What Wilson Design Studio does

Wilson Design Studio (WDS) is a Sacramento, California-based landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2010. The firm delivers professional services spanning site analysis, design development, construction documentation, permitting support, and construction observation for projects ranging from small civic and fire-station sites (under one acre) to large educational campuses, parks, and multi-family residential developments (tens of acres). Its client base is split between public sector (cities, fire protection districts, parks and recreation districts, K-12 and higher education institutions) and private sector (residential developers, homebuilders, commercial property owners, hospitality, and senior living operators), with project work concentrated in Northern California including Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley, Yolo County, and El Dorado County. WDS organizes its service portfolio into six categories — LIVE (residential), WORK (commercial), PLAY (parks and recreation), GATHER (civic/community), and LEARN (education) — covering all major horizontal landscape architecture use cases.

The firm operates with a small team of approximately six design and administrative professionals, of whom three are licensed landscape architects, and is led by founder Keith Wilson (Principal Landscape Architect). The team is supported by a project manager, designers, and an office manager. WDS does not sell software or technology products; its core offering is human-centered design expertise grounded in environmental design and community-focused design principles. The firm maintains a Wix-hosted website portfolio and a YouTube channel ("Underway") showcasing current projects.

WDS generates revenue through project-based professional services fees, priced per engagement based on scope, construction cost, and complexity, and acquired primarily through direct client relationships, competitive bidding (especially for public-sector RFPs), and referrals from collaborating architecture and engineering firms. The firm reports 100+ clients across its history and pursues multi-year sustained client relationships rather than transactional engagement. WDS is privately held, bootstrapped, with no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investor involvement indicated.

Name

Wilson Design Studio

Legal name

Wilson Design Studio

Website

https://wdsla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wilson Design Studio is a Sacramento-based landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2010, serving public agencies, school districts, developers, and commercial clients across Northern California with design, permitting, and construction observation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Urban design
• Site master planning
• Construction documentation
• Park and recreation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Design Services: Professional services revenue from landscape architecture design, permitting, construction documentation, and construction observation services for public parks, civic buildings, educational facilities, and residential/commercial developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wilson Design Studio provides full-service landscape architecture and urban design services to public and private sector clients, including site analysis, design development, construction documentation, permitting, and construction observation. Projects span public parks, civic buildings, educational facilities, residential and commercial developments, and senior living communities, with services organized across residential (LIVE), commercial (WORK), parks and recreation (PLAY), civic and community (GATHER), and educational (LEARN) sectors.

Product overview

Wilson Design Studio (WDS) is a landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2010 with 6 design and administrative professionals. The firm offers design services led by three licensed and experienced landscape architects serving both public and private sector clients. The company's service portfolio is organized into six distinct project categories: LIVE (residential projects including single/multi-family, senior living, and community planning), WORK (commercial projects including mixed-use, retail, office, healthcare, restaurant, and industrial), PLAY (parks and recreation including public/private parks, sports facilities, trails, and rooftop gardens), GATHER (civic and community projects including community centers, civic buildings, plazas, streetscapes, and transit), and LEARN (educational projects including K-12, higher education, charter schools, and outdoor learning). Projects are delivered through a value-based process emphasizing Intelligence, Creativity, Thoroughness, Engagement, Drive, and Fun.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Services Full-service landscape architecture and urban design offering covering site analysis, design development, construction documentation, permitting, and construction observation for projects of all scales, serving public and private sector clients including government agencies, school districts, developers, and commercial property owners.
• Residential Landscape Design (LIVE) Landscape architecture for residential developments including master planned communities, multi-family developments, single family detached homes, market-rate and affordable housing, age-restricted facilities, and senior living communities, focused on cohesive identity, common amenities, and spaces that enhance community connection.
• Commercial Landscape Design (WORK) Landscape architecture for commercial and work environments including mixed-use developments, retail centers, office campuses, healthcare facilities, restaurants, and industrial sites, with emphasis on visual identity, pedestrian wayfinding, parking lot shade, stormwater control, and water-efficient irrigation design.
• Parks and Recreation Landscape Design (PLAY) Landscape architecture for parks and recreation including public and private parks, water amenities, sports facilities, trails, and rooftop gardens, focused on balancing public funding with maintenance costs and creating unique spaces that enhance community connection.
• Civic and Community Landscape Design (GATHER) Landscape architecture for civic and community projects including community centers, civic buildings, plazas, streetscapes, and transit facilities, balancing capital investment and long-term maintenance while enhancing public infrastructure.
• Educational Landscape Design (LEARN) Landscape architecture for K-12 schools, higher education facilities, charter schools, and outdoor learning spaces, delivering timeless design that reflects long-term investment, supports efficient construction and maintenance, and reflects environmental responsibility.

