Hood Design Studio is not just a landscape architecture firm; it is a practice deeply rooted in the intersection of design, culture, and social art. With a philosophy that embraces the complexities of place and people, the studio’s work is guided by three core lenses: Everyday, Lifeways, and Commemoration. These perspectives allow the studio to uncover the unique stories of each site and respond with designs that honor its ecological and cultural essence—both seen and unseen. Through this approach, Hood Design Studio creates spaces that reveal the beauty, strangeness, and potential of the world around us.
The Everyday: Rethinking the Mundane
The “Everyday” lens focuses on overlooked and ordinary spaces—those in-between places where life unfolds quietly. Hood Design Studio reimagines these spaces, transforming them into vibrant, meaningful environments that foster connection and creativity.
One striking example is the renovation of the Oakland Museum of California. Originally designed in the 1960s by architect Kevin Roche, the museum was conceived as a public garden for the city. However, societal fears of the era led to the construction of concrete walls that isolated the space from the community. Hood Design Studio’s renovation broke down these barriers, creating openings in the walls and inviting the city into a revitalized public garden and performance lawn. The result is a dynamic civic space that bridges the museum and the community, breathing new life into the heart of Oakland.
Similarly, the Nvidia Campus in Santa Clara, California, redefines the concept of working outdoors. Drawing inspiration from California’s agrarian heritage, the design features a photovoltaic-covered forest with tree canopy walks and treehouses. This hybrid landscape not only promotes well-being in the workplace but also encourages innovative thinking by immersing employees in the natural world.
Lifeways: Enhancing Civic Life
Through the “Lifeways” lens, Hood Design Studio examines the social patterns and practices of a place, introducing design provocations that enrich civic life and celebrate cultural heritage.
In Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, the studio’s landscape framework weaves together the area’s rich history of jazz, the ecological narrative of Lake Michigan, and the legacy of urban food production. This layered design allows multiple stories to coexist, creating a space where history, culture, and ecology intersect.
At the Skowhegan School of Art and Sculpture, Hood Design Studio collaborated with the school to create five performance spaces that respond to the unique characteristics of the landscape. Designed and staked by hand over the course of a week, these spaces encourage participants to see the land in new ways and inspire innovative forms of artistic expression.
Commemoration: Remembering and Celebrating
The “Commemoration” lens focuses on honoring history and celebrating cultural narratives. Hood Design Studio’s commemorative projects are deeply symbolic, creating spaces that resonate with memory and meaning.
In Jacksonville, Florida, the studio is designing a park in the La Villa neighborhood to honor the Johnson brothers, authors of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The park’s design features a lifted lawn, symbolizing the song’s enduring impact on the nation.
In Charleston, South Carolina, the International African American Museum includes allegoric gardens and a reflecting fountain that commemorate the African diaspora and the Atlantic Passage. The fountain’s paving field features serialized figures inspired by the Brooks Map, which are revealed and concealed as the water ebbs and flows. Visitors are invited to reflect on the journey of the African diaspora while looking west toward Sullivan’s Island, a poignant reminder of the point of no return.
A Practice of Discovery and Transformation
Hood Design Studio’s work is a testament to the power of design to uncover hidden narratives and transform spaces into places of connection, reflection, and inspiration. By embracing the Everyday, Lifeways, and Commemoration, the studio creates landscapes that honor the past, engage the present, and imagine new possibilities for the future. Through their thoughtful and adaptive approach, Hood Design Studio invites us to see the world—and ourselves—through new apertures, revealing the emergent beauty and strangeness that surround us.
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