Originally from Northern California, Rick Van Diepen has made Las Vegas his home for the past 19 years after graduating from the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design. In 2014 Rick became a principal at GRN Vision, a full-service sustainability and green building consulting firm headquartered in Las Vegas. Prior to joining GRN Vision Rick left a long career in architecture to pursue his passion for sustainability and community development serving as the first executive director for Green Chips, a regional non-profit organization dedicated to building community and promoting sustainability in the public-private arena.

A LEED 2.0 Accredited Professional since 2004, Rick’s primary emphasis in architecture has been on integrated design and sustainability and he most recently held the position of Associate Principal and firm-wide Sustainability Manager for PGAL Architects’ nine offices in the U.S. and Mexico. Originally from the San Joaquin Valley in Northern California, Rick has had a lifelong passion for sustainable design, local food systems, and historic preservation. Some notable historic preservation and renovation projects Rick has worked on include the 1907 East Ely Railroad Depot and General Offices, the Nevada State Museum renovation at the 1907 Ely Freight House (both are on the national register), the 1941 Harrison House in West Las Vegas and all of these projects are located in areas with difficult climate conditions and the various energy conservation measures had to be integrated carefully with the renovation and preservation activities.

Rick also has had experience leading and helping to develop community-based nonprofit organizations having served as board member and 2015 Chapter President with the US Green Building Council Nevada (USGBC NV). Rick was a board member and chair for Green Chips prior to joining their staff and has also served on boards for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Las Vegas Chapter and Nevadans For Clean and Reliable Energy (NCARE). A Leadership Las Vegas graduate (2008), Rick has been an active member of the community performing volunteer work and pro-bono design services to several local charitable organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Olive Crest, Family Promise, and the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation. Rick Van Diepen has been a featured guest speaker and panelist for numerous local professional groups, and local TV and public radio programs on the subject of sustainable design. He and his wife Kathryn have two daughters and live in a (raucous) 1964 house in central Las Vegas which they are renovating to be net-zero energy.