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PBK ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDS collaborated with PBK Architects for Menlo Park Fire Protection District fire station project, providing landscape architecture design and construction observation services.
• The HR Group ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDS worked with HRGA to design Hyatt House Hotel landscape, providing preliminary landscape plans for entitlements and construction documents for building permit approval.
• KTGY Architecture + PlanningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDS collaborated with KTGY for 38 Degrees North Apartments Phase 1 project in Santa Rosa to obtain entitlement approval.
• Wood Rodgers, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDS worked with Wood Rodgers on Elliott Springs Parks project - a 3-phase master planned community with 651 proposed homes.
• DVB ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as consultant and collaborator for landscape architecture projects.
• HED DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as consultant and collaborator for design projects.
• Kuchman Architects PCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as consultant and collaborator for architecture projects.
• Lowney ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as consultant and collaborator for architecture projects.
• NORRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as consultant and collaborator for architecture projects.
• Williams + Paddon Architects + Planners, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as consultant and collaborator for architecture and planning projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a substantial landscape architecture practice serving public agencies and developers across California. Overlapping capabilities for parks, civic, education, and infrastructure projects though embedded in a much broader portfolio.
• OLIN: Philadelphia-headquartered landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with national reach and a portfolio spanning parks, civic, and large-scale development. Comparable service offering though operating at materially larger scale and project size than WDS.
• SWA Group: Sausalito-headquartered landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with deep California roots and a portfolio spanning parks, civic, and large-scale master-planned communities. Directly comparable service offering to WDS, though operating at materially larger scale with national and international reach.

Direct peers

• MIG (Moore Iacofano Goltsman): Berkeley, California-based planning, design, and communications firm with a strong landscape architecture and public-sector practice. Direct competitor for California parks district, school district, and civic engagement work; comparable team size and public-agency orientation.
• PLACE Landscape Architecture: California-based landscape architecture studio focused on urban infill, mixed-use, civic, and residential projects. Similar mid-size studio profile with comparable Live/Work/Gather/Learn segment balance and developer-driven project pipeline.
• LandArc: Costa Mesa, California-based landscape architecture firm of similar mid-market size serving public agencies, developers, and institutions across the Western U.S. Closest peer in scale, geography, and segment mix — competing head-to-head for the same types of park, civic, and residential projects.
• LandDesign: Multi-office landscape architecture, civil engineering, and urban design firm with West Coast presence serving developers, institutions, and public agencies. Comparable segment mix (residential, mixed-use, civic, parks) and recurring developer-relationship model.
• RRM Design Group: California-headquartered multi-disciplinary design firm with a dedicated landscape architecture practice serving public agencies, schools, and developers statewide. Comparable segment mix (parks, civic, education, residential) and overlapping project geography.
• RHAA (Robert Hidey Architects / Related Landscape Practice): California-based landscape architecture and planning firm with overlapping focus on residential master plans, mixed-use developments, and civic projects. Comparable mid-market studio profile competing for similar Northern/Central California private developer work.
• SALT Landscape Architects: Santa Monica, California-based boutique landscape architecture firm with parallel mid-market positioning across multifamily, hospitality, civic, and parks work. Directly comparable service breadth, project scale, and Southern/Northern California client overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wilsondesignstudio9229
• Facebookfacebook.com/wdslandarch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Wilson Design Studio