Dirtworks Landscape Architecture

What Dirtworks Landscape Architecture does

Dirtworks Landscape Architecture, PC is a New York City-based professional landscape architecture firm founded in 1995 by David Kamp. The firm provides design services across eight documented typologies: therapeutic gardens, living shorelines, accessible trails, healthcare landscapes, campus landscapes, residential gardens, parks and public space, and conservation landscapes. Its client base spans institutional and governmental owners including the New York City Housing Authority, Bard College, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, the Flatiron Institute, the National Park Service, and the Department of Defense Schools in Belgium (SHAPE Campuses).

The firm operates as a project-based professional services practice with 8 documented employees. Senior leadership comprises founder David Kamp — a Harvard Loeb Fellow, MacDowell Fellow, member of the National Academy of Design, and published author via the Library of American Landscape History (2023) — and principal Alex Hart, the former Director of Design for Manhattan at NYC Parks (Cornell, Fulbright). The firm regularly collaborates with marquee architecture firms including COOKFOX, BIG, Pelli Clarke Pelli, KPF, Perkins Eastman, and Deborah Berke, often acting as the landscape subconsultant on large-scale institutional, healthcare, cultural, and mixed-use projects.

Revenue mechanics follow standard professional-services fee structures — typically a small percentage of construction value billed against project milestones — on a project-by-project engagement basis. Referenced construction budgets span from $42M (South Beach Psychiatric Center, Pepper Place) to $580M (Vassar Brothers Medical Center), implying individual project design fees in the high five to seven figures and a multi-million-dollar aggregate book across 40+ documented projects. Business development is driven principally by award-validated portfolio reputation (multiple ASLA Honor Awards at national and chapter levels) and direct institutional relationships rather than traditional marketing or pipeline sales. The firm is privately held and has not raised outside funding.

Name

Dirtworks Landscape Architecture

Legal name

Dirtworks Landscape Architecture, PC

Website

https://dirtworks.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dirtworks Landscape Architecture is a New York City-based landscape architecture firm founded in 1995 that designs therapeutic, healthcare, campus, residential, and ecological-restoration landscapes for institutional, governmental, and private clients including NYCHA, Bard College, and the National Park Service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Therapeutic garden design
• Living shoreline restoration
• Campus landscape planning
• Ecological restoration design

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Design Services: Dirtworks generates revenue through professional landscape architecture design services billed on a project basis. Services include master planning, site design, construction documentation, and construction administration for landscape projects across institutional, healthcare, government, conservation, and residential sectors. Projects range from small private residential gardens to large-scale ecological restoration and campus redesign.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dirtworks Landscape Architecture provides professional landscape architecture design services for institutional, healthcare, government, conservation, and high-end residential clients. Services span master planning, site design, construction documentation, and construction administration across eight typologies: on campus, in the wild, on the water, in the city, at home, in the park, at play, and with wellness (therapeutic gardens). Projects are delivered on a project-by-project basis for enterprise clients including universities, healthcare systems, national and state parks, and public housing authorities.

