Arthur Diamond

Senior Architect
“The freedom of design is overrated. I believe the making of any thoughtful place is rooted in trust-building and shared advocacy.”
Arthur Diamond

Bio

An Aurora native, Arthur is a senior architect in RVA Architecture whose thirty-years’ experience spans a diverse range of markets, including education, research, manufacturing, transportation, water and wastewater, and municipal.

Early in his career, Arthur developed his experience through residential projects, refining his skillset in both project management and business development side of architecture by starting his own firm. Based in his hometown of Aurora, he worked primarily with townhome developments, infill sites, severing lots, and adaptive reuse projects to convert dilapidated properties into multi-family homes. Eventually, he became the lead architect for several multi-national architectural and engineering firms, building out a project portfolio that spans $0.5 million to $37.5 million in construction values.

As an architect, Arthur loves collaborative design that echoes the client’s vision, and he believes in taking cross-disciplinary approaches to inform conceptual and technical possibilities. For him, the freedom of design is overrated; a discerning designer knows how to balance big dreams with practicalities, and collaboration is needed to navigate the constraints of architecture in the contemporary world. Arthur values holistic design thinking, listening to understand, and prioritizing respect in client relationships. This practice offers opportunities to encourage dialogue and collaboration with clients, teams, and builders alike, effectively fostering design leadership from feasibility to construction. For him, the end-product of any project – from its spatial elements, aesthetics, and functionalities – should always emerge as the authentic expression of a collective design voice.

Now, as a Senior Architect of RVA Architecture, Arthur’s focus is to draw on his extensive experience to build awareness and recognition of the firm’s architectural practice in new markets, and with new projects – some of which have earned accolades for their innovative use of building materials. As Arthur says, architecture makes way for new construction, and his goal is to develop thoughtful sustainable designs in such a way that it is more affordable, practical, and beautiful, with less impact on the natural environment.

When not at the office, Arthur likes to tinker on an endless series of classic and antique cars, dating all the way back to a 1976 Camaro he had in high school to a 1972 Corvette in the present day (he even once considered pursuing industrial design to become an automotive designer, but found architecture much more fulfilling). He’s also recently taken up motorcycling again since his teenage days of owning a Yamaha RD400, and on his days off, you’re likely to find him exploring countryside on his Honda Shadow.