Last month, architect Richard Wills of Royal Barry Wills Associates was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame. Presented with a “Lifetime Achievement” award, Wills received the honor after being nominated by fellow architect, Richard Bertman of CBT Architectural Firm in Boston.
“When you receive this award you are honored by your peers,” said Wills. “It’s a relatively exclusive club and I am among five recipients this year who are referred to as being outstanding designers and architects.”
Wills is recognized as a well-known and respected architect whose work may be seen throughout New England. Born in Melrose, Massachusetts, the son of renowned architect Royal Barry Wills, Richard Wills says he did not realize while in his youth that a career in architecture was to be his calling.
“I was a senior at Tufts, majoring in economics and government, nearing graduation and not knowing what I really wanted to do,” he said. “I had been working with my father for several summers while in college and after a conversation with him, I was encouraged to pursue architecture. After graduating from Tufts, I attended the Boston Architectural Center at night (now known as the Boston Architectural College) and worked for my father during the daytime. After six years of study, I took my state board exams and became a real architect.”
While he has designed several types of buildings, including commercial and institutional, Wills says his favorite projects are the residential ones. His unique approach to design reflects that of his father before him, in keeping with traditional New England architecture, with a sincere appreciation for the living habits of the public today.
“The requirements of our clientele is ever changing,” said Wills. “We are pretty much committed in our design philosophy to the traditional New England architecture and adapting it to the 21st century lifestyle.”
In his 50-year career, Wills has had a hand in projects both in and out of the United States, including those in Wales, Australia, the Virgin Islands and Canada. He keeps a portrait of one he is particularly proud of, a summer cottage on Islesboro, in the conference area of his Damariscotta office.
“I really enjoy the residential projects,” Wills said. “Those are 90 percent of our practice.”
A few buildings in Lincoln County designed by Wills include an addition currently under construction at the Southport Library, the James Patrick Gallery in Wiscasset, the Whitefield Town Office and the MacNamara Foundation Artist Retreat on Westport Island.
Other projects include an 80,000 square foot office building in Hampton, New Hampshire and the Music Conservatory Building in a suburb on the outskirts of Boston.
Although some of his projects are not residential, Wills says an effort is made to keep the scale and character of such buildings in a residential realm. He says the MacNamara Foundation Artist Retreat and James Patrick Gallery, both under the sponsorship and direction of Maureen MacNamara were welcome challenges.
“For the retreat on Westport Island, we moved an old Pennsylvania barn up here and totally redid it, designing studio and living space, creating an artistic atmosphere,” he said.
Wills travels between Boston and Damariscotta regularly, spending as much time as possible at his home on Westport Island. He recognized a need for an office in Maine when commissions began coming in steadily from the area. Initially, the Maine branch was located at Newcastle Square and is now on the upper level of Damariscotta Center.
His associate and fellow architectural designer, Lynn Talacko oversees the Damariscotta office in Wills’ absence and has worked with the firm since 1984. The two men have collaborated on projects all along the Maine coast, including at least one building within every town of Lincoln County.
Wills attributes his success to the fact that he has not veered from the type of architecture that has become the defining signature of his firm, one that causes his clients to seek him out. He feels his belief regarding the importance of, “Maintaining the proper scale and proportion in relating to the basic New England architecture that I have been dedicated to and not letting the fashions of the day interfere,” has given him a desired edge in the architectural world and one that is the bottom line when considering the success of Royal Barry Wills Associates.
“People seek me out because the architecture that I have produced in the past is a design direction in which they are sympathetic with,” Wills said. “In most cases, when someone is choosing an architect, they’re looking at his past work and saying ‘that’s the kind of work I like.’ Everyone has their own direction. The success of our firm is based more on the basic Cape Cod architecture and its expansion over a period of years, although we are not limited to that direction.
“In the past, it has been quoted that my father, Royal Barry Wills, invented the Cape Cod Cottage, which is not true, but he developed it as a very livable design and in developing and adapting that Cape Cod design, he developed a design solution to be accessible for more people.”
Richard Wills may be contacted in his Damariscotta office at 563-8499 or in his Boston office at (617) 266-5225. An article further detailing the receipt of this award by Wills and four of his peers may be found in the Nov./Dec. 2008 issue of New England Home Magazine or on that publication’s website: www.nehomemag.com.