DFLA

What DFLA does

DFLA is a privately held, founder-led landscape architecture consultancy established in 2001 by Dermot Foley and headquartered in Dublin (Blackpitts, D08 DD56). The firm offers landscape architectural services across cultural, educational, urban public-realm, sports, and masterplanning commissions for public sector bodies, private developers, and educational institutions. The practice operates a specialist consultancy model, with revenue generated through project-based fees tied to bespoke commissions rather than recurring product or platform sales.

The firm's portfolio is anchored by long-term collaboration with Grafton Architects on flagship projects including the University of Limerick, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Athletes' Village, and Trinity College Dublin, with additional work in the UK and Ireland. DFLA has published two monographs (2011 and 2022) documenting its body of work and has been recognised through the Landezine awards, the Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize (finalist), the Irish Landscape Institute awards, and the Trinity Portal ICE Award (2026). Geographic reach spans Ireland, the UK (London), and Peru, supported by a small Dublin-based studio and project-based resourcing.

DFLA has no disclosed funding, no venture or private equity investment, and no headcount disclosure. The business is positioned as a high-reputation, design-led boutique competing on award-grade cultural and public commissions rather than on scale or technology differentiation. Revenue mechanics are fee-for-service on bespoke projects, with international visibility maintained through publications and awards rather than commercial expansion.

Name

DFLA

Legal name

DFLA (Dermot Foley Landscape Architects)

Website

https://dfla.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DFLA is a Dublin-based landscape architecture consultancy founded in 2001 by Dermot Foley, delivering bespoke landscape design for cultural, educational, and public-realm projects across Ireland, the UK, and Peru. The firm serves public sector bodies, private developers, and educational institutions on award-grade commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Urban public realm design
• Park design
• Heritage landscape conservation
• Institutional landscape planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services including design, documentation, and project management for public realm, parks, educational institutions, residential developments, and private gardens.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DFLA is a Dublin-based landscape architecture consultancy that delivers professional design, documentation, and project management services for public parks, urban public realm, institutional campuses, heritage sites, private gardens, and master-planned developments. The firm operates as lead consultant coordinating specialist teams (ecologists, arborists, engineers, architects, environmental consultants, quantity surveyors) or as a sub-consultant on external design teams, with projects primarily in Ireland and select international locations including London and Lima.

Product overview

DFLA (Dermot Foley Landscape Architects) is a landscape architecture firm established in 2001, offering professional landscape architecture services rather than a software product platform. The firm provides design and documentation services for public parks, urban public realm spaces, institutional landscapes, private gardens, heritage sites, and sports/recreation facilities throughout Ireland and internationally. DFLA operates as a service-based practice delivering completed landscape architecture projects across categories including public parks (Bridgefoot Street Park, Airlie Park, Diamond Park), urban design (Tallaght Public Realm, Wolfe Tone Park), institutional landscapes (Kingston University, LSE, Trinity Portal, Cork County Library), heritage landscapes (St Audoen's Park, Brackenstown, Clondalkin Round Tower), private residential gardens (Kincora Road Garden, Howth Road House, Riverside Courtyard), and specialty designs (Peace Garden, Sculpture Park, Deaf Village Ireland). The firm also publishes monographs documenting their work and has won numerous international awards including Landezine (2023, 2024) and Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize Finalist (2025).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landsscape Architecture Design Services
• Public Park and Urban Realm Design
• Institutional and Educational Landscape Design
• Heritage and Conservation Landscape Design
• Private Residential Garden Design
• Master Planning and New Town Landscape

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grafton ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Grafton Architects on multiple award-winning projects including Kingston University (2013, 2021), London School of Economics (2016), and UTEC Building Lima (2012).
• A2 ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Tullamore Arts Centre landscape design project (2011 winner).
• Grimshaw ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on The Curragh Racecourse project (2020 Civic Trust Awards Finalist).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• OLIN: International landscape architecture and urban design studio with award-winning public realm and institutional work. Comparable as a peer in design philosophy and award recognition but larger in scale.
• SWA Group: Internationally established landscape architecture and urban design firm with global reach and a broad public-realm portfolio. Larger and broader than DFLA but directly comparable in core service offering and project typology.
• Sasaki Associates: International design practice spanning landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture with strong public-sector and institutional clients. Overlaps directly with DFLA's landscape and masterplanning work but operates at significantly greater scale.
• BDP (Building Design Partnership): Large multi-disciplinary design practice with embedded landscape architecture capability serving public, institutional, and commercial clients across the UK and Ireland. Direct competitor in lead-consultant public-realm mandates but at significantly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Grant Associates: Bath-based landscape architecture practice known for award-winning public parks and international projects. Comparable in size, design-led philosophy, and award recognition profile.
• LDA Design: UK-based landscape, urban design, and masterplanning consultancy with extensive public-realm, parks, and new-town project experience. Comparable in mission, public-sector client mix, and integrated multi-disciplinary delivery.
• Gillespies: London-based landscape architecture and urban design firm with a multi-disciplinary studio structure and strong public-sector and institutional project portfolio across the UK and internationally. Highly comparable in service offering and client base.
• Gross Max: Edinburgh- and London-based landscape architecture practice with comparable boutique scale and a strong public-realm and European institutional portfolio. Closely comparable in typology mix, lead-consultant delivery model, and award-led positioning.
• West 8: Rotterdam-based landscape architecture and urban design practice with a strong European public-realm portfolio and international award record. Comparable in design philosophy, award profile, and public-sector project typology.
• HTA Design: UK multi-disciplinary practice with significant landscape architecture capability serving public, residential, and institutional clients. Comparable in typology breadth and lead-consultant model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dermot-foley-landscape-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/dfla_landscapearchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 DFLA