Our Common Humanity in the Information Age. Principles and Values for Development

Architecture
J. Robert Hillier, FAIA, founded his architectural practice in 1966 on the belief that 
design is the creation of the appropriate balance of all of the forces that act on a project, 
from gravity, to environment, to context, to program, to economics, to politics; that the 
resulting architecture would be of its time and of its place.
Today, Hillier Architecture, a 350-person international design firm ranked among the 
largest in the United States, is applying that philosophy to projects in approximately 35 
countries around the globe, including international schools in Budapest, Cairo, Chennai, 
Dubai and Doha. Projects in the United States include East River Science Park in 
Manhattan; the five-million-square -foot Sprint World Headquarters in Overland Park, 
KS; the Cornell University Center for Birds and Biodiversity in Ithaca, NY; and the 
renovation and restoration of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The firm’s 
shared professional ethos acknowledges the essential cum influential role of architects in 
a modern society. Going beyond the expectation of delivering beautiful buildings and 
inspiring spaces, the firm has given voice to the value an architect plays in dissecting, 
analyzing and solving the complexity of issues that face our society. Hillier has received 
close to 300 awards for design excellence, environmental responsibility and service to the 
community.
An advocate for affordable housing, preservation of open space and environmentally and 
culturally sustainable development, Hillier, through his activities as both developer and 
architect, has preserved over 300 acres of land in New Jersey; contributed to the supply 
of affordable housing in the state by transforming abandoned properties into residences 
and establishing a foundation to provide financial assistance to qualifying residents; and 
helped preserve the state’s architectural heritage through the restoration of landmark 
historic buildings. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Princeton University, 
where he is also an adjunct professor at the School of Architecture.