Groundworks Office
Groundworks Office is a San Francisco Bay Area landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2012, providing ecologically driven, sustainability-focused design services for parks, waterfronts, campuses, and playgrounds to municipalities, school districts, technology firms, and real estate developers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Groundworks Office does
Groundworks Office is a privately held landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm delivers professional design services across parks, public spaces, waterfronts, campuses, playgrounds, streetscapes, and sustainable urban redevelopments for a client mix spanning municipal governments, school districts, technology and life sciences companies, real estate developers, and higher education institutions. Named clients include Google, Bayer, Spear Street Capital, Treasure Island Development Group, Build INC, Rockwood Capital, Jamestown LP, and the San Francisco Unified School District.
The firm's core capabilities center on sustainable, ecologically driven landscape strategies—biophilic design, green infrastructure and stormwater management (bio-retention, green roofs, rain gardens), ecological restoration, waterfront and tidal ecosystem design, urban park and playscape design, and community participation-driven design processes. Technical differentiators include demonstrated expertise in LEED-ND and Climate Positive Development Program frameworks (Treasure Island, 183.6 acres; Clinton Global Initiative winner), innovative playscape design (first double corkscrew 2-story slide and first Lappset play structure in North America at Alice Chalmers Playground), rooftop garden design at scale (300 Kansas, 70 feet above grade), and campus connectivity strategies. The firm frequently operates as a sub-consultant within larger architect-led teams, including recurring collaborations with Form 4 Architecture, Gensler, and Kuth-Ranieri Architecture.
Groundworks Office generates revenue through project-based professional services fees, charged on a per-project basis reflecting scope, site complexity, and scale. Pricing spans from small-scale residential commissions (~$85,000) to large waterfront and campus projects (Seaplane Lagoon $26M, Growers Square $6.3M, Park Tower $5M) and major master plans (Bayer 46 acres, Treasure Island 183.6 acres). Distribution is direct via project commissions, RFP/RFQ responses, and design competitions, supported by a project portfolio website, industry award recognition (AIA, ASLA, LEED Gold, Clinton Global Initiative), and community participation processes that double as grassroots marketing channels. The firm is independently operated, with 11 employees and no disclosed external investors or parent company.
Groundworks Office firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Groundworks Office
- Legal name
- Groundworks Office
- Website
- https://groundworksoffice.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Groundworks Office is a San Francisco Bay Area landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2012, providing ecologically driven, sustainability-focused design services for parks, waterfronts, campuses, and playgrounds to municipalities, school districts, technology firms, and real estate developers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Groundworks Office industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Architectural Services (54131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Landscape Design, Build & Installation (Hardscapes/Softscapes) (BPABADAF)
Keywords
Where Groundworks Office is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Groundworks Office business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Landscape Architecture Design Services: Groundworks Office generates revenue through professional landscape architecture design fees charged to clients for the design and planning of parks, campuses, public spaces, waterfronts, playgrounds, and streetscapes. Services include master planning, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration. Fees are typically quoted on a per-project basis reflecting scope, site complexity, and project scale.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Small-scale residential/special projects |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Community playground and public space projects |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Campus and corporate landscape projects |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Large-scale waterfront and public infrastructure projects |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Groundworks Office product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Groundworks Office provides professional landscape architecture and urban design services for public parks, waterfront promenades, corporate and university campuses, rooftop gardens, playgrounds, streetscapes, and mixed-use developments. Services span the full project lifecycle from master planning and schematic design through construction documentation and construction administration. The firm is differentiated by sustainable, ecologically driven design expertise and a community-led participatory design process.
Product overview
Groundworks Office is a landscape architecture firm offering a broad portfolio of design services. Their work encompasses urban planning, public parks, waterfront spaces, campus landscapes, playgrounds, streetscapes, and sustainable design. They do not operate a software product platform but rather provide professional landscape architecture and design consultancy services across residential, commercial, educational, and civic project types.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Landscape Architecture Services Comprehensive professional landscape architecture and urban design services spanning urban planning, public park design, waterfront development, campus landscapes, rooftop gardens, streetscapes, and sustainable design. Includes master planning, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration phases. Served to municipal governments, school districts, corporate clients, real estate developers, and educational institutions.
