At Home in New England

December 2, 2013
Wills honors the architectural style of his late father, Royal Barry Wills, whose iconic houses are a staple of the New England identity, in both his book and his architectural practice. After graduating MIT, Royal Barry Wills opened a solo firm in 1925 on Beacon Street in Boston, where he established a reputation for his small, middle to upper-class single-family house designs. In 1962 the younger Wills inherited the firm and is currently its managing partner. In the years since, Wills has maintained a core business in residential designs, staying true to his father's vision. His book primarily showcases the firm's more recent projects from the last decade, proving the timelessness of the founding partner's designs. Early sections deal with architectural concepts, introducing New England housing styles such as "the Cape cottage and its two-story cousin the Colonial farmhouse, as well as the saltbox, the garrison, the Dutch gambrel, and the three-quarter Cape." Photos, floor plans and sketches help to illustrate unique features: Roofs are traditionally pitched. Dormers add visual interest. Shutters provide symmetry. Wills's discussion is engaging, but limited in scope. Rather than a survey of Wills's overall influence in design, this is more the portfolio of one prominent architecture firmâbut an impressive one .