Introduction
Studio Hillier LLC is an interdisciplinary design firm in Princeton, NJ, co-founded in 2011 by partners Barbara A. Hillier, AIA, and J. Robert Hillier, LHD, FAIA, PP. For over thirty years, we have formed the backbone of a vibrant, growing full-service architectural studio with the depth of experience and design talent to take on a challenge of any scope.
We work collaboratively with experts in the region and elsewhere who bring excellence and robust knowledge of the latest building technologies, including prefabrication and environmental systems and the preservation of historic structures. Our success is reflected in the number of repeat clients who recognize our rigorous performance standards in meeting occupancy dates, managing the budget, and delivering high-quality design and professional services. With over three hundred and fifty design awards, our reputation for excellence is evidence of our commitment to our clients, place, sustainability, and the built environment.
Over the last two decades, a representation of completed project types includes hospitals, international corporate headquarters, public and private libraries, a US government courthouse, an urban convention center, independent day and boarding secondary schools, colleges and universities, art centers/museums, research buildings, and multi-family projects. Our work is a mosaic of places, cultures, customs, and economies in locations ranging from bucolic open spaces to urban neighborhoods to densely urban communities. Through these projects, we work tirelessly to achieve our clients’ expectations and create architecture that embodies the vision and spirit of their dreams.
Studio Hillier’s office is located in the heart of the historic Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood in Princeton, New Jersey, and operates out of a converted machine shop and warehouse. We serve clients throughout New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Beijing, and Shanghai from our Princeton base. We are only one hour from 2 international airports. We have projects in 27 states and 32 countries.
The following projects have been completed during Bob and Barbara’s careers, selected from their personal scrapbook, which spans 55 years of Hillier architecture.
J. Robert Hillier, LHD, FAIA MANAGING PRINCIPAL
J. Robert Hillier (Bob) is one of the leading and most highly-respected architects in the United States. Best known for building one of the world’s largest and most successful architecture firms, Mr. Hillier is distinguished for his design, business acumen, and contributions to the profession as both a practitioner and educator.
Bob and the firm have been widely published in national and international journals, newspapers, and magazines. He has given over 200 lectures and participated in dozens of design juries. In 1992, Bob joined the core faculty of Princeton University’s School of Architecture, where he currently teaches two graduate seminars. He has served on the AIA National Fellowship Jury and as Chair of the Selection Committee for the Dean of Princeton’s School of Architecture. He is also a Trustee Emeritus at McCarter Theater.
More recently, Bob received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and an Honorary MBA from Bryant University. Other honors include the Legacy Award from the Urban Land Institute, the New Jersey AIA’s Michael Graves Lifetime Achievement Award, and the President’s Medal for Lifetime Achievement from NJIT. In May 2019, the New Jersey Institute of Technology renamed its Architecture/Design school the J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier College of Architecture and Design.
REGISTRATIONS
NJ #21AI00438500, CT, D.C., DE, FL, GA, KS, MD, MA, NH, NY, PA, RI, TX, VA, Washington D.C.
