infinity: 03/2010

1.3.10

Remarkable Landscape Architects

Walter Hood

<http://www.wjhooddesign.com/>

From the KQED news story: "Walter Hood's impact on the cities of Oakland and San Francisco is evident in the refurbishment of 10 local parks, including Lafayette Park, and the regeneration of several well known memorials in San Francisco like the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Monument on the Embarcadero, the new de Young Museum gardens and Yerba Buena Lane, which connects Mission and Market Streets in downtown San Francisco.
"Through his pioneering 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.
"Hood's upcoming contributions continue to surpass his achievements: he is currently designing a cluster of parks, and biking trails created from old service roads on the city's waterfront. In short, his accomplishments on behalf of Bay Area residents are an immeasurable investment into the regions future.
"Hood is also professor and former Chair of the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of California, Berkeley, and principal of Hood Design in Oakland, CA. He has exhibited and lectured on his professional projects and theoretical works nationally and abroad. His work was recently featured in the exhibition and publication while he participated in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's "Revelatory Landscapes" Exhibition 2000-2001. He is currently researching and writing a book entitled Urban Landscapes: American Landscape Typologies."

De Young Museum : SAN FRANCISCO, CA