SWA/Balsley
SWA/Balsley is a New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm serving government, real estate developers, institutions, and corporate clients. Founded in 2016 as successor to Thomas Balsley Associates, it delivers parks, waterfronts, plazas, and master-plan design services through an employee-owned studio affiliated with SWA Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SWA/Balsley does
SWA/Balsley is a New York-based landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm founded in 2016 as the successor to Thomas Balsley Associates. The firm delivers professional design services across eight practice categories: Parks, Waterfront Parks, Plazas, Urban Design and Planning, Institutional, Commercial, Residential, and Competitions. Its portfolio exceeds 100 projects in New York City alone, anchored by flagship works such as Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park, Riverside Park South, and Gantry Plaza State Park, with internationally recognized projects spanning Rotterdam, Shanghai, Moscow, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Gurugram executed through its affiliated SWA Group network.
The firm is led by Managing Principal Abdallah Labib alongside founding principal Tom Balsley and principal Steven Lee, supported by 25+ associates and staff. SWA/Balsley operates as a 100% employee-owned entity — principals hold dual roles at the allied SWA Group, which extends practice reach beyond New York State. Proprietary design methodology centers on resilient waterfront design, "landscape as infrastructure," and climate-adaptive multi-benefit design that integrates tidal marshland, green-gray shoreline techniques, and storm protection.
SWA/Balsley monetizes exclusively through project-based design fees, with pricing structured per engagement because each project varies significantly in scope. Client mix spans government/municipal agencies (NYC Parks), major real estate developers (Silverstein Properties, Brandywine Realty Trust, Edward Minskoff Equities), educational institutions (UC Davis, Stanford University), and corporate clients (Walmart). The firm employs a sales-led go-to-market motion winning work through design competitions, direct client engagement, and referrals, with marketing emphasis on portfolio presentation, earned media coverage, and industry awards rather than traditional demand generation.
SWA/Balsley firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SWA/Balsley
- Legal name
- SWA/Balsley
- Website
- https://swabalsley.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SWA/Balsley is a New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm serving government, real estate developers, institutions, and corporate clients. Founded in 2016 as successor to Thomas Balsley Associates, it delivers parks, waterfronts, plazas, and master-plan design services through an employee-owned studio affiliated with SWA Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SWA/Balsley industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Landscape Design & Installation (HSAIABAJ), Landscape Renovation & Re-Design (Yard Makeovers) (HSAIABAC)
Keywords
Where SWA/Balsley is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SWA/Balsley business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture and urban design services for public and private sector clients. Revenue generated through design fees for master planning, site design, and landscape architectural services for projects ranging from small urban plazas to large-scale waterfront parks and institutional campuses.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
SWA/Balsley product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SWA/Balsley provides professional landscape architecture and urban design services across eight practice categories: Parks, Waterfront Parks, Plazas, Urban Design and Planning, Institutional, Commercial, Residential, and Competitions. The firm delivers master planning, site design, and landscape architectural services ranging from small urban plazas to large-scale waterfront parks, institutional campuses, and corporate landscapes for government, developer, institutional, and private clients. Projects emphasize resilient, multi-benefit design that integrates climate adaptation, stormwater management, and social sustainability.
Product overview
SWA/Balsley is a landscape architecture and urban design firm that offers a comprehensive suite of design services organized into eight practice categories: Parks, Waterfront Parks, Plazas, Urban Design and Planning, Institutional, Commercial, Residential, and Competitions. The firm specializes in creating public spaces that connect people with their environment, with a focus on resilient, sustainable, and socially inclusive design. Projects range from large-scale waterfront parks (e.g., Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park, Riverside Park South) to urban plazas, institutional campuses, and mixed-use developments. The firm operates as a successor to Thomas Balsley Associates and maintains principals who are also principals of SWA Group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Parks Design Design and master planning of public parks, ranging from neighborhood green spaces to large-scale urban parks, often incorporating sustainable and resilient landscape features.
- Waterfront Parks Specialized design of parks along waterfronts, including flood-resilient infrastructure, tidal marsh elements, and public access to waterfront areas.
- Plazas Design of urban plazas and public gathering spaces that serve as focal points for communities, often integrating landscaping with infrastructure.
- Urban Design and Planning Comprehensive urban design and master planning services for districts, campuses, and large-scale developments.
- Institutional Landscape Design Landscape design for institutional facilities including universities, hospitals, museums, and civic buildings.
- Commercial Landscape Design Landscape architecture for commercial developments including corporate campuses, hotels, retail environments, and mixed-use properties.
- Residential Landscape Design Design of outdoor spaces for residential developments ranging from private estates to large multi-family residential complexes.
- Design Competitions Participation in design competitions for public space projects, often winning awards for innovative landscape solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park successfully weathered Hurricane Sandy, demonstrating resilient design
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SWA/Balsley
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SWA/Balsley technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SWA/Balsley partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ParkerRodriguezcoreSWA/Balsley and ParkerRodriguez collaborated to transform a hazardous Washington D.C. intersection into Mamie "Peanut" Johnson Plaza - a new public space honoring the first female pitcher in the Negro Leagues. The project demonstrates how transportation infrastructure can support social sustainability.
