Aarno Emil Ruusuvuori was born on 14 January 1925 in Kuopio, Northern Savonia. Ruusuvuori studied architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology and received his diploma in 1951. The following year he established his own office. Aarno Ruusuvuori married architect Anna Jäämeri (Anna Jäämeri-Ruusuvuori) in 1970.

Aarno Ruusuvuori is known for Brutalist concrete architecture. He was the editor in chief of the Finnish Architectural Review in 1956–1957. He taught architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology from 1960 and was named as a professor in 1962. He was even the director of the Museum of Finnish Architecture the years 1975–1978 and 1983–1988.

Aarno Ruusuvuori died at the age of 67 on 22 February 1992 in Helsinki.