Walter Hood
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Walter J. Hood (born 1958, Charlotte, NC) is an American professor and former chair of landscape architecture at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, and principal of Hood Design Studio in
Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
. In 2019, Hood was awarded the
MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 indi ...
, known as the " Genius Grant."


Career

Hood has worked in a variety of settings including
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
, landscape architecture, art, community and urban design, and planning and research.


Early life

Hood grew up in
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, and has spent more than 20 years living and working in Oakland,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. He draws on his strong connection to the
black community Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...
in his work. He has chosen to work almost exclusively in the
public realm A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to ...
and
urban environment An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...
s. He went to school at
North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
, receiving a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in 1981. He has received both his Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture from the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
in 1989. He also received his Master of Fine Arts from the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the museum and ...
in 2013 in studio arts and sculpture, exploring the role of sculpture and urbanism.


Career

Hood established ''Hood Design Studio'' in Oakland, California in 1992. Hood's work spans the range from local, community-based projects—such a
Splash Pad Park
a converted traffic island alongside Interstate 580 in Oakland, California—to large-scale garden designs like the grounds for the new
M. H. de Young Museum The de Young Museum, formally the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco, California. Located in Golden Gate Park, it is a component of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with the California Pala ...
in San Francisco with Swiss architects
Herzog & de Meuron Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd.,
" Herzog & de Meuron. Retrieved on 11 October 2012. "Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd. R ...
(2005). Hood's public spaces embrace the essence of urban environments and for their links to urban redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization. He is currently designing the landscape for the
Autry National Center The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including le ...
Southwest Museum in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, designing an archeological garden within the context of the South Lawn Project at the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
, and developing a set of monuments and markers for a six-mile waterfront trail in Oakland, CA. Hood's published monographs ''Urban Diaries'' (Spacemaker Press, 1997) and ''Blues & Jazz Landscape Improvisations'' (Poltroon Press, 1993) illustrate his approach to the design of urban landscapes. These works won an ASLA Research award in 1996. His essay "Macon Memories" is included in ''Sites of Memory: Perspectives on Architecture and Race'' (Princeton Architectural Press, 2001). Hood has been praised as a "community whisperer," creating spaces that have elements the residents want before they even know it: "Through his work as an urbanist, Hood has integrated architectural features such as playgrounds, plazas and squares into city sites whose pasts are vibrant but forgotten. By reflecting the shifting cultural composition and respecting the evolving nature of neighborhoods throughout San Francisco and Oakland, he has created an oasis in these areas, and through his close involvement with the local communities, he developed tailored solutions for Bay Area based parks while retaining a cohesive artistic vision. Near Chinatown in Oakland, he created a communal square for women's tai chi practice while adults and children gather year round to take advantage of their newly revived local park." He was the winner in 2010 of an international design competition to design the Solar Strand, a quarter-mile long solar-panel array, financed by the
New York Power Authority The New York Power Authority (NYPA), officially the Power Authority of the State of New York, is a New York State public-benefit corporation. It is the largest state public power utility in the United States. NYPA provides some of the lowest-co ...
, on the
University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...
's North Campus. In 2013, Hood served as one of six selection committee members for the
Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) was established in 1986 by Cambridge, Massachusetts architect Simeon Bruner. The award is named after Simeon Bruner's late father, Rudy Bruner, founder of the Bruner Foundation. According to the Bru ...
. In 2014, Hood was commissioned by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission to create ''Witness Walls'', a commemorative sculpture celebrating Nashville's civil rights history during the 1950s and 1960s. A public dedication event for the project, Nashville's first civil-rights inspired public art, was held April 21, 2017.


Awards and recognition

In 1997, Hood was a fellow at the
American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) in Rome. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History In 1893, a group of American architects, ...
in Landscape Architecture. His work was featured in the 2006 exhibit "The Good Life: New Public Spaces for Recreation," at the Van Alen Institute in New York. Hood was the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Landscape Design and has exhibited and lectured on his professional projects and theoretical works nationally and abroad. In 2018, The USC School of Architecture's American Academy in China (AAC) selected Hood as that year's research fellow. Hood is to design an installation to be executed using only local artisans and materials in Shanghai and Los Angeles; he will also give lectures in both cities.


