Carol Ross Barney, 1949

American architect, the founder and design principal of Ross Barney Architects, and the co-founder of the Chicago Women in Architecture.

Born in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 9, the family relocated to Düsseldorf, Germany, until she attended high school. After her graduation, she enrolled to study Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. At 22, a week after receiving her degree, she and her husband joined the US Peace Corps, assisting in the preservation and protection of Costa Rica’s national parks. Coming back to Chicago, she was hired by the architectural firm Holabird and Root, where she worked on the Glendale Heights Post Office, for which she received multiple awards. At the age of 24, she co-founded the Chicago Women in Architecture and served as its first president.
 
In 1981, she started her practice, followed by clients from her old firm. A couple of years later, during her studies for a master’s degree in Architecture, she was awarded a fellowship that allowed her to travel to Europe, exploring post-war rebuilding and planning of various cities. In 1997, she was chosen to design the Oklahoma City Federal Building and became the first female architect to lead a federal building commission. Her approach to architecture is that excellent design is not a privilege but a right, and her work is known for being innovative, sustainable, and accessible for all. It is shown in her design of the Chicago RiverWalk – a pedestrian waterfront located on the Chicago River. She created an urban park that connects the city to the river, and with the terraces and benches, she provided a green refuge from the city’s intensity .
 
Barney is also a Professor of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, teaching advanced design studio, and serving on the College of Architecture Board of Overseers.
 

More Interesting Anecdotes:

• Her favorite building in Chicago is the Inland Steel.
• If she wasn’t an architect, she would probably be a filmmaker.
• In 1988, she served in the national AIA Women in Architecture Committee. In this position, she was an advisor for two AIA Exhibitions that explored women architects.
• She has three sons.
• Her drawings were exhibited at several art and design museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Building Museum.