William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB is a third-generation architect in the city of Coral Gables, with an academic background in Urban and Regional Planning, Historic Preservation and Latin American Studies. William’s certificate in Historic Preservation was earned under the guidance of former State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and former Associate Director for Cultural Resources of the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., Janet Mathews, Ph.D. William has been involved with more than 1,200 construction projects, including more than 100 in the City of Coral Gables within the last six years. William has sought to design from a perspective that is both culturally-sensitive and historically-minded. William has a personal heritage in the City of Coral Gables, since his grandfather’s working in the city since 1949 with midcentury Architect, Igor B. Polevitzky, FAIA, and William’s own work with Alfred Browning Parker’s son, Robin Parker. Finding merit not only in the constructions that he studied, but also their impact on the people who utilize them, William developed a sense of obligation to the city and the unique fabric of architecture that formed it.
In 2008, William was recognized by the U.S. Treasury Department for his research in examining how buildings function without the use of air-conditioning. He was granted a special travel license by Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and represented the United States in three Urban Planning Charrettes taking place in Havana, Cuba between 2008 and 2011. Drawing pre-revolution relationships between the architecture within the two cities, William continues to build upon the practices and techniques learned from this rare opportunity to utilize local government as an asset rather than a challenge. William currently principals “WHAA”, a full-service, third-generation Coral Gables firm for Miami architecture, engineering and construction administration. With a heritage originating in Miami since 1949, WHAA works in South Florida’s most diverse and culturally-sensitive neighborhoods. WHAA promotes its buildings as efficient, environmentally and culturally-sensible. Of the firm’s annum average of 60-70 projects, about 60% of the firm’s work involves the utilization of existing, historic or aged structures of more than fifty years of age.