POLA

What POLA does

POLA Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered landscape architecture practice founded in 2009 by Jörg Michel, the sole shareholder. The firm provides landscape, garden, and urban-space design services with a particular emphasis on public-sector commissions, and operates a secondary studio in Hamburg. Its team of approximately 24 staff combines landscape architecture, architecture, civil engineering, communications, and humanities disciplines, and it works alongside recurring collaborators Schulz und Schulz, Stadt Land Fluss, and &MICA on multidisciplinary tenders.

The business model is competition-driven: POLA positions itself as a Wettbewerbsbüro, winning work through architectural competitions and public-sector procurement rather than commercial sales. Clients are predominantly German municipal authorities, public foundations, and research institutions, with occasional international briefs such as the City Balcony Hangzhou project in China. Project budgets range from approximately €0.32M to €17M, indicating the firm operates across small-scale urban interventions and large master-planning commissions, with revenue derived from HOAI-regulated design fees tied to construction cost. The firm is privately held, with no external investors and no disclosed funding events.

POLA has built a recognisable brand around its "poetic landscapes" positioning, supported by a self-published "Portraits" monograph series, the "Poetische Landschaften" exhibition at Architektur Galerie Berlin in October–December 2025, and recognition including the German Natural Stone Award 2026 and multiple 2026 nominations. No AI/ML capabilities, digital-product lines, or technology-platform assets are associated with the firm.

Name

POLA

Legal name

POLA Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH

Website

https://pola-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

POLA Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH is a Berlin- and Hamburg-based landscape architecture practice that designs public landscapes, gardens, and urban spaces for German municipalities, foundations, and research institutions through competition-led tenders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Public space design
• Urban planning
• Garden architecture
• Master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional services revenue from landscape architecture planning and construction management services, including design competitions, master planning, and full-service project delivery from conception through construction supervision. Revenue generated through competitive tendering and direct commissions from public and private clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

POLA is a landscape and garden architecture firm that delivers professional design services for public outdoor spaces, including parks, plazas, gardens, campuses, cemeteries, and waterfronts. The firm operates across the full project lifecycle from concept and master planning through construction supervision (planning phases 1-9), winning projects primarily through design competitions and direct commissions from public sector clients.

Product overview

POLA Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH is a landscape architecture firm founded in 2009 with offices in Berlin and Hamburg, operating internationally. The firm creates 'poetic landscapes' — spaces that evoke emotions and invite different perspectives. Their service portfolio spans the full project lifecycle (planning phases 1-9, including design and construction management) across public spaces including parks, gardens, city squares, school campuses, courtyards, and waterfront areas. Projects range from small urban plazas to large-scale landscape transformations, with completed works in Germany and internationally (China). The firm also produces publications documenting their work and curates exhibitions on landscape architecture themes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple award wins including German Natural Stone Award 2026, nominations for Berlin-Brandenburg and North German Landscape Architecture Awards 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Schulz und Schulz ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborative partnership for Fraunhofer Institute Building competition in Bonn. POLA provided landscape architecture services while Schulz und Schulz provided architectural design. Project received 3rd prize.
• Stadt Land Fluss StädtebauminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration for Rhede town centre transformation project. Joint second prize in competition. POLA handled landscape architecture while Stadt Land Fluss handled urban planning aspects.
• &MICAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-development partner for Kreativ Quartier project in Potsdam (4,878 m², €1.84M). &MICA collaborated on planning and construction management.
• Atelier Sunder-PlassmannminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Architectural partner for Zentraler Ankunftsbereich Rüdesheim project. POLA won 1st prize for landscape design, Atelier Sunder-Plassmann provided architectural design.
• Winking Froh Architekten + GILDEHAUS LANKENAUminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Architecture partners for Europaplatz Heidelberg project. POLA provided landscape architecture (1st prize, €4M).
• Obermeyer Planen und Beraten GmbH, MOD (Shanghai), ECADI (Shanghai)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004International partnership for City Balcony Hangzhou project (5.5 ha, €17M). POLA won 1st prize in 2004 competition with international team.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hager Partner: Swiss-German landscape architecture firm with a larger international footprint and broader portfolio of public urban and infrastructure projects. Acts as a larger incumbent competitor for premium commissions.
• OKRA landschapsarchitecten: Dutch landscape architecture firm with comparable competition-driven approach and similar public-sector design portfolio, operating at a larger international scale across Europe.

Direct peers

• Topotek 1: Berlin-based landscape architecture firm of comparable size with a strong competition-driven portfolio and signature modern-aesthetic style. Operates in the same German municipal landscape architecture market as POLA, frequently competing for the same public projects.
• ST raum a. Wiesbaden-based landscape architecture practice with a profile of public urban space projects and competition-led project acquisition. Directly comparable in size and target market.
• Planergruppe Prof. Laage: German landscape architecture firm with a comparable mix of public-sector urban design, park, and campus projects. Direct competitor in the same competition-driven German market.
• Club L 94: Cologne-based landscape architecture office with a strong competition record and comparable public-sector client base. Directly comparable in size, GTM (competition-led), and project types.
• bbz Landschaftsarchitekten: Berlin-based landscape architecture office with a similar focus on public space, urban design, and competition entries. Direct competitor for the same German municipal and Berlin-Brandenburg commissions.
• Winking Noah Landschaftsarchitekten: Hamburg-based landscape architecture firm that competes directly with POLA for Hamburg-area public-sector projects (e.g., Hamburg BUKEA commissions). Overlapping geographic footprint increases direct competition.
• ASP Landschaftsarchitekten: German landscape architecture office active in public urban space and park design. Competes with POLA in the same German municipal competition landscape.
• Rainer Schmidt Landschaftsarchitekten: Munich-based landscape architecture firm with comparable profile of public competition wins and large-scale urban landscape projects. Competes with POLA for high-profile German municipal commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/POLA_LANDSCAPE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pola-landschaftsarchitekten-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 POLA