Surculus
Surculus is a privately held landscape architecture and urban design firm in Charleston, SC, founded in 2016, that provides ecological integration, master planning, and coastal resilience design services to municipal, developer, educational, and private residential clients in the southeastern United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCharleston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Surculus does
Surculus is a privately held landscape architecture and urban design firm founded in 2016 by Erin F. Stevens and headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. The firm specializes in integrating ecological systems into urbanized and human-affected contexts, with a particular focus on coastal resilience, stormwater management, habitat restoration, and biodiversity-supportive design in the southeastern United States. Its core service offerings include landscape architecture, urban design, master planning, site design, and public space and development guideline consulting, delivered through a project-based professional services model.
The firm operates with a seven-person team led by President Erin F. Stevens and Studio Director Robert K. Maerlender, supported by two senior landscape architects, an operations manager, and designers. Team credentials include education from Harvard, Columbia, University of Georgia, Syracuse, University College Dublin, Penn State, and Clemson, with collective experience spanning sensitive coastal environments from Rhode Island to Georgia and internationally in Costa Rica, Ireland, and the Bahamas. Notable projects include the ASLA-awarded Colonial Lake renovation, multiple Kiawah Island resort and golf developments (The Sanctuary Hotel, Cassique Golf Club), the Myrtle Beach Air Base Redevelopment master plan, and Ashley Hall School campus design.
Surculus generates revenue through project-based design fees structured as multi-year contracts with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Go-to-market relies on direct client engagement with municipal, developer, educational, and private residential clients, augmented by civic board participation, professional referrals, and academic affiliation through Stevens' adjunct teaching at Clemson University's Master of Resilient Urban Design Program. The firm is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent company, and no completed acquisitions or funding rounds.
Surculus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Surculus
- Legal name
- Surculus
- Website
- https://surculusdesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Surculus is a privately held landscape architecture and urban design firm in Charleston, SC, founded in 2016, that provides ecological integration, master planning, and coastal resilience design services to municipal, developer, educational, and private residential clients in the southeastern United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Surculus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
Keywords
Where Surculus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Surculus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Landscape Architecture Design Services: Professional design services for landscape architecture and urban design projects including master planning, public space design, residential landscapes, and mixed-use developments. Revenue is generated through project-based design fees for planning, design, and construction documentation services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Surculus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Surculus is a landscape architecture and urban design firm that delivers professional design services integrating ecological systems into human-affected contexts. The firm provides site analysis, master planning, public space design, residential and resort landscape design, development guidelines, and construction documentation, with particular emphasis on coastal resilience, stormwater management, native habitat restoration, and biodiversity in urbanized environments.
Product overview
Surculus is a landscape architecture and urban design firm offering professional design services. Their core offerings include landscape architecture and urban design services, complemented by specialized modules for master planning, site design, and development guidelines. These services work together to create resilient, ecologically integrated outdoor spaces that address urban resilience, biodiversity, and community engagement. The firm does not appear to offer any software products, SaaS offerings, or digital platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Landscape Architecture Services
- Urban Design Services
- Master Planning
- Site Design
- Development Guidelines and Public Space Design Design guidelines and public space design for mixed-use and infill developments, focusing on community engagement and ecological connectivity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Spaces designed to flood during major events to protect buildings and people
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Surculus
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Surculus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Surculus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Surculus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Andropogon Associates: Philadelphia-based ecological landscape architecture studio specializing in native plantings, habitat restoration, and regenerative design. Highly comparable to Surculus for ecological integration and sensitive coastal/riparian work.
- Design Workshop: Mid-size landscape architecture and urban design firm with deep expertise in ecological integration, community planning, and resilient design. Closely comparable to Surculus in mission, size, and emphasis on environmental stewardship.
- LandDesign: Charlotte-headquartered landscape architecture, urban design, and civil engineering firm with multiple Southeast offices and a comparable mix of master planning, mixed-use, and civic work. Closest direct competitor in scale, geography, and service mix to Surculus.
- OLIN: Philadelphia- and LA-based landscape architecture and urban design practice recognized for ecological design, public space activation, and resilience work. Comparable on methodology and project type though larger.
- WATG: Resort, hospitality, and master planning firm with significant landscape architecture capabilities serving luxury resort and residential clients (e.g., Kiawah-adjacent). Comparable for the high-end hospitality and master-planned community segment Surculus serves.
Broad incumbents
- SWA Group: National landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with award-winning coastal, urban, and park projects. Overlaps with Surculus on project type but operates at much larger scale with broader service portfolio.
- Sasaki Associates: Integrated design practice offering landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture with deep coastal and campus planning experience. Comparable on master planning and resilience work, but at a much larger scale and broader service mix.
- Hargreaves Associates: National landscape architecture practice with award-winning waterfront, park, and ecological design work. Comparable on public realm and ecological specialization, though at significantly larger scale and geographic breadth.
- James Corner Field Operations: New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm behind high-profile public space and waterfront projects. Comparable on ecological urbanism and resilient waterfront design but operates at a much larger scale.
Emerging players
- Studio-MLA: Los Angeles-based landscape architecture studio with strong ecological and community-oriented practice. Comparable for ecological methodology but operates on the West Coast, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Surculus social profiles
Digital presenceSurculus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Surculus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Surculus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Surculus 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 Surculus
What does Surculus do?
Surculus is a landscape architecture and urban design firm that delivers professional design services integrating ecological systems into human-affected contexts. The firm provides site analysis, master planning, public space design, residential and resort landscape design, development guidelines, and construction documentation, with particular emphasis on coastal resilience, stormwater management, native habitat restoration, and biodiversity in urbanized environments.
Is Surculus a public or private company?
Surculus is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Surculus founded?
Surculus was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Surculus based?
Surculus is headquartered in Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Surculus make money?
One revenue line is on record: landscape Architecture Design Services.
Who are Surculus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Andropogon Associates, Design Workshop, LandDesign, OLIN and WATG. Broad incumbents are SWA Group, Sasaki Associates, Hargreaves Associates and James Corner Field Operations. Studio-MLA is listed as an emerging player.
Does Surculus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Surculus.
What industry is Surculus in?
Surculus's product category is Landscape Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design. Its NAICS code is 54132.