NAK
NAK Design Strategies is a Toronto-based landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 1987, serving Canadian municipalities, private developers, and institutional clients from offices in Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa, with additional projects in the USA, China, and France.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NAK does
NAK Design Strategies is a privately held Canadian landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 1987 and headquartered in Toronto, with regional offices in Calgary and Ottawa. The firm delivers two core service lines - Landscape Architecture (parks, recreational facilities, sports venues, playgrounds, green roofs, waterfronts, and civic spaces from conceptual design through construction administration) and Urban Design (community visioning, master planning, urban design guidelines, streetscape studies, public engagement, design charettes, 3D visualization, and development plan review) - to government and municipal clients, private developers, and institutional customers across Canada, the United States, and select international markets including China and France.
The firm operates as a project-based professional services consultancy, engaging clients through competitive RFP processes and long-term relationship-driven work. Its technology stack centers on in-house 3D modeling and visualization capabilities used for design testing, stakeholder presentations, and public engagement rather than proprietary software products. Notable project credentials include the LEED Platinum Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Provincial Office, the LEED Gold Pan Am Athletes' Village / Canary District, the Lakeview Village waterfront redevelopment, the 72 km² Jiangyin Green Corridor master plan in China, and the Gardiner Museum expansion. The firm has accumulated dozens of industry awards including Governor General's Medals in Architecture, RIBA International Awards, and Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence.
The firm is led by Founding Principal Silvano Tardella and Principal Robert Ng, supported by a bench of Regional and Senior Directors (Jack Vanstone in Calgary, Jennifer Hemmings in Ottawa, plus Tom Prokai, John Richard, and Paul Di Profio in Toronto) and senior associates/associates. NAK is structured as an independent, founder-controlled professional services firm with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership. Its customer base is diversified across municipal governments (City of Brampton, City of Toronto, City of Grande Prairie, Town of Caledon, Infrastructure Ontario), private developers (Daniels Corporation, Mattamy Homes), and institutions (University of Toronto, Seneca College, Michael Garron Hospital), with marketing conducted primarily through portfolio reputation, industry awards, and LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram presence rather than active digital demand generation.
NAK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NAK
- Legal name
- NAK Design Strategies Inc.
- Website
- https://nakdesignstrategies.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- NAK Design Strategies is a Toronto-based landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 1987, serving Canadian municipalities, private developers, and institutional clients from offices in Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa, with additional projects in the USA, China, and France.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NAK industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where NAK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
NAK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services including design, planning, and implementation for parks, public spaces, streetscapes, and community developments.
- Urban Design Consulting: Urban design services including master planning, visioning, design guidelines, streetscape studies, and development plan review for private and public sector clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
NAK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NAK Design Strategies is a professional landscape architecture and urban design consultancy providing design, planning, and implementation services for parks, public spaces, streetscapes, civic infrastructure, residential communities, and mixed-use developments. The firm delivers end-to-end services from community visioning and conceptual design through construction documentation and administration for public and private sector clients across North America and internationally.
Product overview
NAK Design Strategies is a landscape architecture and urban design firm offering two core service lines: Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. Founded in 1987, the firm operates across Canada (Alberta, Ontario) and internationally (USA, China, France). The Landscape Architecture service encompasses parks, recreational facilities, sports venues, playgrounds, green roofs, waterfronts, and civic spaces from conceptual design through construction administration. The Urban Design service provides community visioning, development planning, streetscape studies, public engagement, 3D visualization, and design review support. The firm's portfolio includes notable projects such as One Cole Sky Park Gardens (LEED-certified rooftop park), Millennium Park (34-hectare sports facility), Lakeview Village (smart city waterfront community), and the Pan Am Athletes' Village / Canary District (LEED Gold mixed-use development). NAK has received numerous design awards including Governor General's Medals, RIBA International Awards, and multiple BILD and Urban Design awards for projects incorporating sustainable practices such as LEED certification, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and low-impact development strategies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple LEED-certified projects including LEED Platinum (Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario) and LEED Gold (Pan Am Athletes' Village)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NAK
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
NAK technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
NAK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and regular.
