Walter Hood at Day 3

Walter Hood, Principal, Hood Design, Oakland, CA

In his landscape architecture practice Walter Hood’s interests include the critical examination and development of specific urban landscape typologies for the American city. He likes to reinforce specific cultural, environmental, and physical complexities of the city and neighborhood landscape. He is renown for his much-enjoyed public opens spaces such as “Splash Pad Park” in Oakland.  He is currently working on the Ecocity Builders sponsored redesign of the open space where Center Street is now located in downtown Berkeley where his new design will celebrate and help reveal the dynamics of Strawberry Creek and the connection between city and campus.

Hood Design: www.wjhooddesign.com

Featured Project: Arcosanti

Also presenting at the 2008 Ecocity World Summit is Jeff Stein, Chairman of the Cosanti Foundation. In 1970, the Cosanti Foundation began building Arcosanti, an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. Conceptualized by Italian-American visionary architect Paolo Soleri, Arcosanti is intended to be the first example of an arcology, or architectural ecology. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5,000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Its large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses will occupy only 25 acres of a 4,060 acre land preserve, keeping the natural countryside in close proximity to urban dwellers.

Featured Presenter: Ken Yeang

From our friends at Landscape+Urbanism:

Ken Yeang: Veg.itect

Defining the concept of Vegetated Architecture led me to identify some of the key players in the field. Rather than continue the segregation of disciplines, Veg.itecture spans disciplines, further blurring the lines of established practice regimes. This does not demark territories where only the few architect/LA dual practicioners are allowed to have this mantle, but rather it is indicative of a unique approach - one where building and landscape are not discernable as individual elements.Ken Yeang epitomizes the concept, perhaps stronger than any current architect. His concepts of bioclimatic high-rise design has been a signature of his designs - maxing aesthetic and technical principles.

These include the following strategies (from daaq.net): “Bioclimatic skyscrapers are skyscrapers that use environmentally and climatically sensitive forms and means of construction. The points Yeang considers vital to bioclimatic skyscraper design are:

:: variability in facade and building performance in response to climate and location
:: alignment of building along the solar path
:: flexibility to adjust to different climatic needs throughout the year
:: use of entirely passive means of lighting and ventilation whenever possible
:: material selection based on ecologically sound principles”

This is a similar conceptual framework to a recent post on Defining Veg.itecture, which maybe is why Yeang get’s the top slot for Veg.itects.

Some of Ken’s projects of note (and keep an eye on the forms of vegetated facades).

:: Elephant and Castle Eco Towers London - image via MoMa


:: Editt Tower Malaysia - image via Index


:: Chongqing Tower, China - image via Jetson Green

:: Human Research Institute, Hong Kong - image via Jetson Green

:: Macau Master Plan - image via Jetson Green

:: BIDV Tower, Vietnam - image via Jetson Green

Relatedly, Yeang will be speaking in the Ecocity World Summit on April 22-26 in San Francisco, alongside pretty much anyone you can imagine, call it the Monsters of Ecocities Tour. My guess the Veg.itects will be out in force at this event - and most definitely more to come from Ken Yeang.