Walter Thomas Brooks (1927)

Walter Thomas Brooks was born April 7, 1927 in Lake Forest, Illinois and was a student at Lake Forest College, Illinois, University of Illinois, and the University of California. He apprenticed with various architectural firms between 1950-1960, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Mario Corbett, Anshen & Allen, and Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons. He became a registered architect in the State of California in 1956. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Brooks’s private practice has included projects in California, Florida, and Hawaii.

Brooks has received awards from the American Institute of Architects and the University of California, as well as recognition from Life and Newsweek Magazine for his residential designs.

The Walter Thomas Brooks collection is comprised of one box of materials primarily consisting of project records created by Brooks and presented in an unbound catalog spanning his career. The majority of these projects are private residences in California, although designs for community centers, civic centers, and museum submittals are also included. Many projects were never realized in their physical form and are presented as designs only. This collection also contains designs highlighting Brooks’ ideas about natural forms in architecture, focusing on the physical environment and the organic growth of natural forms.