Scott C. Wilson
Scott C. Wilson, AIA, received both his Bachelor of Science in Architecture and his Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois. Scott is one of the founding partners of Wilson Butler Architects (WBA), an award-winning architecture and interior design firm, specializing in arts and entertainment design, based in Boston, MA. Scott, his partners, and their teams are known for creating places where people love to be – and love to return. The insight and behavioral values behind the success of these timeless places – theaters, hospitality venues, public gathering places, campus buildings and cruise ships – have helped his peers, clients, and the greater architectural community integrate new ways of thinking about design, creating spaces that are both functional and a delight for audiences and passengers.
Early in his career Scott was a lead designer and project manager for esteemed architect and AIA Gold Medal Winner, Benjamin Thompson, FAIA, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and throughout his career he has carried forward the design legacy of the inspirational Harvard Square design community and the work of Walter Gropius, Ben Thompson, Hugh Stubbins, Sert Jackson, and others. While at Benjamin Thompson Associates, Scott was the head architect for the award-winning Ordway Music Theatre in St. Paul Minnesota and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, which set him on the path for his architectural practice.
Those formative years led to the creation of Wilson Butler Architects (WBA), founded in 1997, with Scott as President. Their depth of experience about creating audience experiences, and both user friendly “front of house” and “backstage” design, led to WBA’s first land based performing arts center, the new Belding Theater at the Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut. Many performing arts and visual arts commissions followed including, the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center (Auburn University), Boston Center for the Arts Calderwood Pavilion (Boston, Massachusetts), Towson University Center for the Arts (Towson, Maryland) , Akron Civic Theatre (Akron, Ohio), Altria Theater and Richmond CenterStage (both in Richmond, Virginia), Boston Ballet School (Boston, Massachusetts), Times-Union Performing Arts Center (Jacksonville, Florida), Boston University College of Fine Arts (Boston, Massachusetts) and most recently, Boston Arts Academy (Boston, Massachusetts), Boston’s high school for the performing arts.
At the founding of the WBA studio, Royal Caribbean International (RCCL), recognizing the value of Wilson Butler’s specialty for designing entertainment venues, contracted the firm to design the full complement of entertainment venues on their newest ships. That led to many innovative projects, including the development of the first purpose-built ice show venue (Studio B) and a new on-board aquatic show (The Aqua Theatre). In short order, the Wilson Butler team became integral to the overall planning of the newest generations of new ships and applied land based urban design thinking in the overall planning and creation of the Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world including the detailed execution of further challenging innovations such as Central Park, a living arboretum which is the first of its kind ever to be created. With the increase involvement, design innovation, and collaborative leadership, Scott Wilson’s imprint across the entire RCCL family including Celebrity Cruises, Silversea, and TUI Cruises, is unparalleled. Today, the Wilson Butler firm is the largest and most prominent cruise ship design firm in the US, with few rivals across Europe.
Throughout his career, Scott has contributed thousands of pro-bono hours of planning, programming, and technical support to non-profit arts and education clients, including his 15-year commitment to bring the Boston Arts Academy to fruition.
Scott, who retired from the firm in 2021, has carried forward and taught the design principles and community engagement he learned as a young architect and later developed in his practice. He now has time to spend with his family, working in his wood shop, boating and learning the art of oil painting, his newfound passion.