Vsu Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy

What Vsu Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy does

Vsu Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy (VSU) is a privately held Finnish landscape architecture firm founded in 1998 by Outi Palosaari and Tommi Heinonen, headquartered in Oulu with a second office in Helsinki. The firm delivers landscape architecture, urban planning, exterior architecture, land-use planning and a set of expert services — vegetation management, urban image solutions, green-area service design, landscape tourism, playground safety inspections and BIM-based design coordination — for parks, urban spaces, recreational areas, traffic corridors, river and lake restoration sites, tourism environments and residential/commercial/industrial exterior areas across Finland. Its technology stack is centred on BIM-based landscape modelling (VSU produced Finland's first park-construction information model on the Hyväntoivonpuisto project in 2014 and contributed to national landscape BIM standards) and a story-driven design methodology that anchors each project in a narrative suited to Nordic and Arctic conditions.

VSU generates revenue through professional-services fees on project assignments, with mandates acquired via competitive tenders, invited design competitions and direct client engagements. The customer base is dominated by Finnish municipalities (Cities of Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Raisio, Kaarina, Vaasa, Kerava, Mikkeli, Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4, Iisalmi) supplemented by private developers (Lakea Oy, Sokotel Oy, YIT Suomi Oy), energy companies (PPO), ecclesiastical bodies (Oulun and Espoon seurakunnat) and one documented international mandate — the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Nordic Ski Center (560 ha) for the Chinese Olympic Committee. Multi-year contracts and consortium bidding with leading Finnish architects (Harris & Kjisik, JKMM, OOPEAA, Lahdelma & Mahlam\u00e4ki, Lukkaroinen, Huttunen-Lipasti) and engineers (WSP) are a recurring go-to-market pattern. Headcount is 14 and the only disclosed revenue milestone is the 2018 peak year when the firm exceeded \u20ac1 million in turnover. RALA Quality and RALA Environmental certifications, renewed in 2023 and 2024, support eligibility for Finnish public-sector tenders.

Name

Vsu Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy

Legal name

VSU maisema-arkkitehdit Oy

Website

https://vsu.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VSU Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy is a Finnish landscape architecture firm founded in 1998, serving municipalities, cities and private developers across Finland from offices in Helsinki and Oulu with BIM-enabled park, urban and exterior design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture design
• Urban planning services
• Land use planning
• Park design
• BIM-based landscape modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Planning Services: VSU generates revenue through professional services fees for landscape architecture and urban planning projects, ranging from land-use studies and master plans to implementation design. Projects span parks, urban spaces, recreational areas, traffic areas, river and lake restoration, tourism environments, and residential/commercial/industrial areas. Revenue has grown steadily with peak year 2018 exceeding €1 million.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VSU is a Finnish landscape architecture firm delivering professional design services across exterior architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and land-use planning. The firm produces master plans, general plans, and implementation designs for parks, urban spaces, recreational areas, traffic areas, river and lake restoration projects, tourism environments, and residential/commercial/industrial areas. Expert services include vegetation management, BIM-based design and coordination, urban image solutions, landscape tourism planning, and playground safety inspections. The firm operates nationally from two offices (Helsinki and Oulu) with a 14-person team.

Product overview

VSU maisema-arkkitehdit Oy is a landscape architecture firm offering a comprehensive range of services from land use planning to implementation design. The core portfolio includes exterior architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and expert services such as vegetation management, urban image solutions, green area service design, landscape tourism, and playground safety inspections. The firm specializes in BIM-based design for parks, yards, and green areas, and has delivered notable projects including Hyväntoivonpuisto (2020 Vuoden Ympäristörakenne winner) and Tammelan Stadion (2024 Arkkitehtuurin Finlandia winner). Services span parks, urban spaces, recreation areas, traffic areas, river and lake restoration projects, tourism environments, and residential/commercial/business areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Design (Maisema-arkkitehtuuri)

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, notable and minor.

