There is much to reflect on when thinking of Walter Hood's illustrious career. Hood started his design practice in 1992 after he graduated from UC Berkley where he received his Master's in Landscape Architecture. Since then, his commitment to merging architecture, art, and urbanism has led him to become one of the most prolific landscape architects for social change and spatial equity. 

Early this July, Archinect contributing writer Rukshan Vathupola conducted an in-depth interview with Hood. In his piece, Othering Blackness in Design: Reflections with Walter Hood, Vathupola crafted a discussion that highlighted Hood not only as a practitioner but as an individual who challenges the perception of landscape architecture, design, and urbanism as a cultural practice.

The highest honor given to an individual for their exceptional achievements in architecture, urbanism, art, design, and the environment, The Architectural League presented Walter Hood with the award during a public ceremony on July 21. The first in-person event led by the Architectural League since March 2020 was packed with featured performances from groups within the community. Friends, colleagues, and visitors took part in the event as they witnessed tributes to Hood by Mario Gooden, Mabel O. Wilson, and Sara Zewde. 

Hood's practice, Hood Design Studio, is responsible for notable projects such as the Viaduct Rail Park in Philadelphia, New de Young Museum Gardens in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the garden redesign for the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), and most recently, "Black Towers/Black Power" in Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America at MoMA. The "multi-arts" ceremony at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem is a fitting reflection of Hood's eclectic design approach. 

Architectural League President Paul Lewis applauded Hood, stating he was "one of the most influential designers of public space of our time, an artist who sees his work as a cultural practice, creating beauty in everyday environments, revealing hidden histories, renewing connections, guiding the way to co-existence in all our multiplicity and difference. There could be no more fitting person to honor at the moment of our re-engagement with public life."

Fellow landscape architect Sara Zewde shared: "While his practice has been around for over 25 years, Walter's legacy is ushering in an entirely new generation of landscape architects, as his work is ahead of its time. Though he has already accomplished so much, tonight's award is only a sign that much more is to come." 

Hood joins the list of other distinguished President's Medal winners such as architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien; Andrew Freear, Director of the Rural Studio of Auburn University; Christiana Figueres, negotiator of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change; architect Henry Cobb; and beloved critic Ada Louise Huxtable to name a few. 

While his practice has been around for over 25 years, Walter’s legacy is ushering in an entirely new generation of landscape architects, as his work is ahead of its time. — Sara Zewde (founding principal of Studio Zewde)

Earlier this year, Hood was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2021 and recognized as a 2021 USA Fellow. In addition, he is the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship in 2019 and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. In 2020, his latest book, Black Landscapes Matter, was published. In posing the question, "Do Black landscapes matter?," the book consists of writing and research that dives deep into American history and its relationship to slavery, segregated cities, and the nation's troubled landscape. As described in the blurb from the book, "Black landscapes matter because they tell the truth." Another piece of writing that reiterates his ethos as a designer, this statement echos Hood's ongoing influence in the profession.