Kate Diamond, FAIA, LEED AP

“Public buildings, like our cities, communicate who we are and what we care about.” 

Kate Diamond is HDR’s civic design director and a design principal based out of our Los Angeles studio. She brings a breadth of experience translating the aspirations of a diversity of public and private clients into beautiful, high performance projects serving federal, state and local government, industry, education and urban design. Kate believes passionately in the power of design to help clients address the triple bottom line of social, economic, and environmental responsibility while meeting all of the requirements of their unique missions. Recent key projects include two net-zero projects for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and a net zero embodied & operational carbon headquarters for the Orange County Sanitation District.

Recognized as a true advocate for design in the Los Angeles architecture community and beyond, Kate is respected by her for her commitment to elevating the profession through her work and engagement. She was the first woman president of the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles chapter and currently serves on the AIA-LA COTE Committee, the Board of USGBC, and has served on the National Peer Review Council for the U.S. General Services Administration Design Excellence Program since 1996. She was the lead designer for three major GSA Design Excellence completed projects, as well as the lead designer for a major GSA Design Build | Design Excellence competition. Committed to sharing with future generations, Kate has taught design studios at the USC School of Architecture and gives guest lectures at various schools of architecture across the country.