabilities include stormwater management, low-impact development, and the design of projects targeting LEED, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero, and SITES certifications.
The firm's service offering is built around project-based professional services engagements rather than product or platform technology. Technical scope spans site feasibility analysis, planting and hardscape design, regulatory permitting support, and construction administration, with a stated specialty in sustainability frameworks including LEED, SITES, Living Building Challenge, and Net Zero design. The firm pairs its own design staff with credentialed professionals, including principal Eric Davis, a SITES Accredited Professional who contributed to the SITES credentialing examination. Revenue is generated through fee-based consulting contracts, with project scale evidenced by engagements ranging from single-building campus improvements to 1,500-acre community master plans and 600,000-square-foot healthcare facilities.
Surface 678 goes to market primarily through institutional RFPs and subcontractor relationships with national architecture firms, including Perkins Eastman, Perkins & Will, and EYP Architecture. The firm has won multiple North Carolina ASLA and AIA North Carolina design awards, and has delivered work for Duke University, UNC, NC State, NC A&T, Virginia Tech, Campbell University, UNC Wilmington, Western Carolina University, Cherry Hospital, Central Regional Hospital, UNC Rex, the Fayetteville VA, the City of Raleigh, the NC Department of Health and Human Services, BB&T (Truist), and Newland Communities.
Surface 678 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Surface 678
- Legal name
- Surface 678, PA
- Website
- https://surface678.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Surface 678 is a Durham, NC landscape architecture and planning firm providing site design, master planning, and sustainability-focused consulting to higher education, healthcare, government, and corporate clients across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Surface 678 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Landscape Design, Build & Installation (Hardscapes/Softscapes) (BPABADAF)
Keywords
Where Surface 678 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Surface 678 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Surface 678 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Surface 678 is a landscape architecture firm that delivers site design, master planning, sustainable design (LEED, SITES, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero), stormwater management, planting and irrigation design, permitting, and community outreach services. The firm serves healthcare, higher education, parks and recreation, government, corporate, and residential developer clients across the southeastern United States. They are recognized for therapeutic garden design, adaptive reuse of existing sites, and integration of stormwater management with public amenities.
Product overview
Surface 678 is a landscape architecture and design firm offering a unified portfolio of services centered on site design and planning. Their core offerings include site design, master planning, concept design, permitting, planting design, and site grading services. The firm specializes in sustainability-focused design, including LEED Platinum, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero, and Sustainable SITES certified projects. They provide stormwater management design, landscape architecture, and community outreach services across diverse project types including parks, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and residential developments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Site Design Services Comprehensive site design services including hardscape, softscape, planting design, irrigation design, and exterior improvements for commercial, institutional, healthcare, higher education, and residential clients.
- Master Planning Strategic master planning engagements for university campuses, parks, healthcare campuses, and large-scale developments to guide long-term growth and physical development.
- Sustainability and LEED/SITES Certification Design Sustainable design expertise for LEED (Silver, Gold, Platinum), Living Building Challenge, Net Zero, and Sustainable SITES certified projects; the firm has a SITES accredited professional on staff.
- Stormwater Management Design Design of stormwater management systems including bioretention, rain gardens, green roofs, wetland restoration, and underground cisterns for environmental compliance and integration with site amenities.
- Permitting and Regulatory Compliance Assistance with site permitting and regulatory compliance for development projects, including environmental and stormwater permitting.
- Community Outreach and Public Process Facilitation Public engagement, stakeholder facilitation, and community outreach services that gather feedback and build consensus for campus, park, and development projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- 146-acre State Natural Heritage Area created as model public recreation and environmental education facility
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Surface 678
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Surface 678 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Surface 678 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and regular.
- Perkins EastmanmajorSurface 678 teamed with Perkins Eastman on multiple projects including Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Ambulatory Care Center (conceptualized campus master plan and schematic design) and Gregg Museum of Art & Design relocation project.
