ACLA

What ACLA does

ACLA (Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture) is a San Francisco-based, privately-held landscape architecture firm founded in 1998. The firm provides professional design services spanning site planning, landscape design, and project implementation for public, commercial, and residential clients. Its portfolio includes high-end residential estates, corporate campuses (Salesforce Mission Bay HQ with a $40M landscape budget, Twitter HQ rooftop), institutional and educational projects (Stanford's Windhover Contemplative Center, UCSF Smith Cardiovascular Research Building, UC Berkeley Energy Biosciences Building), and affordable housing developments (Curran House, 901 Fairfax Hunters View within the $2B HOPE SF initiative). Geographically, projects extend across California and into Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Hawaii, and Dubai.

ACLA's core technical capability is in integrating architecture, art, and natural settings, with proprietary approaches to challenging site conditions. Notable design methodologies include floodplain design using elevated plinths (Walden Studios), bio-acquia thin-plane water features for stormwater management, art-spiritual sanctuary integration (Windhover Contemplative Center), and urban sanctuary design for affordable housing. The firm's quantified outcomes include 25% stormwater runoff reduction, 85% irrigation water savings versus conventional sprinklers, and LEED Gold certifications on multiple projects. ACLA holds no patents and operates no software platform; its product is the design service itself, delivered through a small senior team.

ACLA generates revenue through professional design fees tied to project scope and complexity. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct relationships with property owners, developers, and institutions, plus referrals from architecture firm partners such as David Baker + Partners, Aidlin Darling Design, and Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects. Visibility is maintained through earned media in Galerie, Garden Design, and Landscape Architecture magazines, ASLA conference speaking, and Instagram/LinkedIn presence. The firm has 11-50 employees and is led by founder Andrea Cochran, director Alex Strader, and principal Emily Rylander, with no external funding and no identified parent company.

Name

ACLA

Legal name

Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

Website

https://acochran.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACLA is a San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm founded in 1998 that designs immersive outdoor environments for public, commercial, and residential clients. The firm serves institutions, tech campuses, and high-end residential and affordable housing projects across the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Site planning design
• Commercial campus landscaping
• Residential garden design
• Contemplative garden design

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services for public, commercial, and residential clients. Projects range from small residential gardens to large institutional and mixed-use developments. Revenue generated through design fees based on project scope and complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture (ACLA) provides professional landscape architecture design services for public, commercial, and residential clients. The firm handles site planning, garden and courtyard design, campus landscape architecture, and integration of art, architecture, and natural settings, with projects ranging from small residential gardens to large institutional campuses and mixed-use developments.

Product overview

Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture (ACLA) is a landscape architecture firm offering design services for public, commercial, and residential clients. The firm's portfolio includes diverse project types: residential gardens and estates, affordable housing complexes, public parks and civic spaces, corporate campuses, educational institutions, and art installations. Projects range from intimate private courtyards to large-scale urban developments, with notable work at Stanford University, San Francisco's Mission Bay, and properties across California, Michigan, Florida, and Dubai. ACLA does not offer a software product, API, or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Design Services Core professional service through which ACLA designs timeless, immersive landscape environments for public, commercial, and residential clients, including site planning, garden and courtyard design, campus landscape design, and art-architecture-nature integration.
• Commercial and Corporate Campus Landscape Design Landscape architecture services for corporate campuses, headquarters, and office complexes, including courtyard networks, piazzas, and rooftop terrace design for technology companies and enterprises.
• Residential Landscape Design Landscape architecture services for affluent homeowners, including private gardens, outdoor living spaces, pool landscapes, hillside retreats, vineyard integration, and coastal estate design.
• Institutional and Educational Campus Landscape Design Landscape architecture services for educational and institutional campuses, including contemplative centers integrating art and spiritual spaces, research facilities, and academic environments.
• Affordable Housing and Public Sector Landscape Design Landscape architecture services for nonprofit developers, housing authorities, and public institutions, creating dignified outdoor environments and decompression spaces for residents in high-density urban affordable housing and public housing redevelopment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stormwater runoff reduced by 25% through innovative courtyard design
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Trust for Public LandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026ACLA joined Trust for Public Land for 'The Nature of Connection: Community-Centered Climate Strategies' - a conversation on how landscapes can support climate resilience and community connection. Emily Rylander, Principal at ACLA, spoke alongside Wade Crowfoot, Guillermo Rodriguez, and Jason Morris.
• American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Andrea Cochran and director Alex Strader will speak at the ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture, September 16-18, 2026. Andrea will present 'How It Started…How It's Going: Stories' while Alex will speak in sessions on landscape practice.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sasaki Associates: Larger planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm serving institutional and university clients globally. Operates in the same category as ACLA but at greater scale and with a broader multidisciplinary offering.

Direct peers

• SWA Group: Internationally recognized landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with a California presence and a strong institutional and corporate campus portfolio — directly comparable to ACLA in typology of work served.
• OLIN: Philadelphia- and New York-based landscape architecture firm serving cultural, institutional, and high-end residential clients with a similarly design-forward, art-integrated practice. Operates at the same boutique premium scale as ACLA and competes for comparable institutional commissions.
• James Corner Field Operations: New York-based landscape architecture and urban design practice known for high-profile cultural and public-realm projects. Comparable peer in pursuing landscape architecture commissions that integrate art, ecology, and urban design.
• Studio-MLA: California-based landscape architecture firm specializing in ecologically driven design for cultural, educational, and residential clients. Comparable peer serving similar institutional clients in California and the western US.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates: Brooklyn-based landscape architecture firm with comparable scale and an award-winning portfolio spanning public parks, institutional campuses, and private estates — a directly comparable peer for ACLA.
• PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley-based landscape architecture firm known for campus and public-realm projects in California and internationally. Closely comparable peer serving similar institutional, university, and civic clients in a similar regional footprint.
• Surface Design Inc. San Francisco-based landscape architecture practice with a comparable focus on integrating art, ecology, and place-making in institutional and residential commissions — direct regional peer to ACLA.
• Reed Hilderbrand: Massachusetts-based landscape architecture firm with a comparable profile of award-winning cultural, institutional, and private estate projects across the US. Direct peer in scale, clientele, and design philosophy for ACLA.

Emerging players

• Land Arc Studio: California-based landscape architecture practice pursuing private estate and select institutional work. Smaller and earlier-stage than ACLA but operating in the same residential and small-institutional niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/andreacochranlandscape
• Instagraminstagram.com/andreacochranlandscape
• Xx.com/acochrandesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ACLA