What Berkshire Design Group does

Berkshire Design Group, Inc. is a privately-held professional services firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Northampton, Massachusetts. The firm operates five interconnected practice areas: Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Land Surveying, Permitting, and Sustainable Design, with a specialized Green Infrastructure and Design service line covering stormwater management, bioretention, agrivoltaic systems, and green roofs. Projects are delivered on a project-based, fee-for-service basis with pricing negotiated by scope and complexity, and engagements are sourced through direct outreach, repeat clients, and referrals rather than active marketing campaigns.

The firm serves public institutions, municipalities, developers, and private clients across the New England region (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Hampshire), with selected projects extending to Delaware and Pennsylvania. Core customer segments include colleges and universities (Smith College, Hampshire College, Amherst College, UMass, Berkshire Community College), municipal governments (Northampton, Springfield, Pittsfield, Agawam), affordable housing authorities and non-profits (Holyoke Housing Authority, Valley CDC, Mass Development), and private developers. The firm employs approximately 20 people — five active principals, three principals emeritus, and supporting technical and administrative staff — and maintains professional registrations across six New England states plus New York.

Berkshire Design Group's underlying technical differentiation lies in its sustainable design firsts: the First Certified Living Building Challenge in the United States, the First Net Zero Community in New England, the First PassiveHaus Childcare Center in New England, and the First Net Zero Neighborhood in Northampton. The firm also developed prototypes and standards adopted by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for Stormwater Design. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no funding rounds, parent companies, or institutional investors are identified.

Name

Berkshire Design Group

Legal name

Berkshire Design Group, Inc.

Website

https://berkshiredesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berkshire Design Group is a privately-held professional services firm founded in 1984 in Northampton, Massachusetts, providing landscape architecture, civil engineering, land surveying, permitting, and sustainable design services to colleges, municipalities, affordable housing developers, and private clients across New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Landscape Design (HSAIABAA), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Civil engineering services
• Land surveying services
• Sustainable site design
• Regulatory permitting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Landscape Architecture: Design, schematic design, final construction plans and specifications, cost estimating, permitting, and construction observation services for landscape architecture projects including parks, campuses, residential communities, and commercial developments
2. Professional Services - Civil Engineering: Civil engineering services including site assessment, hydrologic modeling, CAD, stormwater management, street/highway design, sewer and water distribution systems design, and representation at public and regulatory meetings
3. Professional Services - Land Surveying: Land surveying services including topographic surveys, property line surveys, ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys, construction layout, and expert witness testimony

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Berkshire Design Group is a professional services firm providing integrated landscape architecture, civil engineering, and land surveying services across the New England region. The firm delivers site planning, schematic and final construction design, permitting, construction observation, and master planning, with a specialty in sustainable design practices including LEED certification, Passive House construction, Net Zero communities, and Living Building Challenge projects. Services also include green infrastructure design, stormwater management, and expert witness testimony.

