What Wheat Design Group- Landscape Architects does

Wheat Design Group is a landscape architecture and civil engineering consultancy headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, specializing in context-sensitive design for the Sonoran Desert and arid land environments. Founded in 1982 by Liba Wheat as Wheat & Associates, the firm has operated through several ownership transitions under names including Wheat Gallaher Associates and Wheat Scharf Associates, before becoming Wheat Design Group in May 2014 following a merger with LJ Design & Consulting. The practice is organized around three core areas: transportation infrastructure, campus design, and parks and recreation, supported by sustainability credentials including LEED (Silver, Gold, Platinum) and Green Globes.

The firm delivers a full lifecycle of design services including master planning, design and construction documents, planting and irrigation design, hardscape design, water harvesting design, and construction administration. Its portfolio encompasses 160+ transportation projects and 30+ parks projects across Southern Arizona, with selective out-of-state engagements. Named clients include University of Arizona, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), City of Tucson, Pima County, Town of Oro Valley, Town of Payson, City of Flagstaff, City of Marana, Tucson Airport Authority, and Banner-University Medical Center. The firm has received recognition including ENR Southwest Best Projects, Arizona Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (AZASLA) awards, and American Public Works Association (APWA) awards.

On March 28, 2025, Wheat Design Group merged with J2 Design to operate as "Wheat, a J2 Design Studio," functioning as J2 Design's Tucson office. The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts with public agencies, municipalities, universities, transportation authorities, and private developers, with fees negotiated on a per-project basis. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and reputation-driven, leveraging an extensive portfolio, certifications, and direct client relationships across Southern Arizona.

Name

Wheat Design Group- Landscape Architects

Legal name

Wheat Design Group

Website

https://wheatdesigngroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wheat Design Group is a Tucson-based landscape architecture and civil engineering consultancy specializing in Sonoran Desert design. Operating as Wheat, a J2 Design Studio since March 2025, it serves public agencies, universities, and developers across Southern Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Landscape Design (HSAIABAA)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Park master planning
• Transportation landscape design
• Campus landscape design
• Civil engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services including master plan preparation, design and construction documents, planting and irrigation design, hardscape design, water harvesting design, and construction administration. Billed as project-based professional services contracts with public and private clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wheat Design Group provides professional landscape architecture and civil engineering design services for public and private clients across parks and recreation, transportation, and campus environments in Southern Arizona. The firm delivers end-to-end services including site analysis, master planning, planting and irrigation design, hardscape design, water harvesting design, LEED/Green Globes certification support, and construction administration, with deep specialization in Sonoran Desert and arid land landscape design, water harvesting, and low-impact development.

Product overview

Wheat Design Group operates as a landscape architecture firm providing integrated design services through three core offerings: Parks and Recreation Design, Transportation Design, and Campus Design. Following the March 2025 merger with J2 Design, the company now operates as 'Wheat, a J2 Design Studio' while maintaining its Tucson office location. The portfolio also includes Civil Engineering Services as part of the integrated design offerings. The firm specializes in sustainable landscape design for the Sonoran Desert and Southern Arizona region, serving both public and private clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• The I-10 Houghton Road Diverging Diamond Interchange won ENR Southwest Best Project - Highway/Bridge (2022); I-10 Ina Road Traffic Interchange won ENR Southwest Best Projects and Excellence in Safety Award of Merit (2020); St. Mary's Road received two APWA awards; Scott Avenue received 2016 AzASLA Honor Award for General Design.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• J2 DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2025On March 28, 2025, Wheat Design Group merged with J2 Design to become 'Wheat, a J2 Design Studio.' Wheat Design Group became part of J2 Design and now operates as J2's Tucson office location. Wheat's existing staff continues operating and providing the same services out of the Tucson office, while being supported by J2's staff and services. This merger combines 40+ years of landscape architecture expertise with J2 Design's broader practice.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sasaki: Multidisciplinary design firm with deep landscape architecture, planning, and urban design practice. Comparable in campus and public-infrastructure work, but operates globally at substantially larger scale.
• OLIN: Landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with a national profile. Comparable in high-design public realm and campus work, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geography than Wheat.
• SWA Group: Internationally recognized landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with a much larger footprint and broader portfolio. Overlaps with Wheat in parks, campus, and transportation landscape design but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Design Workshop: National landscape architecture and urban design firm with offices across the U.S. Comparable service offerings (parks, campus, transportation) but broader geographic reach and larger project scale, competing for similar public-sector RFPs.
• James Corner Field Operations: Landscape architecture and urban design firm known for high-profile public realm and waterfront projects. Comparable in parks and public-space design philosophy but operates at much larger scale and on signature projects.

Direct peers

• Sites Southwest: Arizona-based landscape architecture and planning firm serving public, private, and institutional clients across the Southwest. Closest regional peer to Wheat, with similar arid-land expertise, comparable scale, and overlapping institutional client base.
• Norris Design: Landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with offices across the Mountain West and Southwest. Directly comparable to Wheat in service offerings (parks, transportation, campus) and target market (municipalities, universities, private developers).
• Ten Eyck Landscape Architects: Landscape architecture studio of similar size and ethos, focused on ecologically driven design for parks, campuses, and public spaces. Comparable in project typology, sustainability focus, and studio-scale delivery model.
• TBG Partners: Landscape architecture and planning firm serving public and private clients across the southern U.S. with parks, campus, and master-planning services. Comparable scale and service mix with overlap in municipal and institutional client work.
• Dig Studio: Landscape architecture and urban design studio of similar regional scale focused on public realm, parks, and campus projects. Comparable in service mix and project typology to Wheat, with similar public-sector client focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wheat-design-group

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Wheat Design Group- Landscape Architects