NAK

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.

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

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

• Landscape architecture services
• Urban design consulting
• Master planning services
• Public realm design
• Site planning design

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services including design, planning, and implementation for parks, public spaces, streetscapes, and community developments.
2. 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

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and regular.

• Ellis DoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018NAK 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 ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Art 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 OboussiercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Artists collaborating on the Memorial to the Victims of Communism competition design team with NAK as lead consultant.
• KPMB ArchitectsregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural collaboration on multiple projects including Gardiner Museum expansion and Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario provincial office.
• Teeple ArchitectsregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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 ArchitectsregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural collaboration on Reading House Gardens project in Reading, Pennsylvania.
• RDH ArchitectsregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Waterdown Library landscape design project.
• City of TorontocoreOthersCollaboration with City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto on One Yonge development project at south end of Toronto's main street.
• Waterfront TorontocoreOthersJoint collaboration on One Yonge development transforming the south end waterfront area.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/NakDesignStrategies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nak-stla-design-strategies
• Instagraminstagram.com/nakdesign
• Xx.com/nak_design

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 NAK