The National Building Museum has announced Walter Hood, an acclaimed American landscape designer, as the recipient of the 2024 Vincent Scully Prize. This prestigious honor, established in 1999, recognizes excellence in architecture, historic preservation, and urban design. Hood, the 26th recipient, follows a legacy of distinguished honorees such as Theaster Gates, Dolores Hayden, and Elizabeth Meyer.
A public celebration will take place on October 4, 2024, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The evening will include the award presentation, remarks by Hood, and a public conversation with jury members, including 2012 laureate Paul Goldberger.
Hood is the founder and creative director of Hood Design Studio, based in Oakland, California, which he established in 1992. His work emphasizes creating ecologically sustainable public spaces that resonate with urban communities, often highlighting marginalized histories. Notable projects include the International African American Museum in Charleston, the Oakland Museum of California, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park in Jacksonville, Florida
“Walter Hood’s illustrious career embodies the affirmative spirit of Vincent Scully’s perspective; that of melding art, history, landscape, and urbanism,” said Aileen Fuchs, president and executive director of the National Building Museum. “He has forged a path for landscape architects with provocative designs that have helped instigate social change.”
In addition to his studio work, Hood serves as chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley. His career is decorated with numerous accolades, including the 2019 MacArthur Fellowship, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and the 2021 Architectural League’s President’s Medal.
The jury praised Hood for his distinctive approach to urban public spaces, working across scales from large cultural projects to neighborhood-level initiatives.
“Hood focuses particularly on urban public space, and unlike many of his peers in landscape design, he makes a point of working at both the scale of large, public projects… and the intimate scale of community-based neighborhood projects,” remarked the jury.
His recent work at the International African American Museum in Charleston has been particularly lauded.
About the Vincent Scully Prize and National Building Museum
The Vincent Scully Prize, created in 1999, honors exemplary contributions to architecture, historic preservation, and urban design. Named for Yale University professor Vincent Scully, whose teachings inspired generations of architects and planners, the prize reflects a dedication to the built environment’s influence on society.
The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., which awards the prize, is committed to educating the public on architecture, urban planning, and design. Through its exhibitions and programs, the museum encourages a deeper understanding of how the built world shapes communities and everyday life.
