Ten Years of The Diamond: Reflections from the Design Team

This year marks ten years since the opening of The Diamond at the University of Sheffield, a landmark project that continues to inspire a decade on. As our first completed UK building, The Diamond was a defining moment for Twelve Architects, setting the tone for our approach to design, collaboration and innovation. Reflecting on this milestone, we asked members of the original design team, Matt Cartwright and Lorraine Stoutt Griffith, to share their experiences of working on the building that helped to shape our future as a practice.

Designed to transform the way engineering was taught at the University, The Diamond brings together multiple disciplines under one roof, creating a flexible, future-focused environment that encourages interaction, learning and discovery. Ten years later, the building remains one of the UK’s most advanced teaching and research facilities, and one we’re immensely proud to have worked on.

“The atrium remains one of the building’s most uplifting surprises,” recalls Lorraine. “It’s open, light and full of character, with a variety of places to spend time or work. We painted the steel structure orange to reveal how the building works. It’s a detail that makes it particularly special for the structural engineers who use it.”

Behind the building’s confidence lies the complexity of its delivery. From the organically shaped windows to the curved pod walls, every detail required careful coordination. “It wasn’t without its challenges,” says Lorraine, “but the ambition and commitment across the team made it possible. Seeing it now, still thriving and crowded with students, makes it all worthwhile. It set a great standard for the student experience.”

For Matt, the project carries a deep personal significance. “The vision was to create a landmark building that would attract students and staff, and support the University in becoming one of the leading engineering faculties in the UK and internationally,” he reflects. “The project was founded on trust, hard work and a collective desire to succeed. When challenges arose, we found solutions together, a rarity that shaped my belief in the power of collaboration.”

A decade later, The Diamond remains one of the UK’s most advanced and well-used engineering facilities, a space that is both functional and inspiring. “I’m immensely proud and somewhat emotional,” Matt adds. “My parents met as students at the University of Sheffield. To have designed a building that continues to inspire future generations is priceless.”

Looking back, both Lorraine and Matt agree that The Diamond exemplifies the values that continue to guide Twelve’s work today: trust, ambition, quality and collective strength.

“Be ambitious,” says Lorraine. “Bring the team with you, client, users, engineers, contractors, and maintain the quality of materials. It was a struggle to keep the cladding anodised, but seeing it now, it was absolutely the right decision.”

“Trust, ambition and a clear vision,” echoes Matt, “are the lessons that we have carried through to every project since.”

Ten years on, The Diamond continues to stand as a testament to design excellence, innovation and collaboration, and as a project that will always hold a special place in our hearts.