REALM Collaborative
Columbus, Ohio-based collaborative design practice founded in 2017 that provides landscape architecture, urban design, and public realm planning services to higher education, healthcare, government, and corporate clients across the Midwest and select U.S. markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What REALM Collaborative does
REALM Collaborative is a Columbus, Ohio-based collaborative design practice founded in 2017 by Brian Bernstein, Nick Gilliland, and Carmine Russo Jr., specializing in landscape architecture, urban design, and public realm planning. The firm operates a structured six-service-module framework (Visioning, Expansion, Placemaking, Enhancement, Redevelopment, Creation) that packages stakeholder workshop facilitation, visioning studies, master planning, and construction administration into a single practice, distinguishing it from traditional landscape architecture studios by foregrounding the consensus-building process. REALM serves institutional, governmental, and corporate clients including The Ohio State University, UC Health, TriHealth, the City of Columbus, State Auto Insurance, Swagelok, Great Lakes Cheese, Kaufman Development, and the Columbus Metropolitan Library, among 25+ named engagements spanning higher education, healthcare, municipal government, manufacturing, hospitality, and real estate development.
The firm is a privately held professional services studio with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors, and ownership and control are retained by the three co-founders. Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-based professional services fees, with no public pricing or contract value disclosure; project scales range from small 0.2-acre site designs to master plans exceeding 850 acres. The team comprises approximately 11 members (3 co-founders, 7 designers, and 2 co-op students from Ohio State's Knowlton School), with a third of the roster at designer or emerging professional level, indicating a young, growing practice that depends heavily on co-founder relationships and a deep teaming network with architecture, engineering, and construction partners (NBBJ, Cannon, BHDP, GBBN, WSA Studio, Schooley Caldwell, PlanningNext, West 8, Langan, Corna Kokasing) for project flow. The firm's marketing is portfolio-driven and award-driven (three OCASLA recognitions between 2021 and 2024), and it operates a regional Midwest footprint with select engagements in Georgia, Wisconsin, and New York.
REALM Collaborative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- REALM Collaborative
- Legal name
- REALM Collaborative
- Website
- https://realmcollaborative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Columbus, Ohio-based collaborative design practice founded in 2017 that provides landscape architecture, urban design, and public realm planning services to higher education, healthcare, government, and corporate clients across the Midwest and select U.S. markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
REALM Collaborative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting (HSAIABAK)
Keywords
Where REALM Collaborative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
REALM Collaborative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Design Services - Professional Services: REALM Collaborative generates revenue through professional landscape architecture, urban design, and public realm planning services. Projects range from visioning and conceptual studies through design development and construction administration, serving institutional, commercial, and government clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
REALM Collaborative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
REALM Collaborative is a Columbus, Ohio-based collaborative design practice that delivers landscape architecture, urban design, and public realm planning services. The firm guides clients through a proprietary six-model collaborative framework (Visioning, Expansion, Placemaking, Enhancement, Redevelopment, Creation) covering everything from stakeholder workshop facilitation and vision studies through design development and construction administration. It serves institutional, healthcare, governmental, corporate, and real estate development clients on projects ranging from small site designs to 850+-acre master plans.
Product overview
REALM Collaborative is a collaborative design practice offering a unified portfolio of six service models for shaping public spaces. Their core offering combines urban design, landscape architecture, and community engagement services, delivered through integrated service modules: Visioning (stakeholder workshop facilitation), Expansion (project phase advancement), Placemaking (people-first public space design), Enhancement (space updates and reimagining), Redevelopment (district/neighborhood transformation), and Creation (ground-up environment building). The firm serves clients across healthcare, higher education, corporate, hospitality, and municipal sectors throughout Ohio and the broader Midwest region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Space Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Victory Garden project received OCASLA Honor Award in 2021
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use REALM Collaborative
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
REALM Collaborative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
REALM Collaborative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
37 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Braun & StidelminorArchitecture firm collaborating on Canopy Hotel by Hilton project in Columbus, Ohio. REALM served as Landscape Architect on the project.
- Krause + SawyerminorInterior design firm working alongside REALM on Canopy Hotel project. Provided interior design services while REALM handled landscape architecture.