- Weiss/ManfredicoreArchitectural collaboration on Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park, SWA/Balsley's award-winning flagship waterfront project. The collaboration blends landscape and architecture for a landmark project that has won multiple awards including ULI Americas Award of Excellence.
- SWA GroupcoreSWA/Balsley principals are also principals of SWA Group, an allied design firm that is 100 percent employee-owned and operates as a network of studios. SWA Group provides professional services outside the state of New York.
- ODAcoreSWA/Balsley collaborated with ODA, Silverstein Properties, Bedrock LLC, and Kaufman Astoria Studios on Innovation QNS - the largest rezoning in Queens history. ODA led architectural design while SWA/Balsley provided landscape architecture.
- Silverstein PropertiescoreClient for Innovation QNS project - a transformative mixed-use development in Astoria, Queens spanning 110,500 SF of public open space.
- Kaufman Astoria StudiosminorCollaboration partner in Innovation QNS project, bringing media/creative industry perspective to the mixed-use development.
- Coleman & AssociatescoreAustin-based landscape architecture firm collaborated with SWA/Balsley on Uptown ATX public realm design. Supported the 66-acre mixed-use development with local market expertise.
- Brandywine Realty TrustcoreClient for Uptown ATX - 66-acre transit-oriented mixed-use neighborhood in Austin, Texas with 3.2 million square feet of workspace, 2.9 million square feet of multi-family units, and 11 acres of public open space.
- 5+designminorCollaboration on Paveletskaya Plaza in Moscow - won international competition and fuses retail and park experiences.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SWA/Balsley competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sasaki Associates: Boston-based planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and architecture firm. Competes for large-scale master plans, campus design, and waterfront commissions, with a broader multidisciplinary offering.
- SWA Group: Allied 100% employee-owned design firm whose principals overlap entirely with SWA/Balsley; provides the same landscape architecture and urban design services outside New York State. Direct sister firm sharing brand, talent, and principal bench.
- OLIN: Philadelphia-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm. Competes directly on parks, plazas, institutional campuses, and waterfront projects at a similar boutique scale to SWA/Balsley.
- James Corner Field Operations: New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm known for High Line and large-scale public realm projects. Direct competitor for waterfront parks, plazas, and master plans with comparable client base in NYC and beyond.
- PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley, CA-based firm known for innovative public space and waterfront design. Comparable boutique scale with similar focus on civic and cultural landscape commissions.
- Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects: Charlottesville, VA-based firm with strong portfolio in civic landscapes, parks, and conservation-driven master plans. Direct peer on large-scale landscape architecture commissions.
- Hargreaves Associates: San Francisco-based landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with strong waterfront and park portfolio (e.g., Mission Bay, Louisville Waterfront Park). Direct competitor for similar public realm commissions.
- Reed Hilderbrand: Cambridge, MA-based landscape architecture firm with strong campus and public realm portfolio. Comparable in scale and project types, frequently competes for university and institutional landscape commissions.
- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA): Brooklyn-based landscape architecture firm recognized for Brooklyn Bridge Park and major urban park projects. Direct competitor for marquee public park commissions and waterfront work in the same East Coast market.
Broad incumbents
- Snøhetta: Global architecture, landscape architecture, and design firm with deep waterfront and public realm portfolio (e.g., SFMOMA expansion, Norwegian National Opera). Larger and broader than SWA/Balsley, but competes for the same high-profile public commissions and shares resilient-design positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SWA/Balsley social profiles
Digital presenceSWA/Balsley financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SWA/Balsley leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
SWA/Balsley funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SWA/Balsley 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 SWA/Balsley
What does SWA/Balsley do?
SWA/Balsley provides professional landscape architecture and urban design services across eight practice categories: Parks, Waterfront Parks, Plazas, Urban Design and Planning, Institutional, Commercial, Residential, and Competitions. The firm delivers master planning, site design, and landscape architectural services ranging from small urban plazas to large-scale waterfront parks, institutional campuses, and corporate landscapes for government, developer, institutional, and private clients. Projects emphasize resilient, multi-benefit design that integrates climate adaptation, stormwater management, and social sustainability.
Is SWA/Balsley a public or private company?
SWA/Balsley is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was SWA/Balsley founded?
SWA/Balsley was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SWA/Balsley based?
SWA/Balsley is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does SWA/Balsley make money?
One revenue line is on record: landscape Architecture Services.
Who are SWA/Balsley's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sasaki Associates, SWA Group, OLIN, James Corner Field Operations, PWP Landscape Architecture, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, Hargreaves Associates, Reed Hilderbrand and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA). Snøhetta is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SWA/Balsley have an API?
No public API is recorded for SWA/Balsley.
What industry is SWA/Balsley in?
SWA/Balsley's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design, with a secondary code of HSAIABAJ, Commercial Landscape Design & Installation. Its NAICS code is 54132 and its SIC code is 8742.