Carol Ross Barney, FAIA

Carol Ross Barney has been in the vanguard of civic space design since founding Ross Barney

Architects in 1981. With a career that spans over 40 years, she has made significant contributions to the built environment, the profession, and architectural education. As an architect, urbanist, mentor, and educator, Ms. Ross Barney has relentlessly advocated that excellent design is a right, not a privilege. Her body of work occupies a unique place within the panorama of contemporary architecture, being exclusively composed of work in the public realm.

Ms. Ross Barney’s projects vary in type and scale but uphold a deep commitment to the role architecture plays in life quality. This has manifest itself in spaces that transition urban dwellers from point A to point B and enrich the metropolitan experience; to buildings that are environmental stewards, showcasing sustainability in an overtly compelling way; to spaces that inspire young children and the brightest minds of tomorrow to learn, invent, and break boundaries.

Her work has been honored with over 100 major design awards including the American Institute of Architects Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture, the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award, and the and the AIA Illinois Gold Medal. She was named a “Gamechanger” by Metropolis magazine in 2018.

Ms. Ross Barney is a graduate of the University of Illinois and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica planning national parks. She teaches an advanced Design Studio at IIT and serves on their College Board of Overseers.