Projects

*EPACenter Arts site design, East Palo Alto, CA, ongoing *Witness Walls, public art installation, Nashville, TN, 2017 *
International African American Museum The International African American Museum (IAAM) is a museum of African-American history being built in Charleston, South Carolina, on the site where Gadsden's Wharf, the disembarkation point of up to 40% of all American enslaved persons, once stood ...
Landscape Design, Charleston, SC, 2013–present * Foster Homestead and Burial Ground, South Lawn,
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
, Charlottesville VA, 2008 *Coleman Ave Gateway,
San Jose International Airport Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport , commonly known simply as San Jose International Airport, is a city-owned public airport in San Jose, California, United States. It is named after San Jose native Norman Mineta, former United S ...
, San Jose Public Art Program, 2007 *West Oakland Historic Train Depot Plaza, Oakland CA, 2008 *Phillip Lifeways Plan, Charleston, SC, Spoleto Art Program, 2006 *
Autry National Center The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including le ...
Southwest Museum Landscape, Los Angeles CA, 2008 *East Bay Waterfront Trail, Oakland, California, with EDAW and Associates, City of Oakland, California, 2002- *
M. H. de Young Museum The de Young Museum, formally the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco, California. Located in Golden Gate Park, it is a component of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with the California Pala ...
Landscape Design, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, with
Herzog & de Meuron Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd.,
" Herzog & de Meuron. Retrieved on 11 October 2012. "Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd. R ...
Architects, 2005 *Lion Creek Crossing Park, Oakland, CA, EBALC, 2006 *Macon Yards, Poplar Street, City of Macon, Georgia, 2005 *Abraham Lincoln Brigade Memorial, w/ Ann Chamberlain, Embarcadero, San Francisco CA, 2007 *Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA, with the Office of Cheryl Barton, 2005 *Splash Pad Park Renovation and Streetscape Improvement Project, City of Oakland, California 2004


Awards

* Dorothy and Lillian Gish Award, 2019 *MacArthur Fellowship: MacArthur Foundation, 2019 *
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
: Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, 2017 *
University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...
School of Architecture and Planning: Dean's Medal, 2014 *
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum housed within the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile (New York City), Museum Mile. It is one of 19 museums that fall under the ...
National Design Award for Landscape Design, 2009 *Virginia Key Beach Museum Competition, Miami Fl/1st Prize w/Huff and Gooden Architects 2005/Merit Award, ASLA, Northern Chapter *Oakland Waterfront 2005/Top Honor Award, Excellence on the Waterfront *Waterfront Center Award, Oakland Waterfront, October 2004/APWA 2004 Distinguished Project of the Year Award *Splash Pad Park/Mayor's Proclamation, "Walter Hood Day", Pioneering Achievements in Urban Landscape Design, City of Oakland, April 24, 2004/National Award of Honor American Society of Landscape Architecture, 2003 *Project: Baldwin Hills Master Plan 2001/Best of the Best, California Park and Recreation Society 2002 *Project: Lafayette Square Park/Merit Award, ASLA Southern California Chapter *Project: Baldwin Hills Master Plan 2001/Place Design Award, EDRA/Places, Third Annual Award 1999 *Project: Lafayette Square Park. Poplar Street Civic Design Competition, First Prize. Macon, Georgia. Jan. 1998 *
Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...
in Landscape Architecture, The
American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) in Rome. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History In 1893, a group of American architects, ...
, 1996–1997. *"Urban Diaries" and "Jazz and Blues Landscape Improvisations," American Society of Landscape Architecture National Award of Merit: Research, 1994 *Mount Vernon Riverfront Plan, Community Development Award State of Washington, 1988 *Design Arts Competition, Merit Award, 1988 *University of California Arboretum at Davis/ASLA Certificate For Excellence in the study of Landscape Design, 1987 *Thomas Church Design Award for Excellence in Landscape Design/Department of Landscape Architecture at Berkeley, 1987


Publications

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Design Culture Now, National Design Triennial, Princeton Architectural Press, NY, 2000 * Everyday Urbanism, Urban Diaries: Improvisation in West Oakland, CA. Monacelli Press, Inc., 1999. ISBN


References


External links


Hood Design Studio

Walter J. Hood, UC Berkeley faculty
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hood, Walter J. 1958 births Living people African-American academics African-American activists 20th-century American architects American social activists Urban designers UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design faculty UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design alumni 21st-century American architects 20th-century African-American artists 21st-century African-American artists