- EP FerrisminorCivil engineering firm serving as engineer on Canopy Hotel and other REALM projects. Contributes technical civil engineering expertise.
- PlanningNextcoreKey strategic partner on multiple projects including UD Fairgrounds and Columbus area planning studies. Collaborative planning partnership on comprehensive public realm and master planning initiatives.
- WSA StudiocoreArchitecture firm serving as project lead and architect on multiple projects including Grandview Heights Public Library and State Auto Insurance Campus. Ongoing collaborative relationship.
- EMH&TminorEngineering firm collaborating on OSU West Campus Infrastructure project. Provided civil engineering services for the 14-acre master planning effort.
- onMaincoreClient for UD Fairgrounds project in Dayton, Ohio. REALM provided urban design services for the reimagined Dayton Fairgrounds site master plan centered on historic Roundhouse.
- Sands DeckerminorCivil engineering firm on Grandview Heights Public Library project. Provided civil engineering services alongside REALM's landscape architecture.
- McBride Dale ClarionminorZoning and land use consultants on Grandview Heights Business District Planning Study. Provided regulatory and land use expertise.
- Ninigret PartnersminorEconomic consultants contributing to Grandview Heights Business District Planning Study. Provided economic analysis and consulting.
- EMIminorGeneral contractor on Brewdog USA Headquarters project. REALM designed grounds surrounding taproom, restaurant, and hotel.
- CannoncoreArchitecture firm collaborating on multiple UC Health projects including Healing Garden and Emergency Department. Ongoing partnership on healthcare facility design.
- NBBJcoreDesign architect on Spring Street Apartments and Gravity Project 2.0. Long-standing collaborative relationship on major mixed-use developments.
- Schooley CaldwellcoreArchitect of Record on Spring Street Apartments and CAPA Ambry Music Hall projects. Key partner on Columbus urban projects.
- EUAminorArchitecture firm on Hilldale Phase 3 project in Madison, Wisconsin. Provided architectural services for mixed-use neighborhood development.
- HacinminorArchitecture firm collaborating on Hilldale Phase 3 development. Part of team transforming shopping center into mixed-use neighborhood hub.
- West 8coreLandscape architect on Olentangy River Corridor Study with OSU. Prestigious international landscape architecture firm contributing to major regional planning initiative.
- Mode ArchitectsminorArchitecture firm on Daily Growler project. Collaborated on exterior space design honoring German Village historic fabric.
- ULI ColumbuscoreUrban Land Institute Columbus chapter leading RAPID 5 initiative to create cohesive plan for city's riparian corridors. REALM assigned to Big Darby corridor vision.
- MORPCcoreMid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission partnering on RAPID 5 initiative. REALM contributed to regional watershed planning vision.
- Wellogy LLCminorArchitecture firm serving as Architect of Record on Denison University Staff and Faculty Housing project. Provided architectural design services.
- Jones ArchitectureminorArchitectural design firm on Denison University project. Contributed architectural design expertise for faculty housing development.
- Kleingers GroupcoreCivil engineering firm appearing on multiple projects including UC Health ED and Denison University. Ongoing partnership on healthcare and institutional projects.
- BHDPcoreArchitecture firm serving as project lead and architect on Cedarville University School of Business Administration. Key partner on Sharnberg Business Center project.
- DanisminorConstruction manager on Cedarville University project. Provided construction management services for Lorne C. Sharnberg Business Center.
- Landscape Forms Studio 431minorFabricator of custom bench at Carmenton. REALM designed the bench as identifiable branded piece for OSU innovation plaza.
- GBBNcoreArchitecture firm on UC Medical Center Main Entry and State Auto Insurance projects. Long-standing healthcare and institutional design partnership.
- Kolar DesignminorSignage and wayfinding firm on UC Medical Center project. Provided wayfinding design services for improved patient access.
- THP LimitedminorStructural engineering firm on UC Medical Center and Healing Garden projects. Provided structural engineering services.
- Hollwich KushnercoreArchitecture firm on Gravity Project 2.0 alongside NBBJ. Contributed to Franklinton mixed-use development design.
- OZ ArchitecturecoreArchitects and interior designers on Gravity Project 2.0 and Rambler Columbus. Ongoing partnership on Columbus developments.