- Sustainable Urban Redevelopment Planning Design of parks and public spaces for large-scale sustainable residential developments, incorporating LEED-ND certification and Climate Positive Development Program standards. Used for the Treasure Island sustainable residential redevelopment (183.6 acres, $1.2B total development), recognized as a Clinton Global Initiative winner.
- Community-Led Playscape and Playground Design Intensive community participation-based playground and playscape design service spanning 8+ months with workshops involving local kids, parents, and teachers. Designs are inspired by local ecology and landscapes, with innovative installations including the first double corkscrew 2-story slide in North America and the first Lappset play structure in North America (Alice Chalmers Playground).
- Waterfront and Bay Trail Design Design of public waterfront promenades and Bay Trail extensions that restore tidal ecosystems and create accessible paths. Demonstrated in the Warm Water Cove project (5 acres) extending the San Francisco Bay Trail, and Treasure Island waterfront projects, developed with input from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).
- Campus Landscape and Master Planning Comprehensive campus landscape design including sinuous pathway connectivity, native meadow replacement strategies, urban forest planning, and ecosystem strengthening. Used for university and corporate campuses such as Hillview Campus (Palo Alto), Google Tasman Campus (25 acres), and Bayer Berkeley campus (46 acres).
- Rooftop Garden Design Rooftop garden design for advanced manufacturing and R&D facilities at scale (70 feet above street level), featuring board-formed concrete planters, mature trees, native grasses, and industrial material referencing. Used for the 300 Kansas project (3.44 acres, Potrero Hill Innovation Center) achieving LEED Gold certification and AIA awards.
- Interactive Public Art Sculpture Design Design of large-scale interactive steel pipe sculptures (e.g., Albany Loop on the Ohlone Greenway) that serve simultaneously as public art, play structures, and community landmarks. Recognized with an ASLA Northern California Merit Award.
Quantifiable outcome
- LEED Gold certification achieved for 300 Kansas rooftop garden project
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Groundworks Office
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Groundworks Office technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Groundworks Office partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UC Berkeley - Dredge Research CollaborativecoreGroundworks Office participated in an intensive scenario planning workshop organized by the Dredge Research Collaborative at UC Berkeley in June 2016. The workshop focused on hydrological and sedimentary challenges of the Bay Area, examining bay dynamics facing sea level rise. GWO studied the Novato Creek watershed and Hamilton Marsh, exploring phased demolition of dam and levee infrastructure to restore freshwater marsh.
- San Francisco Parks Alliance / San Francisco Recreation and Park DepartmentcoreGroundworks Office partnered with the San Francisco Parks Alliance and the city's Recreation and Park Department on the Let'sPlaySF! initiative, which revitalized 13 playgrounds across the city. The Alice Chalmers Playground project exemplifies this partnership, with community outreach, fundraising, and collaborative design processes.
- El Dorado ArchitectsminorCollaborated on the 300 Kansas rooftop garden project (San Francisco) as part of the Potrero Hill Innovation Center design team.
- Form 4 ArchitecturecoreLong-standing collaborative partner across multiple projects including 300 Kansas, Hillview Campus (Palo Alto), and Tasman Campus (San Jose). Form 4 Architecture and Groundworks Office have a recurring partnership on technology campus redesign projects.
- Derek Porter StudiominorDesign collaborator contributing to the 300 Kansas rooftop garden project.
- GenslercoreGroundworks Office collaborated with Gensler as the landscape architect on the Park Tower project (45-story office tower in San Francisco's Transbay District) and on SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 (with Kuth-Ranieri Architecture).