• LUO ArkkitehditcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2024VSU partnered with LUO Arkkitehdit and WSP to win the Raisio city center design competition on December 10, 2024, with the proposal 'Puistojen kaupunki'. The consortium combined landscape architecture, architecture, and engineering expertise.
• WSPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2024WSP provided engineering expertise as part of the consortium with VSU and LUO Arkkitehdit for the Raisio city center competition winning team.
• JKMM ArkkitehditflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024VSU designed the outdoor areas, roof gardens, and green roofs for the Tammelan Stadion complex designed by JKMM Arkkitehdit. The project won the Arkkitehtuurin Finlandia 2024 award, making this a flagship reference for VSU.
• OOPEAA (Office for Peripheral Architecture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024VSU designed exterior areas for multiple OOPEAA projects: Suvelan kappeli (2016 Architecture Finland nominee), Lutakon satamankärki (2017), and Lastu (2024 Architecture Finland nominee). Ongoing collaboration on competitions and built projects.
• Arkkitehtitoimisto Lukkaroinen OycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023VSU collaborated with Lukkaroinen Arkkitehdit on the Keravanjoen koulu project. VSU designed the exterior areas while Lukkaroinen was the main building architect. Project featured on ArchDaily.
• Ålandsbanken + Tommila Arkkitehdit + Rudanko & Kankkunen + A-Insinöörit (Ahti consortium)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022VSU participated in the 'Elävä Eteläsatama' (Living South Harbor) consortium as the landscape architecture partner in the Helsinki Makasiiniranta competition. The 'Ahti' proposal reached the final as one of four finalists, placing 3rd.
• Huttunen-Lipasti Arkkitehdit OycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021VSU and Huttunen-Lipasti Arkkitehdit won the Kruunuvuoren palvelurakennus- ja puisto-suunnittelukilpailu (service building and park design competition) in 2021 with the proposal 'Rantavalli', covering the Haakoninlahdenpuisto design.
• Arkkitehtitoimisto Harris & Kjisik OycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020VSU and Harris & Kjisik won the Itä-Helsinki city center competition. VSU handled urban planning, urban space design, and landscape architecture while Harris & Kjisik provided architectural services. Long-standing collaboration partner.
• Gehl ArchitectsnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020VSU participated in the Seinäjoen vihervisio project alongside Gehl Architects and OOPEAA, contributing landscape architecture and green space planning expertise to the city's green vision.
• Finnish Universities and Educational InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998VSU began collaborating with universities and other educational institutions in 1998. Collaboration continues actively, with VSU providing real-world project experience and benefiting from academic research and student talent. Several employees have completed degrees while working at VSU.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll Finland: Global consulting and engineering firm with Finnish landscape, urban, and environmental design capability. Competes for the same municipal urban planning and infrastructure tenders at a broader scale.
• Sweco Finland: Nordic-rooted engineering and design consultancy with landscape and urban design services in Finland. Competes for the same pool of integrated municipal and developer tenders.
• WSP Finland: Global engineering consultancy with a substantial Finnish landscape and urban design practice. Competes with VSU on integrated master-planning tenders (and was a VSU partner on Raisio 2024), but typically leads rather than sub-consults.
• Sitowise: Finnish multidisciplinary infrastructure and design consultancy offering landscape architecture alongside engineering and urban planning. Competes with VSU on integrated municipal tenders at scale.
• Gehl Architects: Internationally recognized public-space and urban design consultancy with Nordic heritage. Already a VSU collaboration partner (Seinäjoen vihervisio) and a global benchmark for the kind of human-centered urban landscape work VSU pursues.

Direct peers

• Tilvis Maisema-arkkitehdit: Finnish landscape architecture firm active on urban green space, residential yards, and public realm projects. Targets overlapping municipal and developer clients within Finland.
• Nomaji maisema-arkkitehdit: Finnish landscape architecture boutique of comparable scale, focused on urban parks, green infrastructure, and climate-resilient design. Directly competes with VSU on municipal tenders and shares the same Finnish specialty-architecture positioning.
• Tapio Maisemasuunnittelu: Established Finnish landscape architecture and environment design firm working on parks, urban spaces, and natural environments nationwide. Overlaps directly with VSU on Finnish municipal landscape design commissions.
• Loci maisema-arkkitehdit: Finnish landscape architecture practice competing on urban planning, park design, and master planning tenders. Comparable boutique profile and similar public-sector client mix to VSU.

Regional players

• SLA (Stig L. Andersson): Danish landscape architecture practice with a comparable Nordic/public-space design philosophy and award-winning portfolio. Operates in a different national market but is the most analogous Nordic reference point for VSU's positioning and project scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vsu-maisema-arkkitehdit-oy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Vsu Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy