Diana Hayton, AIA, LEED AP

A focus on community and the environment is at the root of Diana’s practice. She views architecture through a wide lens – one that identifies connection, context and sustainability as essential drivers to successful projects. She has a passion for breathing new life into historic structures, and the sense of place and cultural memory that they provide. She loves helping clients get the most from their resources, planning for flexibility so buildings can adapt to changing programmatic needs, multiple uses, and operational efficiencies. To her, adapting existing buildings for modern use  is fundamental to decarbonization and net-zero design.

An architect with more than 25 years of experience, Diana combines exceptional technical and management expertise with a striking capacity to listen, analyze with precision, and resolve with grace.  She is an established leader in the design of award-winning cultural, educational, sports/recreation, community, and historic developments, with notable projects including the rehabilitation of Lisser Hall at Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, and Congregation Sherith Israel and the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco.  Currently, she is working on the adaptive reuse of Building 102 at the Presidio of San Francisco.  

Diana earned her Master of Architecture degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.  Outside of the office, you’re likely to find her hiking the Bay Area Ridge Trail, remodeling her 1908 home, or leading the development of Albany Unified School District’s  Environmental Action Plan.