SQLA, Inc.

What SQLA, Inc. does

SQLA, Inc. is a Southern California landscape architecture, site planning, and urban design firm founded in 1996 by Samuel Kim (originally as Square Los Angeles) and headquartered in Brea, California. The firm holds California Landscape Architecture License CA#3249 and delivers projects across six verticals: residential, residential community, commercial, institutional, hotel & leisure, and urban/public space. Work is anchored in a design philosophy that integrates natural, cultural, and healing elements, with a documented portfolio spanning luxury single-family estates (Malibu, West Los Angeles, mid-century modern renovations), multi-family residential developments, university and college campuses (UC Riverside, Pierce College, West LA City College), commercial properties, and religious institutions.

SQLA operates an integrated three-line service model: SQLA (Design) for landscape architecture and urban design; LANDIST, a wholly-owned construction subsidiary introduced in 2003, which executes design/build projects up to $5 million in Southern California; and B2G (Back 2 Garden), a custom site furnishings line that designs and manufactures planters, fire pits, water features, and shade structures through international and domestic fabrication partners. The integrated design/build approach keeps designers engaged through construction, treating the build phase as an R&D process to preserve design intent.

The firm employs approximately 15–20 people across design, project management, and construction operations, generating revenue through professional services fees (landscape architecture and urban design), construction services via LANDIST, and product sales via B2G. Pricing is quote-based given the bespoke nature of projects. Go-to-market is sales-led and portfolio-driven, relying on the company website (sqlainc.com), social media presence, and earned media features in Forbes, Architectural Digest, Sunset Magazine, and Braun publications. The customer base is diversified across multiple verticals with no single anchor client, and the firm has not raised external capital — operations are funded organically by the founder and principals.

Name

SQLA, Inc.

Legal name

SQLA, Inc.

Website

https://sqlainc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SQLA, Inc. is a Southern California landscape architecture and design/build firm serving residential, commercial, institutional, hotel & leisure, and urban clients across the region. Operating since 1996, it delivers projects through an integrated model spanning landscape design (SQLA), construction (LANDIST), and custom site furnishings (B2G).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Design Services: Professional landscape architecture and urban design services for commercial, residential, and institutional projects. Services include master planning, site planning, streetscape design, and landscape design across multiple verticals.
2. LANDIST Construction/Build Services: Design/build construction services through LANDIST subsidiary, bringing SQLA landscape designs to reality. Construction projects include residential, commercial, public works, and high-value projects up to $5 million.
3. B2G Custom Site Furnishings Sales: Sale of custom site furnishings (planters, fire pits, water features, shade structures, panel systems) manufactured through international partnerships. Products designed to complement landscape designs and available to other design professionals.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SQLA, Inc. is an international landscape architecture, site planning and urban design firm that creates outdoor environments for living, work, and play. It operates an integrated Design/Build/Make model through three units: SQLA (landscape architecture design), LANDIST (design/build construction), and B2G - Back 2 Garden (custom site furnishings manufacturing). Services span residential, residential community, commercial, institutional, hotel & leisure, and urban public space projects, primarily in Southern California.

Product overview

SQLA, Inc. is a landscape architecture and design/build firm offering an integrated three-part service: SQLA (Design) provides landscape architecture, site planning and urban design; LANDIST (Build) executes construction of those designs; and B2G - Back 2 Garden (Make) creates custom site furnishings and fixtures. The company serves sectors including residential, residential community, commercial, institutional, hotel & leisure, and urban spaces, operating primarily in Southern California. The firm was founded in 1996 and is led by Samuel Kim, a licensed landscape architect in California and Nevada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B2G (Back 2 Garden): Site furnishings, planters, fountains, and fixtures that enhance designed environments. Partners with international fabricators to create affordable, unique products.

Products and services

• SQLA Landscape Architecture Design Comprehensive landscape architecture, site planning, and urban design services creating engaging outdoor environments for residential, commercial, institutional, hotel & leisure, and urban clients. Includes master planning, streetscape design, planting design, and project documentation from schematic design through construction administration.
• LANDIST Design/Build Construction Design/build construction services that execute SQLA's landscape designs, with project sizes reaching up to $5 million across residential, commercial, public works, and high-value developments. Designers remain engaged through construction to translate design intent into built form, treating build phase as part of R&D.
• B2G - Back 2 Garden Custom Site Furnishings Design and manufacture of custom site furnishings including planters, fire pits, water features, shade structures, panel systems, and sculptural elements. Produced via international and domestic fabrication partnerships and made available both to complement SQLA landscape designs and for purchase by other design professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years of design experience under founder Samuel Kim with team experience ranging up to 33 years in construction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International FabricatorscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerB2G partners with international fabricators to manufacture custom site furnishings including planters, fire pits, water features, and sculptural elements. These partnerships leverage the latest manufacturing technologies and innovative materials while maintaining competitive market-driven pricing.
• Domestic FabricatorscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerB2G also taps domestic manufacturing resources to develop site furnishings that complement landscape designs. Domestic partnerships provide competitive options alongside international manufacturing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio-MLA: Los Angeles-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm of similar scale and Southern California focus. Directly comparable in client base (institutions, multifamily, public realm) and design-driven positioning.
• LandArc Inc. California landscape architecture firm offering site planning and urban design across residential, commercial, and institutional projects — a close regional peer in size and service mix.
• PWP Landscape Architecture: Berkeley-based landscape architecture firm focused on urban design, parks, and institutional projects in California — a strong regional peer with comparable project scale and design philosophy.
• LandDesign: Multi-disciplinary landscape architecture, civil engineering, and urban design firm serving residential, commercial, institutional, and parks clients — closely comparable in integrated services and project mix.

Broad incumbents

• OLIN: National landscape architecture and urban design studio known for premium public realm and institutional projects. Comparable in design philosophy and high-end client targeting but operates at significantly larger scale.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure and design firm with a large landscape architecture practice. While much larger, it competes for the same institutional, urban, and commercial landscape mandates SQLA pursues.
• Sasaki Associates: Multi-disciplinary design practice spanning landscape architecture, planning, and urban design with deep higher-education and institutional credentials — overlaps directly with SQLA's institutional segment.
• James Corner Field Operations: High-profile landscape architecture and urban design firm behind landmark public projects (e.g., High Line). Competes for marquee urban design commissions that SQLA also targets.
• SWA Group: Internationally recognized landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with a strong SoCal presence. Offers a much broader portfolio and headcount but competes directly for the same institutional and high-end residential mandates.

Emerging players

• Rios Associates / Studio-MLA peer (Rios Clementi Hale Studios): LA-based design studio with overlapping landscape-adjacent work on residential estates, hospitality, and mixed-use projects. Comparable in SoCal client base and emphasis on design-driven outcomes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sqlainc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sqlaincco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sqla-inc

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 SQLA, Inc.