Product overview

Berkshire Design Group is a professional services firm offering an integrated suite of design, engineering, and surveying services. The core service portfolio consists of five interconnected practice areas: Landscape Architecture (site planning, design, construction documentation), Civil Engineering (infrastructure design, stormwater management), Land Surveying (property documentation, boundary surveys), Permitting (regulatory navigation at local/state/federal levels), and Sustainable Design (LEED, Net Zero, Living Building Challenge projects). These services are frequently combined on projects, with sustainable design principles embedded across all practice areas. The firm also offers specialized Green Infrastructure and Design services for stormwater and environmental solutions, and Master Planning for large-scale campus and community developments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Integrates human activities and development with natural and urban environments through land planning, site planning, conceptual and schematic design, final construction plans and specifications, cost estimating, permitting, construction observation, and post-occupancy evaluations for projects including parks, campuses, residential communities, and commercial developments.
• Civil Engineering Site and civil engineering expertise including highways, roads, sanitary and storm sewers, utilities and water distribution, stormwater management, environmental protection, and sustainable practices including site assessment, hydrologic modeling, CAD, sewer and water distribution systems design, and representation at public and regulatory meetings.
• Land Surveying Professional land surveying services including topographic surveys, property line surveys, ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys, construction layout, mortgage inspections, FEMA flood zone elevation certificates, expert witness testimony, and additional surveying services for public and private sector clients.
• Permitting Preparation of plans and documents for public presentations to boards and commissions, navigating local, state, and federal permitting processes including Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, DEP, and Army Corps of Engineers.
• Sustainable Design Sustainable design strategies including LEED certification, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero communities, Passive House construction, greenhouse gas reduction, and water quality improvement.
• Green Infrastructure and Design Stormwater management, bioretention basins, rain gardens, green roofs and walls, agrivoltaic systems, rainwater harvesting, carbon sequestration planting, and environmental engineering solutions.
• Master Planning Comprehensive planning services for campuses, fairgrounds, schools, and large-scale developments including stakeholder engagement, site analysis, and phased development strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• First Certified Living Building Challenge in the United States
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kuhn Riddle ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaborative partnership on multiple projects including Village Hill redevelopment (Northampton State Hospital), 79 South Pleasant Street at Amherst College, North Amherst Public Library addition, Smith College Boathouse Ramp, Parsons Village affordable housing, and various residential projects. BDG provides landscape architecture and civil engineering services as part of design team.
• Dietz & Company ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Parsons Village - 38-unit affordable housing project in Easthampton, MA, the first net zero energy large scale state funded affordable housing project. Also collaborated on Village Hill redevelopment.
• Bruner/Cott ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Hampshire College R.W. Kern Center (Living Building Challenge net zero water project), Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Lyceum at Amherst College, and River Mills Assisted Living (adaptive reuse of former mill).
• Miller Pollin ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Crotty Hall at University of Massachusetts - a 16,800 SF Net Zero building with geothermal wells, rooftop photovoltaics, and energy efficient siding designed by Sigrid Pollin.
• Mass DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on first Net Zero Neighborhood in Northampton, Massachusetts. Also involved in Lyman Terrace renovation ($18M tax bond funding) and Phase 2 affordable housing development.
• City of SpringfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on South End Community Center project - $9.5M dedicated from $40M+ disaster aid package following 2011 tornado. BDG provided site design, land survey, design development, construction documentation, and construction observation.
• Holyoke Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Lyman Terrace renovation - 164-unit affordable housing project in downtown Holyoke, involving civil engineering, stormwater management, and site accessibility improvements.
• The Community Builders (TCB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Lyman Terrace renovation project alongside Holyoke Housing Authority, City of Holyoke, Mass Housing Partnership, and Mass DHCD.
• The BSP GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership from 2008-2010 to develop comprehensive Master Plan for Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton, addressing traffic circulation, stormwater management, and floodplain limitations.
• Amenta Emma ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Berkshire Community College Entrance Courtyard transformation - addressing 12-foot elevation change, accessibility to four major campus buildings, and drainage issues.
• Pittsfield Park CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Pontoosuc Lake Park redevelopment - led robust public engagement process resulting in master plan for improving accessibility, visitor safety, and environmental resilience.
• Valley CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Parsons Village (38-unit net zero affordable housing) and East Gables Apartments (passive house affordable building in Amherst).
• Austin Design IncmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Evergreen Circle (32-unit affordable housing in Erving) and Sanderson Place Senior Housing (33-unit affordable senior housing in Sunderland).
• Architecture Environmental Life, IncmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Amethyst Brook Apartments (34-unit affordable housing in Pelham, including Passive House certified 28-unit building) and Lyman Terrace renovation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• OLIN: Integrated landscape architecture, urban design, and planning practice with celebrated work on campuses, parks, and cultural landscapes. Comparable in pursuit of signature sustainability-focused projects and high-end institutional clients.
• VHB: New England-based engineering, planning, and design firm offering civil engineering, landscape architecture, environmental, and surveying services. Direct overlap in integrated site/civil/survey practice and shared regional footprint in Massachusetts institutional and municipal markets.
• Halvorson Design Partnership: Landscape architecture firm with strong urban design and campus planning practice in the Northeast. Comparable in targeting institutional clients and integrating sustainable design into site planning and streetscape work.
• Sasaki Associates: Integrated design practice combining landscape architecture, planning, civil engineering, and urban design with a strong portfolio of campus, master planning, and sustainability projects. Highly comparable as a multidisciplinary East-Coast firm competing for similar college, municipal, and developer clients.
• SWA Group: Landscape architecture and urban design firm recognized for award-winning campus, park, and urban projects. Comparable in design quality, sustainability credentials, and reliance on high-profile institutional and public-sector clients.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA): Distinguished landscape architecture practice with strong academic and park portfolios (Brooklyn Bridge Park, Allegheny Riverfront). Comparable in scale, reputation, and pursuit of signature public-realm and campus projects in the Northeast.
• Reed Hilderbrand: Landscape architecture firm specializing in campus master planning, cultural landscapes, and ecologically driven design for universities and cultural institutions. Highly comparable in client base (colleges, museums) and sustainability-driven design philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with significant landscape architecture, civil engineering, and surveying capabilities across large-scale campus and civic projects. Competes for the largest institutional and municipal mandates BDG also targets.
• Stantec: Global AEC firm offering landscape architecture, civil engineering, and surveying as part of a broader infrastructure and environmental services portfolio. Competes for larger institutional and municipal net-zero and sustainability projects but lacks BDG's boutique specialization.

Regional players

• Tighe & Bond: New England-based engineering and environmental consulting firm with civil/site engineering, surveying, and planning practices serving municipalities and institutions across MA, CT, and the broader Northeast. Direct overlap in regional public-sector and institutional engineering/land surveying work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Berkshire Design Group