ZDA

What ZDA does

ZDA (Ziegler Design Associates), legally ZDA Inc, is a privately held landscape architecture and garden design firm founded in 1981 by Steven G. Ziegler, PLA, a third-generation landscape architect. The firm is headquartered at 4797 Capitol View Road in Middleton, Wisconsin, and operates as a professional services practice offering residential, commercial, civic/public, and specialized landscape design. Core service lines include residential landscape design (historic landscapes, lakeshore living, outdoor living spaces, revitalized landscapes, rural living), commercial site planning, civic and public space design (community parks, healing gardens, nature playgrounds, outdoor classrooms), therapeutic and healing garden design, historic preservation and restoration, sustainable design and environmental services (prairie restoration, woodland management, stormwater management), natural playgrounds and outdoor classrooms, master planning, and garden design. The underlying technology is traditional landscape architecture practice — site analysis, master planning, native planting, stormwater infiltration design (swales, rain gardens), horticultural therapy design, and construction management — supported by standard design tools rather than proprietary software. ZDA's business model is project-based professional services revenue with a sales-led, consultation-based go-to-market: prospective clients receive a free initial consultation, after which the firm issues priced proposals for residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Customer segments include residential property owners, commercial properties, public/institutional clients (schools, healthcare facilities, community organizations), healthcare facilities (therapeutic gardens), and lakeshore/waterfront property owners, all concentrated geographically within the Madison, Wisconsin metropolitan area (Madison, Middleton, Fitchburg, Verona, Waunakee, DeForest, Sun Prairie, Monona, and McFarland). The firm has accumulated national and regional industry recognition, including multiple Perennial Plant Association and Wisconsin ASLA awards, plus sustainability and community grants, and has no disclosed outside investors or institutional funding.

Name

ZDA

Legal name

ZDA Inc

Website

https://zdainc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ZDA is a privately held landscape architecture firm in Middleton, Wisconsin, offering residential, commercial, civic, and specialized garden design — including therapeutic, historic, and sustainable landscapes — to clients across the Madison metro area since 1981.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Garden design services
• Therapeutic garden design
• Stormwater management design
• Historic landscape restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Middleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services including site planning, design, and construction management for residential and commercial properties.
2. Garden Design Services: Garden design services including perennial gardens, healing gardens, and specialty garden installations.
3. Design Consultation Services: Initial design consultations offered for prospective clients to discuss landscape needs and proposals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ZDA is a landscape architecture firm offering professional design services for residential, commercial, civic, and institutional properties. The firm delivers site planning, master planning, garden design, therapeutic gardens, historic landscape restoration, stormwater management, natural playgrounds, and sustainable design solutions for clients across southern Wisconsin.