- Perkins & WillmajorSurface 678 worked alongside Perkins & Will (formerly Freelon) on healthcare projects including Broughton Hospital and Central Regional Hospital, as well as Gregg Museum of Art & Design project.
- EYP Architecture & EngineeringregularSurface 678 worked with EYP on NC A&T State University Student Health Center site design and other healthcare and educational facility projects.
- Steve Blake of AED (Artifex Environmental Design)regularSurface 678 collaborated with Steve Blake of AED on NC Museum of Art Stormwater Pond project to integrate collection and stormwater management.
- Integrated Water StrategiesregularSurface 678 worked with Integrated Water Strategies on West Village Expansion project designing roof and plaza surface drainage systems with underground cisterns for irrigation and fountain water supply.
- Alley, Williams, Carmen & KingregularSurface 678 worked with Alley, Williams, Carmen & King on Mebane Community Park project and other municipal projects.
- CJMWregularCJMW served as architect for NC State University Alumni Center project where Surface 678 provided landscape architectural services.
- City of AshevilleregularSurface 678 worked with City of Asheville on Wesley Grant Southside Center development including Walton Street Pool and Wesley Grant Center.
- City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources DepartmentregularSurface 678 collaborated with City of Raleigh on Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve and Hill Street Park projects.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Surface 678 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stantec: Global multi-disciplinary design firm with a landscape architecture practice; competes for institutional master planning but as part of a much broader engineering and architecture portfolio.
Direct peers
- OLIN: Philadelphia-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm of similar scale and prestige; competes for institutional and public-sector projects in the same East Coast and Southeast markets.
- LandDesign: Multi-office civil engineering and landscape architecture firm with strong Southeast US presence and similar mix of higher education, healthcare, and master-planned community clients.
- SWA Group: Landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with comparable institutional and park portfolio; larger headcount but overlapping service lines and client types.
- Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects: Mid-size landscape architecture firm with comparable project types and a strong sustainability focus, including park, garden, and institutional master planning.
- Andropogon Associates: Philadelphia-based landscape architecture firm with a parallel sustainable-design ethos and comparable mid-size footprint, focused on ecological restoration and master planning for institutional clients.
- PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley-based landscape architecture firm with comparable focus on public realm, parks, and campus projects; useful as a west-coast benchmark for similar-sized studio economics.
- James Corner Field Operations: High-profile landscape architecture and urban design firm with overlapping capabilities in park design, public realm, and waterfront/ecological projects.
- Sasaki Associates: Planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm that competes for campus master planning, healthcare campuses, and large-scale institutional commissions.
Emerging players
- W Architecture & Landscape Architecture: New York-based landscape architecture studio focused on public space, campus, and waterfront projects; comparable size and project mix to Surface 678's institutional work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Surface 678 social profiles
Digital presenceSurface 678 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Surface 678 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Surface 678 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Surface 678 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Surface 678 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 Surface 678
What does Surface 678 do?
Surface 678 is a landscape architecture firm that delivers site design, master planning, sustainable design (LEED, SITES, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero), stormwater management, planting and irrigation design, permitting, and community outreach services. The firm serves healthcare, higher education, parks and recreation, government, corporate, and residential developer clients across the southeastern United States. They are recognized for therapeutic garden design, adaptive reuse of existing sites, and integration of stormwater management with public amenities.
Is Surface 678 a public or private company?
Surface 678 is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Surface 678 founded?
Surface 678 was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Surface 678 based?
Surface 678 is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Surface 678's main competitors?
Stantec is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are OLIN, LandDesign, SWA Group, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, Andropogon Associates, PWP Landscape Architecture, James Corner Field Operations and Sasaki Associates. W Architecture & Landscape Architecture is listed as an emerging player.
Does Surface 678 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Surface 678.
What industry is Surface 678 in?
Surface 678's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAG, Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting. Its NAICS code is 541320.