- Corna KokosingcoreConstruction manager on Gravity Project 2.0. Major Columbus-based construction firm executing REALM-designed public realm.
- Messer ConstructionminorGeneral contractor on Cincinnati Ballet Center for Dance project. Executing construction for new ground-up dance facility.
- SchaeferminorStructural engineering firm on Cincinnati Ballet project. Provided structural engineering for new dance center.
- Langan EngineeringcoreCivil engineering firm on Swagelok and Great Lakes Cheese campus projects. Provided comprehensive site and civil engineering for both facilities.
- Turner ConstructionminorGeneral contractor appearing on multiple projects including Canopy Hotel and CML Karl Road. Major construction partner on various projects.
- Ohio Chapter of ASLAcoreAmerican Society of Landscape Architects Ohio Chapter. Co-founders have served in leadership including Chapter President roles. Team has 13+ years of executive committee service. Provides industry influence and recognition.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
REALM Collaborative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sasaki Associates: Multi-disciplinary design firm integrating landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture. Provides comparable university master planning and civic public realm services to the same institutional and developer customer base.
- OLIN: Philadelphia-based landscape architecture and urban design studio renowned for public realm work similar in spirit to REALM (e.g., Washington Monument Grounds). Comparable scope of work on civic, institutional, and developer-led projects, with much larger national footprint.
- SWA Group: Large international landscape architecture, planning, and urban design practice with significant public realm, campus, and waterfront portfolio. Competes with REALM for institutional, government, and developer engagements at a multi-office scale.
- James Corner Field Operations: Landscape architecture and urban design firm known for high-profile public realm projects (High Line, Navy Yards). Comparable in client base (developers, cities, institutions) and overlap on larger master plans and waterfront redevelopment work.
Direct peers
- W Architecture & Landscape Architecture: NYC-based integrated architecture and landscape architecture firm. Serves similar public realm, institutional, and developer clients and is comparable in size and design-driven practice model.
- PWP Landscape Architecture: Boutique LA firm with comparable studio size, focused on urban design, campus, and public realm work for institutional and developer clients. Comparable practice model and project scale to REALM.
- LandDesign: Multi-office landscape architecture, urban design, and civil engineering firm serving institutional, mixed-use, and civic clients nationwide. Comparable in service mix (LA + urban design + master planning) and similar client verticals to REALM.
- MKSK Studios: Columbus-based landscape architecture and urban design firm with similar public realm focus, mixed-use development, and civic master planning services. Direct competitor in the same metro and Midwest territory with overlapping municipal and developer clients.
- Andropogon Associates: Ecological landscape architecture and stormwater-focused firm with comparable campus, institutional, and public realm projects. Smaller specialized practice with similar studio-scale operating model.
- Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects: Boutique LA firm with deep urban design, campus, and public realm portfolio serving similar institutional, corporate, and developer clients in the Midwest and nationally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
REALM Collaborative social profiles
Digital presenceREALM Collaborative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
REALM Collaborative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
REALM Collaborative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
REALM Collaborative 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 REALM Collaborative
What does REALM Collaborative do?
REALM Collaborative is a Columbus, Ohio-based collaborative design practice that delivers landscape architecture, urban design, and public realm planning services. The firm guides clients through a proprietary six-model collaborative framework (Visioning, Expansion, Placemaking, Enhancement, Redevelopment, Creation) covering everything from stakeholder workshop facilitation and vision studies through design development and construction administration. It serves institutional, healthcare, governmental, corporate, and real estate development clients on projects ranging from small site designs to 850+-acre master plans.
Is REALM Collaborative a public or private company?
REALM Collaborative is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was REALM Collaborative founded?
REALM Collaborative was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is REALM Collaborative based?
REALM Collaborative is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does REALM Collaborative make money?
One revenue line is on record: design Services - Professional Services.
Who are REALM Collaborative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sasaki Associates, OLIN, SWA Group and James Corner Field Operations. Direct peers are W Architecture & Landscape Architecture, PWP Landscape Architecture, LandDesign, MKSK Studios, Andropogon Associates and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects.
Does REALM Collaborative have an API?
No public API is recorded for REALM Collaborative.
What industry is REALM Collaborative in?
REALM Collaborative's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design, with a secondary code of HSAIABAK, Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting. Its NAICS code is 541320.