EDUCATION
MFA, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
BA, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
AFFILIATIONS
College of Fellows, American Institute of Architects
Core Faculty, Princeton University School of Architecture, 1992 to Present
Board of Advisors, Architectural Graphic Standards Publication
New Jersey Green Building Council, Founding Member
Selected Hospitality Clients
Acapulco Princess Hotel
Ankara Hotel
Baha Mar
Bird Hills Golf Course
Burroughs Farms Conference Center
Cigna Eagle Lodge Conference Center
Citicorp Arrowwood Conference Center
ETS Chauncey Conference Center
Ford Fairlane Club and Manor
Greenbrier Resort
Hamilton Farm Golf Club
Acapulco, Mexico
Ankara, Turkey
Nassau, Bahamas
Emerson, NJ
Brighton, MI
Lafayette Hill, PA
Westchester, NY
Princeton NJ
Dearborn, MI
White Sulpher Springs, WV
Gladstone, NJ
Marmara Antalya Hotel
Marriott International HQ
Newark Airport Marriott Hotel
Natirar Spa
Nordic Hills
North Jersey Country Club
Oak Brook Hilton Chicago
Port Saint George
Princeton Marriott
Ras Sedr
Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia
Antalya, Turkey
Bethesda, MD
Newark, NJ
Peapack-Gladstone, NJ
Chicago, IL
Wayne, NJ
Chicago, IL
Bahamas
Princeton, NJ
Egypt
Philadelphia, PA
Hamilton Princess Conference Center
Harbour Island
Harrah’s Marina Hotel and Casino
Harrison Conference Center at Glen Cove
Harrison Conference Center Dodgertown
Hilton Hotels at Newark
The Houstonian
Jinji Lake Island Club
Kalamazoo Center Hotel
Pembroke, Bermuda
Tampa, FL
Atlantic City, NJ
Glen Cove, NY
Vero Beach, FL
Newark, NJ
Houston, TX
Suzhou, China
Kalamazoo, MI
Shannondell Senior Living
Sheraton Ballroom
Sheraton Meadowlands
Star City
Stazi Milano Greenwood Grille
Sunset Villa Hotel
Suzhou Hotel
Trump Marina Hotel
Valle Arriba Athletic Club
Valley Forge, PA
Eatontown, NJ
East Rutherford, NJ
Sydney, Australia
Jenkintown, PA
Rota, Mariana Islands
Suzhou, China
Atlantic City, NJ
Caracas, Venezuela
Port St. George
THE BAHAMAS
7,710,000 SF
Port St. George will be the Bahamas’ largest net-zero-engineered luxury destination designed to meet WELL and LEED for Cities and Communities Gold certification. It will feature a 110-acre harbor and over 500 new condos, single-family units, and townhouses. Amenities will include several athletic facilities, such as a world-class 18-hole golf course, tennis and cricket clubs, and four 50-room boutique hotels. Among these hotels is a clubhouse on the Atlantic side which will boast 1,800 feet of dramatic beachfront, a restaurant, cafe, fitness area, and an infinity-edge pool with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean.
The harbor is to be the largest safe Harbour in the Bahamas for 640 private luxury boats. In addition, it will be surrounded by waterfront condominiums and a new walkable town center.
The Town Center will feature a yacht club, shopping for local artisan crafts, and several restaurants and apartments overlooking the main piazza of the resort. The resort will cater to those seeking an off-the-grid experience characterized by an authentic Bahamian environment and luxurious, modern amenities.
Princeton Marriott
PRINCETON, NJ
35,000 SF
Studio Hillier provided Architectural Services for renovating public spaces and guest rooms’ bathrooms at the Princeton Marriott. The renovations included an upscale bar and coffee lounge in the Greatroom, a newly-renovated Lobby and Front Desk, the Canahan Room, Empire Suite, Private Dining Room, Gratella Room, and the Iron & Ivy Restaurant.
In addition to services for the public amenity spaces, Studio Hillier provided interior design for the hotel’s event spaces, including the Alexander Ballroom, University Lounge, the Dining Room, Treehouse Lounge, and meeting rooms.
All significant interior public spaces were renovated and modernized to elevate the guest experience in the Princeton Mariott; care was taken to maintain the rustic warmth of existing exposed brick and heavy timber construction. Custom accent pieces, such as the metal frame above the reception counter, focus guests’ attention while unifying the material palette.
Star City
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
2,100,000 SF
With a ten-year gaming monopoly from the city of Sydney and a distinctly urban mission in revitalizing the historic Pyrmont Bay waterfront, Star City is a casino development with a difference. The 2.1-million-squarefoot complex offers a little of everything from legitimate theater to gourmet dining and from parks to neighborhood convenience stores.
Star City’s themed areas eschew exploding volcanoes in favor of environmental sculpture by Australian artists like John Olsen. Gardens, waterfalls, jets of fire and water, and color-saturated light shows evoke the continent’s natural and cultural riches that warrant repeated visits.
An attraction in its own right, the 2000-seat Lyric Theater updates the classic horseshoe-shaped, proscenium-style auditorium as a venue for big musical theater, ballet, and opera productions. A concrete envelope and rubber pads provide excellent acoustic isolation. Next door is a 900-seat cabaret theater.
Star City
Sydney, Australia