Product overview

ZDA is a landscape architecture firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services rather than a software product. Their core offerings span residential, commercial, civic/public, and specialized landscape design. Key service categories include therapeutic and healing gardens for healthcare facilities, historic preservation and restoration, sustainable design with environmental focus, natural playgrounds and outdoor classrooms, stormwater management solutions, master planning, and custom garden design. The company operates primarily in the Madison, Wisconsin area serving surrounding communities including Middleton, Waunakee, Verona, Sun Prairie, Monona, McFarland, Fitchburg, and DeForest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Landscape Design Custom landscape architecture for private residences including historic landscapes, lakeshore living spaces, outdoor living areas, revitalized landscapes, sustainable gardens, and rural properties.
• Commercial Landscape Design Professional landscape architecture for commercial properties including site planning, parking lot layout, ADA accessibility, stormwater management, and corporate campus identity design.
• Civic and Public Landscape Design Public space design including community parks, healing gardens, nature playgrounds, outdoor classrooms, street gardens, and school master plans for public and institutional clients.
• Therapeutic and Healing Gardens Specialized garden design for healthcare facilities including horticultural therapy gardens, sensory gardens, and restorative outdoor spaces for behavioral health facilities and psychiatric care settings.
• Historic Preservation and Restoration Historic landscape restoration including cultural landscape analysis, preservation planning, documentation, reconstruction of viable historic stone components, and tax credit applications for historic properties.
• Sustainable Design and Environmental Services Sustainable landscape design incorporating prairie restoration, woodland management, stormwater infiltration, rain gardens, native plantings, and environmental stewardship practices.
• Natural Playgrounds and Outdoor Classrooms Design of natural playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces incorporating nature-based play elements, community charrettes, and educational programming for educational institutions and community centers.
• Storm Water Solutions Water management design including rain gardens, swales, water flowage design, shoreline protection, and infiltration systems to manage stormwater and protect properties from flooding.
• Master Planning Comprehensive site master planning for campuses, communities, and multi-phase development projects, integrating natural areas, community gardens, recreational facilities, and educational spaces.
• Garden Design Container gardens, entry gardens, rain gardens, and perennial garden designs integrating seasonal color, native plants, and sustainability principles for residential and commercial clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rain gardens capable of capturing significant neighborhood stormwater
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Trust for Public LandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Panel participation on greening alleys initiative at ASLA Annual Meeting alongside colleagues from Trust for Public Land, University of Washington, and Council for Watershed Health.
• University of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Panel participation on greening alleys initiative at ASLA Annual Meeting alongside colleagues from Trust for Public Land and Council for Watershed Health.
• Council for Watershed HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Panel participation on greening alleys initiative at ASLA Annual Meeting alongside colleagues from Trust for Public Land and University of Washington.
• SAA Design GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Collaboration on PARK(ing) Day 2013 in downtown Madison, along with Smithgroup JJR, transforming metered parking stalls into temporary public parks.
• Smithgroup JJRminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Collaboration on PARK(ing) Day 2013 in downtown Madison, along with SAA Design Group, transforming metered parking stalls into temporary public parks.
• Kennedy Heights Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Collaboration on natural playground development including community design charrette and community build day. The Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Natural Playground was dedicated after the project.
• Madison Community Montessori SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Collaboration on campus master planning and natural playground/outdoor classroom development with phased installation as funding became available.
• Project Home (Hammer with a Heart)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012ZDA participated in Hammer with a Heart project creating accessible outdoor sanctuary for homeowner living with Multiple Sclerosis. Collaboration with Olson-Toon Landscaping, Avant Gardening & Landscaping, and Ganshert Nursery & Landscapes.
• Meriter FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Collaboration on therapeutic and horticultural therapy gardens at Meriter's Child and Adolescent Psychiatric facility. Generous donations from Meriter Foundation made the garden project possible.
• Middleton Outreach Ministries (M.O.M.s)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for food pantry donations. ZDA shares produce from their on-site gardens with local food pantries through this partnership, supporting food security in the community.
• Community Groundworks (Troy Gardens)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on Troy Gardens project, a nationally recognized model of urban sustainability combining affordable housing, community gardens, CSA farm, and restored natural areas. ZDA developed master plan and land management plan.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAA Design Group: Madison, Wisconsin-based landscape architecture firm of comparable size that has directly collaborated with ZDA on PARK(ing) Day installations. Operates in the same regional market with overlapping service offerings in master planning, urban design, and civic landscape work.
• Oehme, van Sweden: Boutique landscape architecture firm known for naturalistic, perennial-driven, ecologically sensitive residential and institutional design. Shares ZDA's design vocabulary around native plantings, perennial gardens, and stewardship-oriented landscape philosophy.
• Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects: Mid-sized landscape architecture firm with strong residential, institutional, and therapeutic garden portfolios. Comparable to ZDA in size and project mix, particularly in custom residential design and healthcare/educational campus work.
• Murase Associates: Pacific Northwest landscape architecture firm where ZDA's Molly Wagner previously worked. Specializes in educational, therapeutic, and cultural landscape projects with a similar emphasis on natural play environments and institutional master planning, making it a strong comparability match on project type and philosophy.

Others

• Olson-Toon Landscaping: Madison-area landscape contracting firm that collaborated with ZDA on the Project Home 'Hammer with a Heart' accessible garden build. Functions as an installation/construction partner rather than a competitor, providing ZDA with build-out capacity for designed projects.
• Ganshert Nursery & Landscapes: Regional nursery and landscape firm that has partnered with ZDA on community installation projects. Functions as a plant material and horticultural execution partner rather than a direct design competitor.

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup JJR: Large multi-disciplinary design firm with a substantial landscape architecture practice. Partnered with ZDA on PARK(ing) Day 2013 in Madison, indicating overlap in civic and community-oriented landscape work but at a fundamentally larger scale and geographic footprint.
• MKSK Studios: Landscape architecture and urban design studio with comparable expertise in civic, parks, and master planning engagements. Larger scale and multi-office footprint but overlapping client base in public-sector landscape commissions.
• OLIN: Nationally recognized landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with deep expertise in master planning, cultural landscapes, and waterfront design. Operates at much greater scale but competes for the same civic, institutional, and cultural commissions that ZDA pursues.
• Design Workshop: Multi-office landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with strong public realm and environmental restoration practices. Competes for similar master planning, park, and ecological restoration commissions as ZDA but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ZieglerDesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/ZDA.OutdoorCreative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zda-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ZDA