- Ellis DoncoreNAK was selected through the pursuit process as part of the Ellis Don Team for Rutherford GO Station upgrades. Project includes new parking structure, station building redesign, rail platform upgrades, and grade separation work.
- Public Art ManagementcoreArt consultants for the Memorial to the Victims of Communism national competition, working with NAK as lead consultant and project manager on the design team.
- Vong Phaophanit and Claire OboussiercoreArtists collaborating on the Memorial to the Victims of Communism competition design team with NAK as lead consultant.
- KPMB ArchitectsregularArchitectural collaboration on multiple projects including Gardiner Museum expansion and Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario provincial office.
- Teeple ArchitectsregularCollaboration on 60 Richmond Street Housing Co-operative, an innovative model of co-operative housing combining residential units with training kitchen and garden.
- Kallmann McKinnel & Wood ArchitectsregularArchitectural collaboration on Reading House Gardens project in Reading, Pennsylvania.
- RDH ArchitectsregularCollaboration on Waterdown Library landscape design project.
- City of TorontocoreCollaboration with City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto on One Yonge development project at south end of Toronto's main street.
- Waterfront TorontocoreJoint collaboration on One Yonge development transforming the south end waterfront area.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NAK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OLIN: US-based landscape architecture and urban design studio with similar award-winning portfolio of public realm, parks, and master plans. Comparable in scale and project ambition to NAK's landmark work.
- James Corner Field Operations: Internationally recognized landscape architecture and urban design studio known for High Line and waterfront projects. Comparable to NAK on award-driven, large-scale public realm commissions.
- DTAH (Dillon, Turner, Adamson, Hardy): Canadian urban design, landscape architecture, and planning consultancy with comparable public sector and developer portfolio across Ontario. Direct competitor on streetscape, public realm, and master planning work.
- PFS Studio: Canadian landscape architecture and urban design firm with comparable municipal and developer client base across Ontario and Western Canada. Directly competes with NAK on public realm, parks, and streetscape commissions.
- The Planning Partnership: Toronto-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with overlapping expertise in community visioning, master planning, and TOD projects. Competes with NAK on large Greater Toronto Area civic and developer mandates.
- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates: US landscape architecture firm with comparable expertise in parks, waterfronts, and urban design. Similar profile in delivering landmark civic commissions and university campus work.
- W Architecture & Landscape Architecture: US-based landscape architecture and urban design firm with similar focus on public realm, residential communities, and civic projects. Comparable scale and client profile to NAK.
- Quinn Design Associates: Canadian landscape architecture practice serving municipal and developer clients in Ontario. Competes with NAK on park and community design commissions.
Broad incumbents
- Sasaki Associates: International design practice spanning landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture. Larger and more diversified than NAK but directly comparable on master planning and campus/public realm commissions.
- SWA Group: Large US landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm. Comparable to NAK on waterfront, park, and master planning mandates but with significantly broader geographic reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NAK social profiles
Digital presenceNAK compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
NAK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NAK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NAK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NAK 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 NAK
What does NAK do?
NAK Design Strategies is a professional landscape architecture and urban design consultancy providing design, planning, and implementation services for parks, public spaces, streetscapes, civic infrastructure, residential communities, and mixed-use developments. The firm delivers end-to-end services from community visioning and conceptual design through construction documentation and administration for public and private sector clients across North America and internationally.
Is NAK a public or private company?
NAK is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was NAK founded?
NAK was founded in 1987. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NAK based?
NAK is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does NAK make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Landscape Architecture Services are the primary driver. The others are urban Design Consulting.
Who are NAK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OLIN, James Corner Field Operations, DTAH (Dillon, Turner, Adamson, Hardy), PFS Studio, The Planning Partnership, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, W Architecture & Landscape Architecture and Quinn Design Associates. Broad incumbents are Sasaki Associates and SWA Group.
Does NAK have an API?
No public API is recorded for NAK.
What industry is NAK in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning. Its NAICS code is 541320 and its SIC code is 8700.