Based in Oakland, California, Walter Hood founded his eponymous practice in 1992. In addition his role as Creative Director at his practice, he is a Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design at the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design. He is committed to developing environments which reflect their place and time, specifically through how people inhabit various geographies. His practice combines art and fabrication, design and landscape, and research and urbanism to shape spaces situated in their scales and contexts.
His works are located across the United States, and range from sculptural installations to waterfront master plans. His Bay Area projects, inlcuding Splash Pad Park, the de Young Museum landscape, and Frame/Refrain, are exemplary of his work across scales. Hood has received numerous accolades over his career, including the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, a MacArthur Fellowship, and a Knight Public Spaces Fellowship, all in 2009.