- Kuth-Ranieri ArchitecturecoreCollaborated on SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 project alongside Gensler, with Groundworks Office responsible for all landscape design (courtyards, plazas, roof, and below-grade areas) for the terminal redesign.
- Lineoffice ArchitectsminorArchitecture partner on the Alice Chalmers Playground revitalization project in San Francisco.
- Devcon ConstructionminorGeneral contractor for the Tasman Campus (Google) project in San Jose, a 25-acre campus landscape completion.
- WEBCORminorBuilder/contractor for the 300 Kansas rooftop garden project in San Francisco.
- Spear Street CapitalcoreClient for the 300 Kansas rooftop garden project at the Potrero Hill Innovation Center. Spear Street Capital owns and developed the 160,000-square-foot maker-space facility.
- Build INC.coreDeveloper and client for the One Oak Plaza project (0.51 acres) at the base of a 40-story tower in San Francisco, designed by Groundworks Office.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Groundworks Office competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture: San Francisco-based boutique landscape architecture studio with comparable project scale, award-winning portfolio, and overlap on Bay Area residential, campus, and public realm clients. Directly competes for similar Bay Area commissions.
- Surfacedesign: San Francisco-rooted landscape architecture practice working on urban parks, plazas, and cultural landscapes. Comparable in scale and overlapping on California-based public and private commissions.
- SCAPE: Landscape architecture and urban design studio with strong waterfront, coastal resilience, and public realm portfolio. Comparable in methodology, project scale, and pursuit of climate-adaptive landscape work.
- James Corner Field Operations: High-profile landscape architecture and urban design firm known for the High Line and large-scale waterfront work. Direct competitor on waterfront, public realm, and large master-plan commissions.
- CMG Landscape Architecture: San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm focused on urban public spaces, parks, and campus environments. Direct Bay Area peer across similar developer, civic, and institutional engagements.
- OLIN: Multi-office landscape architecture and urban design studio with strong portfolio in civic plazas, campuses, and waterfronts. Overlaps with GWO on developer and institutional clients seeking design-led landscape work.
- Peter Walker Partners (PWP): Landscape architecture firm with deep Bay Area roots and a global portfolio of high-profile campus, civic, and memorial projects. Direct competitor for marquee campus and waterfront commissions.
Broad incumbents
- SWA Group: Large established landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with extensive Bay Area and California portfolio. Competes on similar public realm and waterfront projects but at materially larger scale.
- Sasaki Associates: Large multidisciplinary design firm with significant landscape architecture, planning, and urban design practice. Competes on similar campus, master-plan, and waterfront projects at greater scale and geographic reach.
Emerging players
- Hood Design Studio: Oakland-based landscape architecture and urban design practice focused on restorative justice, public realm, and community-led design. Comparable in Bay Area footprint and participatory design methodology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Groundworks Office social profiles
Digital presenceGroundworks Office financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Groundworks Office leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Groundworks Office funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Groundworks Office 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 Groundworks Office
What does Groundworks Office do?
Groundworks Office provides professional landscape architecture and urban design services for public parks, waterfront promenades, corporate and university campuses, rooftop gardens, playgrounds, streetscapes, and mixed-use developments. Services span the full project lifecycle from master planning and schematic design through construction documentation and construction administration. The firm is differentiated by sustainable, ecologically driven design expertise and a community-led participatory design process.
Is Groundworks Office a public or private company?
Groundworks Office is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Groundworks Office founded?
Groundworks Office was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Groundworks Office based?
Groundworks Office is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Groundworks Office make money?
One revenue line is on record: landscape Architecture Design Services.
Who are Groundworks Office's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, Surfacedesign, SCAPE, James Corner Field Operations, CMG Landscape Architecture, OLIN and Peter Walker Partners (PWP). Broad incumbents are SWA Group and Sasaki Associates. Hood Design Studio is listed as an emerging player.
Does Groundworks Office have an API?
No public API is recorded for Groundworks Office.
What industry is Groundworks Office in?
Groundworks Office's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. 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.