| Walter Hood ’81 is a man of extraordinary passion who is living his life to the fullest as an artist, designer and educator. He is the founder and creative director of Hood Design Studio, a landscape architecture firm based in Oakland, California. He is also a full-time professor of landscape architecture, environmental planning and urban design at the University of California Berkeley.
With more than 35 years in landscape architecture, Hood is known in his industry as the “Community Whisperer,” due to his creative process and delivery of work that speaks what the community is trying to say. He has a subtle approach to new projects with a perspective of being still and quiet during the initial planning stages; this allows him to understand his spaces by listening intently to the history and culture. He believes this approach is a valuable asset to his creativity, and makes him a well-rounded designer that wants to participate in the tradition of design.
“I am a student of history, I live in the contemporary and I don’t throw anything out but I use what I currently have to create my designs,” said Hood.
For Hood, he explains that every project gives definition to the possibility of what’s to come. He believes his work is a journey because he takes one idea and brings it to life through his designs. For him, this is what he loves to do because every day he is able to use his imagination to create public spaces.
Even in his profession as a minority, Hood is very conscious of who he is and works hard to not be type cast but to be respected for his talent and gift. This mindset was nurtured and developed at North Carolina A&T State University through the environment and his professors. One instructor in particular who stands out to him is Dr. Charles Fountain, the founding father of the landscape architecture program at N.C. A&T, who instilled in him individuality, courage and work ethic.
Through Hood’s award winning work, it has afforded him multiple fellowships, he is currently a fellow at the American Academy at Rome. He also served as a Goldman Sachs Design Fellow for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. to support the museum staff to re-conceptualize its public spaces. Also, his work has been featured in the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Learning Modern” exhibition, and was featured prominently in the February 2010 issue of “Art in America.”
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