James Robert Hillier
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James Robert Hillier | |
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| Born | July 24, 1937 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | Princeton University - Bachelor of Arts (1959) Princeton University - Master of Architecture (1961) |
| Occupation | Architect, Developer, Professor |
| Awards | Michael Graves Lifetime Achievement Award |
| Website | |
James Robert Hillier (born July 24, 1937) is an American architect, developer, and educator. He is the founder of The Hillier Group, once one of the largest global architecture firms, and co-founder of Studio Hillier, an architecture firm in Princeton, New Jersey.[1] A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Hillier has designed notable buildings across five continents.[2][3]
Early life and education
Hillier was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and moved to Princeton, New Jersey, at the age of four. His father, James Hillier, was a scientist known for developing the first operating electron microscope in North America.[4]
Hillier attended the Lawrenceville School, helping to cover half of his tuition fees by selling tropical fish at his mother's local flower shop.[5] He earned a Bachelor of Arts (1959) and a Master of Architecture (1961) from Princeton University. He holds honorary degrees from Bryant College and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.[6]
Career
1960s to 1990s
Hillier began his professional career in 1961 as a drafter on the Stuart Country Day School project under mentor Jean Labatut. In 1966, he founded The Hillier Group which went on to become the third largest architectural firm in the U.S. with around 300 design professionals and multiple offices worldwide.[2][7]
In 1969, Hillier led the design and master planning of Twin Rivers, the first planned unit development in New Jersey. The community featured more than 700 townhouses with walkable access to employment, retail, and recreational spaces—an approach that challenged existing zoning restrictions at the time and demonstrated Hillier's forward-thinking approach to urban planning.[8]
Other early notable works include Bryant University's campus in Smithfield[8], RI, Aspiria (formerly Sprint World Headquarters) in Overland Park, KS[9],AT&T Corporation offices in Bedminster, New Jersey, and numerous other academic, residential, and healthcare buildings.
In 1998, Architectural Record identified Hillier Architecture as one of the best managed firms in the United States.[2]
2000s to present
In 2007, The Hillier Group merged with Scottish Firm RMJM to become the third largest architectural firm in the world with seventeen offices worldwide.[2] By that time, the Hillier Group had completed over 4,000 projects in more than 30 countries and had received over 300 design awards.[10] In 2009, Hillier co-founded Studio Hillier with his late wife, architect Barbara Hillier, focusing on contextual, sustainable design, and developing projects for their own account.[2]
Hillier served as coordinating architect in a collaboration with Christian de Portzamparc, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect, on the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy LVMH Tower, a 24-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.[11]
Among his notable international commissions, Hillier worked on The Star, Sydney, Australia[12], Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas[13], and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Global Headquarters in London.[14]
In the residential sector, Hillier has designed dozens of custom homes in the Princeton area including River Road Residence in New Hope, Pennsylvania, which was the Bronze Winner of the International Architecture & Design Awards 2024.[15] Situated along the Delaware River, the house was conceived as a "floating box" cantilevered above the floodplain on a concrete pedestal.[15]
Academic roles
Since 1992, Hillier has been a visiting lecturer at the Princeton University School of Architecture, where he teaches a course on professional practice. He has also served on the National Fellowship Jury for the American Institute of Architects and advisory boards for architectural programs nationwide.[2]
Selected works
- GlaxoSmithKline Global Headquarters, London, UK
- Louis Vuitton (LVMH) Tower, New York City, NY
- Chapel at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, Princeton, NJ
- Princeton Public Library, Princeton, NJ
- Restoration of the U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C.
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY
- Duke–NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Duke University Medical Science Research Building II, Durham, NC
- Duke French Family Science Center, Durham, NC
- The Star, formerly Sydney Harbour Casino Complex, Sydney, Australia
- River Road Residence, New Hope, PA
- Kirby Math and Science Center, The Lawrenceville School, NJ
- Annenburg Science Center, Peddie School, NJ
- Aspiria (formerly Sprint World Headquarters), Overland Park, KS
- AT&T Corporation Offices, Bedminster, NJ
- Baha Mar Resort, Bahamas
- Irving Convention Center, Las Colinas, Irving, TX
- Rutgers SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
Honors and Recognitions
- FAIA Fellow, American Institute of Architects (1976)
- Michael Graves Lifetime Achievement Award, AIA New Jersey (2023)
- Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc. Magazine (1989)
- Architect of the Year, New Jersey Contractors Association (1976, 1987, 1992, 1997)
- Leonardo da Vinci Award, Professional Services Management Association (2001)
- President's Medal for Lifetime Achievement, NJIT (2009)
- Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
- 75th Anniversary Legacy Award, Urban Land Institute
Publishing and media
Hillier co-founded Obit Magazine, recognized with two Webby Awards. He currently serves as co-publisher of Princeton Magazine, a regional lifestyle publication covering arts, culture and community affairs.
Personal life
Hillier was first married to Margaret Wendel, with whom he had two children. His second marriage was to architect Barbara A. Hillier, who managed Hillier Group's Philadelphia office. They had one daughter. Barbara passed away in 2022.
Philanthropy
In 2019, the New Jersey Institute of Technology renamed its school of Architecture the J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier of Architecture and Design in recognition of the largest donation in the university's history, made by J. Robert Hillier and Barbara A. Hillier.[3]
References
- ↑ "IN PERSON; The Understated Face of Princeton (Published 2003)". 2003-11-30. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Princeton University School of Architecture". soa.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "To the NJIT Community | Office of the President". www.njit.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ↑ "To the NJIT Community | Office of the President". www.njit.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ Hersh, Pam. "With His Wife Facing a Medical Challenge, Princeton Architect Bob Hillier Keeps Pursuing Their Shared Vision", TAPinto Princeton, October 15, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2025. "Although born in Toronto, Canada, Bob arrived in Princeton as a toddler before he could develop that distinctive Canadian drawl.... 'She wanted me to go to Lawrenceville Prep School. I agreed, but my father said it was too expensive. The deal we made was that I could go, if I earned half of the $3,300 cost.'"
- ↑ "Bob Hillier's Archinect profile". Archinect. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ West, Andrew Slocumb (2007-07-06). "Hillier Architecture and RMJM Group Unite". Architect Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 AIANJ-1971-3.pdf
- ↑ "Sprint Is Building Huge Headquarters in Kansas (Published 1998)". 1998-07-12. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ West, Andrew Slocumb (2007-07-06). "Hillier Architecture and RMJM Group Unite". Architect Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Designing The Nouveau Building On the Block (Published 1999)". 1999-12-15. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Projects". ArchitectureAu. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Baha Mar Resorts, Harrah's Entertainment and Starwood Hotels Finalize Joint Venture and Management Agreements to Develop Baha Mar, a $2+ Billion Destination Resort in The Bahamas". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ Waite, Richard (2025-03-12). "First images revealed of plans to convert GlaxoSmithKline HQ into homes". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Price, IAD Awards 2025 Brief Categories Schedule; Brief; Categories; Schedule; Price; Registration; Submit; Winners; Jury, Jury Jury Panel Nominate. "River Road Residence - Bronze Winner / Individual Home Architecture / IADA 2024 - ᐅ International Architecture & Design Awards 2026 | Architecture & Design Community". Retrieved 2025-10-13.
External links
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