Product overview

Dirtworks Landscape Architecture is a full-service landscape architecture firm offering a unified portfolio of design services organized across eight distinct typologies: On Campus, In the Wild, On the Water, In the City, At Home, In the Park, At Play, and With Wellness. The firm provides master planning, site design, therapeutic garden design, ecological restoration, and public space design services. Projects range from private residential estates to large-scale public infrastructure, waterfront restorations, and healthcare facility landscapes. The firm does not offer modular software products but delivers comprehensive professional landscape architecture services tailored to each project context.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Services Full-service landscape architecture offerings including site planning, master planning, therapeutic garden design, waterfront restoration, urban landscapes, residential estates, and public space design across diverse typologies.
• On Campus Landscape Design Campus landscape design services for educational institutions including courtyards, walkways, outdoor learning spaces, and campus-wide master planning.
• In the Wild Landscape Design Natural landscape preservation, trail system design, nature sanctuary planning, and ecological restoration for wild and undeveloped areas.
• On the Water Landscape Design Waterfront landscape design including living shorelines, coastal restoration, dockside environments, and water-adjacent public spaces.
• In the City Landscape Design Urban landscape architecture including rooftop gardens, streetscapes, public plazas, and urban waterfront revitalization.
• At Home Landscape Design Private residential estate landscape design including gardens, outdoor living spaces, pools, and property master planning.
• In the Park Landscape Design Public park and recreational landscape design including park master planning, playground areas, and park amenities.
• At Play Landscape Design Active recreation landscape design including playgrounds, sports courts, water play areas, and community outdoor amenities.
• With Wellness Landscape Design Therapeutic and healthcare landscape design including hospital gardens, rehabilitation spaces, sensory gardens, and wellness-focused outdoor environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 240,000 native plantings installed at West Pond Living Shoreline restoration, restoring 14 acres and creating 9 acres of new habitat
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Perkins + WillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerkins + Will served as architect on the Center for Discovery project, a 350-acre specialized facility for children and adults with significant disabilities and autism. Dirtworks provided site masterplanning supporting the Center's mission of enriching individual lives through education, training, equestrian therapy, and food production. The Health Center was the first licensed medical facility in NY State to implement green building standards.
• Perkins Eastman ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerkins Eastman Architects collaborated with Dirtworks on the Briarcliff Manor continuing care retirement community project in Westchester County, NY. Dirtworks provided landscape architecture for this 59-acre senior living community with independent living, assisted housing, and skilled nursing units.
• Great EcologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Ecology partnered with Dirtworks on the Bayswater Point State Park Living Shoreline Project in Far Rockaway, NY. Great Ecology provided ecological services while Dirtworks provided design services for this 17-acre coastal park restoration involving salt marsh, intertidal flats, freshwater wetlands, and coastal maritime forest restoration.
• Rippled Waters EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRippled Waters Engineering collaborated with Dirtworks and Great Ecology on the Bayswater Point State Park Living Shoreline Project and the West Pond Living Shoreline. Rippled Waters provided engineering services for living shoreline strategies including ecoconcrete tide pools and tetrapods.
• Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy partnered with Dirtworks on the West Pond Living Shoreline project at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This multi-discipline, community-based initiative leveraged Jamaica Bay's dynamic natural systems to reestablish and protect West Pond's marsh habitat.
• NY State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York State Parks collaborated with Dirtworks on the Bayswater Point State Park Living Shoreline Project, providing regulatory oversight and project sponsorship for the 17-acre coastal park restoration in Far Rockaway, Queens.
• Perkins EastmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerkins Eastman served as architect on the Flatiron Institute project, where Dirtworks designed the rooftop terrace landscape with amphitheater seating, green roofs, and outdoor learning spaces for the Simons Foundation's research institute dedicated to mathematics, astrophysics, and biochemistry.
• Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBjarke Ingels Group served as architect on the Wildflower Film Studios project in Astoria, Queens. Dirtworks designed the waterfront public recreation area, streetscape with bioswales, and ecological restoration of a former industrial site (Steinway Piano factory) into a publicly accessible waterfront space.
• COOKFOX ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOOKFOX Architects was the architect on the 150 Charles residential project in Manhattan's West Village. Dirtworks designed over 44,960 SF of open space across multiple levels with four ecological typologies (rainforest, temperate forest, grassland, desert), achieving LEED Gold Certification. The project required a new Text Amendment to the Zoning Code.
• KPF ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPF Architects collaborated with Dirtworks on the Bard College dorm complex landscape design, creating an outdoor environment with ordered tree grids, native meadows, and a central lawn commons for the Hudson Valley campus.
• Mitchell/Giurgola ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMitchell/Giurgola Architects partnered with Dirtworks on multiple projects including the SHAPE Campuses international education campus in Mons, Belgium (100,000 sq m for US DoD Schools Europe), SUNY Stony Brook Simons Center, SUNY Fredonia Science Courtyard, and Keene State Science Center.
• DBI ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBI Projects served as developer on the Bard College dorm complex project, with Dirtworks providing landscape architecture featuring native meadow restoration, tree allees, and central lawn commons.
• MonadnockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonadnock was listed as a collaborator on the Wise Towers NYCHA public housing redesign project in New York City.
• SLM ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSLM Architecture collaborated on the Wise Towers public housing landscape redesign project with Dirtworks.
• Jablonski Building ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJablonski Building Conservation collaborated on the Wise Towers NYCHA public housing landscape redesign project.
• CallisonRTKLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCallisonRTKL served as architect on the Vassar Brothers Medical Center $580M inpatient pavilion project, with Dirtworks providing campus master planning and landscape design adjacent to the Hudson River.
• Gresham SmithminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGresham Smith collaborated with Dirtworks on the Vassar Brothers Medical Center campus landscape design.
• Chazen CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChazen Companies provided engineering and planning services alongside Dirtworks on the Vassar Brothers Medical Center campus master planning.
• New York City GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirtworks led a multi-disciplinary design team working closely with NYC legal teams, City and State agencies, and City Council representatives to resolve a 10-year boundary dispute and create Sutton Place Park — a 10,000 SF waterfront public park atop the FDR highway.
• Pelli Clarke PellicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPelli Clarke Pelli served as architect on the Bulfinch Crossing large-scale redevelopment of the Government Center Garage in Boston — a 4.8-acre, 2.9 million SF mixed-use project. Dirtworks designed the streetscape, rooftop terrace, and public spaces.
• CBT (architects)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBT architects collaborated with Dirtworks on the Bulfinch Crossing project in Boston, providing additional architectural services for the 6-building mixed-use development.
• David Baker ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Baker Architects led the Pepper Place redevelopment in Birmingham, AL. Dirtworks developed pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, rain gardens, bioswales, and green alley designs for this 350,000+ SF mixed-use district.
• Newman Design ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewman Design Architects collaborated on the Griswold Heights public housing redevelopment for the Troy Housing Authority, with Dirtworks designing communal outdoor spaces, playgrounds, and accessible modern amenities.
• MDG Design & ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDG Design & Construction collaborated on the Griswold Heights community redevelopment project with Dirtworks providing landscape architecture.
• Troy Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Troy Housing Authority commissioned the Griswold Heights community redevelopment under its 'safe, decent and affordable housing for all' mandate, with Dirtworks providing complete landscape design for 35 acres of outdoor spaces.
• Michael Rubin ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael Rubin Architects collaborated on the Life Enrichment Center in Kings Mountain, NC — a full-service adult day care facility where Dirtworks designed a complete outdoor setting with three distinct garden zones (back porch, farm, meadow).
• Nimrod Long Landscape ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNimrod Long Landscape Architects served as collaborator on The Lakeshore Foundation campus landscape project in Birmingham, AL, where Dirtworks developed the Campus Commons, Woodland Trail and Woodland Walk.
• STV Inc. Architectural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTV Inc. Architectural Resources provided architectural services on the South Beach Psychiatric Center $42M Central Services Building project, with Dirtworks providing site design informed by NYC Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency.
• NY State ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNY State Parks partnered on the Pepper Place streetscape project in Birmingham, contributing to the pedestrian-friendly design improvements and green infrastructure implementation.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Park Service partnered with Dirtworks on the West Pond Living Shoreline project at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a critical habitat restoration initiative leveraging living shoreline strategies to protect a freshwater pond breached by Superstorm Sandy.
• Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy partnered on both the West Pond Living Shoreline and Bayswater Point State Park projects, supporting the living shoreline restoration work in Jamaica Bay.
• National Parks ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirtworks previously worked for the National Parks Service during a period of employment before founding Dirtworks, developing solutions bridging the disconnect between landscape design and maintenance strategies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SWA Group: Large, multi-office landscape architecture and planning firm. Broader incumbent operating across many of the same typologies (campus, urban, waterfront) but at significantly larger scale and geographic footprint.
• Sasaki Associates: Boston-based integrated design practice with strong landscape architecture, urban planning, and campus-design offerings. Comparable on campus and waterfront typologies but operating at a much larger multidisciplinary scale.
• Design Workshop: Multi-office landscape architecture and planning firm with strong park, resort, and conservation practices. Comparable on public-realm and conservation work but with broader geographic and typological reach.
• EDSA: Large international landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm. Overlaps with Dirtworks on resort, campus, urban, and waterfront work but serves a broader global client base at greater scale.

Direct peers

• OLIN: Philadelphia- and NYC-based landscape architecture and urban design firm of similar size and prestige. Comparable for its emphasis on high-profile institutional, cultural, and public-realm projects and its award-winning design portfolio.
• Andropogon Associates: Philadelphia-based ecological landscape architecture and planning firm. Highly comparable to Dirtworks on living-shoreline, ecological restoration, and regenerative-design expertise.
• PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley- and NYC-based landscape architecture firm known for civic, campus, and waterfront work. Comparable on design-led positioning and high-profile institutional client base.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA): Brooklyn-based landscape architecture practice specializing in parks, campuses, and urban landscapes. Closely comparable to Dirtworks in NYC geography, project typologies, and emphasis on ecological and public-realm design.
• James Corner Field Operations: NYC-based landscape architecture and urban design studio behind the High Line and other large-scale public projects. Directly comparable to Dirtworks on typology (campus, waterfront, public realm) and brand-driven project acquisition.

Emerging players

• Hood Design Studio: Oakland-based landscape architecture and art practice focused on culturally grounded public spaces. Comparable on community-centered design and mission-driven landscape work, though smaller and more focused on West Coast civic projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dirtworks-landscape-architecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/dirtworkspc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Dirtworks Landscape Architecture