Charles F. Hilton, Principal of Charles Hilton Architects in Greenwich, was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame last November 10, 2016. Now in its tenth year, New England Home’s Design Hall of Fame “honors individuals who have had exceptional careers in New England’s residential design industry. A small number of architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and builders whose work, influence, and community involvement have set them at the pinnacle of their profession” are inducted into the Hall of Fame each November. This year’s ceremony was held at the State Room in Boston, Mass. in front of an audience of nearly 500 design and construction professionals.
Publisher Kathy Bush-Dutton welcomed the sold-out crowd and was followed by Editor-in-Chief Kyle Hoepner, who offered reflections on the importance of high quality design. The awards portion of the presentation was led by Master of Ceremonies and Home Editor Stacy Kunstel. Her introduction of Charles chronicled highlights from his 36-year career while images of his classically inspired stone, brick and shingle style residences were projected on large overhead screens set against the backdrop of Boston’s night skyline. Charles’s work “recalls a timelessness that will endure through the end of this century. Classically detailed, these are the estates that are the scenes from movies and classic novels, however for Charles Hilton, it is more than just designing estates.” It is “the magic in looking at a site and creating something that has never existed upon it before. Something with beauty and meaning for people to live in.” She went on to say, “besides being an architect, mentor, coach, volunteer, and being a tireless supporter of his community of Greenwich, CT, Charles is a dreamer. A dreamer who works with clients to see that their dreams come to fruition.” In addition to recognizing design excellence, the Hall of Fame selection also recognized Charles’s efforts to give back to the local and global community, specifically noting his firm’s work promoting historic preservation, designing the Greenwich September 11th Memorial, and supporting construction projects for needy families overseas.
The New England Design Hall of Fame induction is the latest in a number of top honors for Charles Hilton Architects in 2016. The Brick Industry Association (BIA) named a mid-country Greenwich American Georgian house designed by the firm ‘Best-in-Class’, which is its top award, in its annual Brick in Architecture awards competition. This was followed by two Moffly Media A-List Awards for ‘Best Pool House’ and ‘Best Traditional Residence Less Than 7,000 Square Feet’. The firm was also included again on this year’s Ocean Home’s “Top 50 Coastal Architects” list, received Houzz’s 2016 Customer Service Badge, and received the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Corporate Citizenship Award for its many community service efforts.
Charles Hilton Architects is a 16-person design firm based in Greenwich specializing in high-end traditional residential design. Charles has residential projects located across the country, with the majority of his work located in Fairfield County, and Westchester County, N.Y. He is a licensed architect and interior designer and is the recipient of the AIA-Connecticut and numerous trade publication and industry association design awards. Charles’s work is featured regularly in regional and national publications focusing on such topics as residential design, waterfront homes, and green design. Charles is a frequent lecturer and has been featured in recent years in two TV series, and is a member of the AIA and The Institute of Classical Art and Architecture. The firm’s work can be viewed at HiltonArchitects.com.
